Double Header: Two Games, Then Rotate

Double Header is for the group that thinks one game with a partner isn't enough to prove anything. Every matchup you are dealt plays twice, and every point you score adds to your total. This guide covers how the format works, what it needs to run clean, and how to set one up.

What Double Header is

Double Header deals a partner and opponents, then plays that matchup twice before rotating. Both games count toward your points total. Each round cranks out enough games to fill a solid 2-hour session — bring exactly 4 players per court and let the battles begin.

Three things define it:

• Rotating partners — the scheduler mixes the group; every pairing only comes round if you draw enough rounds.
• 2 games per matchup — two consecutive games with the same partner against the same opponents, then rotate.
• Points — the points you score in every game are totalled; wins break a tie. Both games of a matchup count.

Why two games per partnership

One game can swing on a couple of lucky net cords. Playing a matchup twice takes the coin-flip out of it, and because standings total the points you score rather than the games you win, a hard-fought loss is still worth something. It's the structure that makes Double Header feel less like a mixer and more like a series. The trade-off is time: two-plus games per matchup fill a solid two-hour session, so it rewards a group that's there to compete rather than one squeezing in a quick evening.

When Double Header fits

Reach for Double Header when your group wants more than a one-and-done with each partner and has the court time to spend on it. It's a rotating-partner format, so it favors players around the same skill level, and the two-games-per-matchup structure means it wants exactly 4 players per court. The sweet spot is 8 to 16 players total — enough for a couple of courts running full doubles, small enough that the rounds wrap inside a two-hour session. Larger than that and the math stretches the night out; for a bigger floor, Mixer moves faster.

Step 1 — Create the game and pick Double Header

Open the Create tab and choose One game — or Weekly games if this is your regular night. On the format step, pick Double Header from the format guide. It runs for 4 to 32 players.

Step 2 — Set courts for full foursomes

Set your court count and real court numbers. Double Header needs exactly 4 players per court, so line up your court count with your headcount — four players fill one court, eight fill two, and so on.

Step 3 — Invite players and mind the total

Share the game and let players RSVP. It runs best at 8 to 16 players total — any larger and the rounds stretch past a comfortable two hours, so set your cap with that ceiling in mind. Fair RSVP and the waitlist handle overflow.

Step 4 — Generate rounds and play both games

Open the Rounds tab and tap Start Game. Pikel deals each round and schedules two games per matchup. Play both games back to back with the same partner and opponents, then rotate.

Step 5 — Score courtside and track standings

Enter both games' scores at the net — winning number, loser's number, one tap each. Get one wrong and the host can reopen the match to fix it. Standings total the points you score in every game — both games of every matchup — and rank by that, live, with a podium for the top three.

Pro tip

Needs exactly 4 players per court. Runs best at 8-16 players total — any larger and rounds stretch past 2 hours.