Three courts, six rounds, frozen roster. This social guide is not an official sport rule set. Agree safe play and stop signals beforehand.
Prepare before starting
Confirm 12 adults/three courts; check-in, setup, and warm-up precede the clock. Bring equipment, timer, audible signal, pens, water, C1-C3 labels.
Assign P01-P12. Freeze the original name-to-ID mapping before Round 1. An unused ID may change before freezing only with everyone present and equal opportunities. Keep it unchanged afterward.
Proposed handouts: one roster, one timeline, three court tables, three six-row score sheets: eight copies, or seven with combined roster/timeline. Pagination determines paper counts. These are proposed printouts, not kit contents. Preview on A4 or US Letter; printer-specific layout is unverified.
Brief everyone in eight minutes
Use minutes 0-2 for IDs/courts, 2-4 for scoring, 4-6 for signals, 6-8 for first-round partners.
Opening words:
"Keep your number; move at the signal. Six rounds will not pair you with everyone. Tell me if you need to stop. If absence, cancellation or replacement changes opportunities, comparative rankings and prizes stay off for this session."
Keep this exact clock
Example start: 18:00. Preserve offsets when changing the start.
| Block | Elapsed minutes | Clock time |
|---|---|---|
| Briefing | 00-08 | 18:00-18:08 |
| Round 1 | 08-20 | 18:08-18:20 |
| Transition 1 | 20-22 | 18:20-18:22 |
| Round 2 | 22-34 | 18:22-18:34 |
| Transition 2 | 34-36 | 18:34-18:36 |
| Round 3 | 36-48 | 18:36-18:48 |
| Transition 3 | 48-50 | 18:48-18:50 |
| Round 4 | 50-62 | 18:50-19:02 |
| Transition 4 | 62-64 | 19:02-19:04 |
| Round 5 | 64-76 | 19:04-19:16 |
| Transition 5 | 76-78 | 19:16-19:18 |
| Round 6 | 78-90 | 19:18-19:30 |
8 + (6 x 12) + (5 x 2) = 90 minutes. Signal starts/stops at round boundaries; never extend play into transitions. In the first five two-minute transitions, recorders report four IDs and normally completed scores. The host checks/marks scores, checks attendance, then calls courts. Ties are draws without extra play.
Round 6 gets 12 minutes, stopping at minute 90. Final score marking and verification, results, thanks, and packing happen after 90 and need separate time. No seventh transition or early closing is included.
A standalone six-round example
Each cell shows opposing teams. With all original players present throughout: six scheduled matches, six distinct partners, no scheduled rests each. These checked example properties establish no kit statistics, skill balance, or unique opponents.
| Round | Court 1 | Court 2 | Court 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | P01 + P12 vs P02 + P11 | P03 + P10 vs P04 + P09 | P05 + P08 vs P06 + P07 |
| 2 | P02 + P09 vs P03 + P08 | P04 + P07 vs P05 + P06 | P01 + P11 vs P12 + P10 |
| 3 | P03 + P06 vs P04 + P05 | P01 + P10 vs P11 + P09 | P12 + P08 vs P02 + P07 |
| 4 | P01 + P09 vs P10 + P08 | P11 + P07 vs P12 + P06 | P02 + P05 vs P03 + P04 |
| 5 | P10 + P06 vs P11 + P05 | P12 + P04 vs P02 + P03 | P01 + P08 vs P09 + P07 |
| 6 | P11 + P03 vs P12 + P02 | P01 + P07 vs P08 + P06 | P09 + P05 vs P10 + P04 |
Record first; rank only when comparable
A Recorded match finishes normally with four original players. Each teammate gets win = 1, draw = 0.5, loss = 0. Points per Recorded match = total result points / Recorded matches. Score margin per Recorded match = (total score for - total score against) / Recorded matches. Compare the points rate first, then the margin rate, both descending. Share rank only if both rates tie; zero Recorded means unranked. These local measures do not establish skill.
Comparative rankings require equal opportunities and the fixed original roster. After absence, cancellation, or replacement changes opportunities, rankings/prizes remain off even if headcount returns to 12. Keep participation records.
Handle changes manually
These are host procedures, not claimed automatic workbook functions or replacement schedules.
X excludes the whole match's four players from Recorded counts, result points and score margin; leave both team score fields blank, never enter an invented zero or win. Log the reason separately: cancellation means rest; exhibition means physical play without ranking eligibility. Record actual participation and rests separately from Recorded match counts.
- Absent at start or later: retain the frozen ID. Mark its affected match X, leave both team score fields blank, and exclude all four players from Recorded counts. The three present players rest; other complete courts continue. Cancel every future match while that ID is absent. Never play three-person doubles.
- Original player arrives late: admit them under their original ID at the next round boundary. Preserve earlier X entries. Rankings/prizes stay off after changed opportunities.
- Mid-round departure: stop that court safely. The unfinished match is always X, with both scores blank; keep any partial score only in a separate note. Agreement does not make it Recorded. Preserve already normally completed Recorded results. Cancel later matches requiring the departed ID while it remains absent; other complete courts may continue.
- New substitute after starting: use the original ID for assignment/exhibition only. Log the actual name and joining round separately; do not change the original name mapping or inherit/merge personal scores. Every future match involving that substitute is X, with both scores blank for all four. Physically played exhibition is not Recorded; it differs from resting.
- Want a new competitive session: create a separate file and new roster; never overwrite this session.
- Only two courts: eight play; four wait. Stop and replan this three-court format; changed opportunities keep rankings/prizes off.
Eleven cannot fill three doubles courts. No validated 7-, 11-, or 15-player replacement schedule is supplied. After 90, announce comparable friendly results or: "We kept participation records; comparative rankings and prizes are off. Thank you."
Kit XLSX/PDF compatibility is unverified; this guide establishes no demand or sales.