Padel draw with qualifying: formats and rules
When your entry list is bigger than the main draw, a qualifying draw lets everyone play: the lowest-seeded pairs contest a preliminary phase, and the qualifiers join the main draw in "qe" slots.
128
qualifying + main draw formats12–39
pairs in total, by format1, 2, 4, 8
possible qualifier countsHow a qualifying draw works
The lowest seeds play qualifying
The main draw keeps its direct seeds. The remaining slots at the bottom are freed and contested in a qualifying phase — either knockout or pools.
Qualifying decides the outgoing qualifiers (Qs)
The phase runs until the planned number of qualifiers remains: 1, 2, 4 or 8 depending on the format. These are the qualifying draw's "qualifiés sortants" (Qs) — the only pairs to move up.
The referee draws the incoming qualifiers (qe) by hand
In the main draw the same pairs become "qualifiés entrants" (qe). They are not placed automatically: the referee draws them into the "qe" slots once qualifying is complete. The main draw's first round stays locked until then.
Pairs eliminated in qualifying still get ranked
They do not go home: placement matches separate them across the lower places. Every pair gets its 3-match minimum, including those knocked out in the first qualifying round.
How many qualifiers? Every qualifying draw
The more pairs go up, the shorter qualifying is. A single qualifier means playing the phase all the way through — and more matches.
| Pairs in qualifying | Qualifiers | Type | Qualifying matches | Compatible main draws |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 pairs | 1 | Knockout | 12 | 10 |
| 8 pairs | 2 | Pools | 15 | 10 |
| 8 pairs | 2 | Knockout | 11 | 10 |
| 8 pairs | 4 | Pools | 14 | 10 |
| 8 pairs | 4 | Knockout | 8 | 10 |
| 10 pairs | 2 | Pools | 24 | 10 |
| 12 pairs | 4 | Pools | 20 | 10 |
| 16 pairs | 1 | Knockout | 32 | 10 |
| 16 pairs | 2 | Knockout | 31 | 10 |
| 16 pairs | 4 | Pools | 36 | 10 |
| 16 pairs | 4 | Knockout | 28 | 10 |
| 16 pairs | 8 | Pools | 32 | 9 |
| 16 pairs | 8 | Knockout | 20 | 9 |
Find your format by pair count
The total number of pairs determines which combinations work. Entry counts that no single draw fits become playable once qualifying is added.
12
2 formats14
4 formats15
1 format16
6 formats17
1 format18
8 formats19
1 format20
12 formats21
1 format22
13 formats23
3 formats24
17 formats25
2 formats26
11 formats27
3 formats28
15 formats29
1 format30
6 formats31
3 formats32
9 formats33
1 format34
2 formats35
2 formats36
2 formats38
1 format39
1 formatPick a pair count to see the matching formats and print the draw sheet.
No qualifying needed?
If your entry list fits a single draw, the standard formats are enough: pools, straight knockout, consolation — all blank and printable as A4 PDFs.
Frequently asked questions
As soon as entries exceed the size of the main draw you want. Rather than turning pairs away or inflating the draw, qualifying lets everyone play and promotes only the best of the preliminary phase.
1, 2, 4 or 8 depending on the format. The number of outgoing qualifiers (Qs) matches the slots freed at the bottom of the main draw: promoting 4 Qs requires a main draw that opens 4 "qe" slots in its first round.
By a draw the referee runs once qualifying is complete. A pair is a "qualifié sortant" (Qs) leaving the qualifying draw and a "qualifié entrant" (qe) entering the main draw. No automatic transition links the two: the "qe" slots stay open, and the main draw's first round cannot be drawn before qualifying finishes.
Yes. They play placement matches for the lower places, ordered by how far they got: pairs beaten in the last qualifying round rank above those beaten in the first.
Yes, including for a pair beaten in the first qualifying round — the qualifying consolation is sized for it. That is also why a 4-pair qualifying draw does not exist: its first-round losers could only ever play 2 matches.
Yes. Pool qualifying guarantees each pair 3 matches in the preliminary phase itself, and the pool winners qualify. Knockout qualifying is shorter but needs a consolation to rank the pairs it eliminates.