Organize a padel tournament in 7 steps
1. Choose the format and request sanctioning
Start with the category: P25, P50, P100, P250, P500, P1000 — and since the 2027 Competition Guide, P2000 and P3000. The higher the category, the more points at stake and the stricter the requirements. The club needs at least one declared, approved court, and the sanctioning request goes to your league through MOJA (administrator area). Plan ahead: file the request several weeks before your target date, and check your category's requirements (minimum pairs, certified referee).
2. Open registration
Since July 2026, registration for sanctioned tournaments goes through MOJA: players register from Ten'Up, the partner confirms, and online payment can be enabled through Hello Asso (free for the club). Up to P250, places go in registration order; from P500 the ranking decides (the cut), with an automatic waitlist. Many clubs also prefer taking registrations through their usual booking platform (Gestion Sport, DoinSport, LiveXperience): that works too, as long as the pairs are declared in MOJA — Padel Clash's Moja assistant automates exactly that import. Either way, watch the entry list in real time and set a clear deadline.
3. Build the draw
The format depends on team count and available time: knockout with seeds, pools then final draw, TMC (every team plays the same number of matches), staggered entry… Seeds are placed by pair weight, per the Competition Guide. This is where a tool saves the most time: Padel Clash imports your MOJA entries and generates a compliant draw from 25+ official formats, 4 to 32 teams.
4. Schedule courts and time slots
Allow 45 minutes to 1 h 15 per match depending on the format (2 sets + super tie-break, short format, etc.). Spread matches across courts keeping rest time between a pair's matches, and build in slack for delays. A printed or online schedule prevents 90% of questions at the referee's desk. Send player notifications at least 24 h ahead.
5. Run match day: scores and display
On tournament day everything moves fast: enter scores courtside, let the draw advance automatically and show live progress — a public page for players, TV mode at the clubhouse. Plan for the unexpected: walkover (WO), injury, late pair. A draw that advances itself frees the referee for what matters: the court.
6. Close out: final ranking and sanctioning
At the end of the event, establish the final ranking and upload it to MOJA for sanctioning — that's what triggers FFT points for the players. Double-check results before validating: a badly entered walkover can skew a pair's points. Padel Clash's Moja extension pushes the final ranking in one click, no re-typing.
7. Bank it for the next one
Keep a record: entry numbers, formats players enjoyed, feedback, incidents. Clubs that fill their tournaments are the ones that retain players — shared public page, accessible results, photos, and the next edition announced early.
How long does a padel tournament last?
For a 10-hour day with 4 courts and ~50-minute matches, you can fit about forty matches — a 16-team draw with pools, or 24 to 32 teams in knockout over two days. Padel Clash's bracket calculator estimates this automatically from your team count, courts and hours.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, an FFT-sanctioned tournament must run under a certified padel referee (JAP1 or JAP2 depending on category). If the club has none, invite one — or take the training, available through your league.
Main items: sanctioning (fee set by the league), new balls, optional prizes and court time. Software is no longer a cost: MOJA is provided by the FFT and Padel Clash is free.
Yes — americano, mexicano, club tournament: no MOJA required and players earn no FFT points. Ideal for club life between official events. Free generators create the rotations in seconds.
Start from real constraints: courts × available hours ÷ average match duration = playable matches. Then pick the format that fits while guaranteeing at least 2–3 matches per pair — that's what makes players come back.
After the event is closed in MOJA and the final ranking validated. Points by placement and category are in the official scale — our FFT points calculator details every level from P25 to P1000.
Related tools
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