Fun Tennis Game Formats & Group Drills

These formats work great for group sessions, social tennis, and club events. Each includes player count, scoring, and a court diagram.

King of the Court

4–8 players 1 court Singles or Doubles

One side of the court is the "King" side. Challengers rotate in from the other side and try to win a point. If the challenger wins, they become the King. If the King wins, the challenger rotates out and the next one comes in.

Scoring

  • Each point won as King counts as 1 point
  • Play to a target score (e.g., 10) or by timed rounds (5 min)
  • The player with the most points at the end wins

Variations

  • Doubles King: teams of 2, challengers rotate as pairs
  • Serve King: King always serves to keep an advantage
KING SIDE K C waiting

2 vs 2 with Two Balls

4 players 1 court Doubles

Standard doubles positioning, but two balls are served simultaneously from both sides. Each team plays one ball on their half. Both rallies happen at the same time, creating a fast-paced and chaotic game.

Scoring

  • A team must win both rallies to score a point
  • If each team wins one rally, no point is awarded
  • First team to 11 points (or set your own target)

Safety tip

Both players should be aware of both balls at all times. Pause immediately if balls cross paths.

A A B B ball 1 ball 2

3 Courts Promotion Format

6–12 players 3 courts Singles or Doubles

Players are split across three courts ranked by level (Court 1 = top, Court 3 = bottom). After each timed round, winners move one court up and losers move one court down. Players on Court 1 who win stay; players on Court 3 who lose stay.

Scoring

  • Each round is timed (e.g., 10 minutes) or played to a set number of games
  • Winner of each court moves up, loser moves down
  • Track total rounds on Court 1 to crown the overall champion

Why it works

Creates naturally balanced matches. Stronger players gravitate to Court 1 while newcomers find fair competition on Court 3.

Court 1 (Top) strongest players Court 2 (Mid) middle level Court 3 (Bottom) developing players win win lose lose

Round Robin

4–8 players 1–2 courts Singles

Every player plays a short match (e.g., one set or a timed period) against every other player. Results are tracked on a scoreboard. The player with the most wins at the end is the champion.

Scoring

  • Win = 2 points, loss = 0 points (or 3/1/0 for win/close-loss/loss)
  • Tiebreaker: head-to-head result, then games difference

Round Robin ensures everyone plays the same number of matches and is the fairest format for small groups.

Want to organize a group session? Create a game on GetCourt and invite players.

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