Twenty players, five courts, one organiser, and a group chat full of "when do we start?" messages. Sound familiar? Here's the fastest way to get from nothing to first game in under 5 minutes using Areno — no account required.
What you need before you start
- A phone, tablet, or laptop
- The names of your 20 players (or roughly — late arrivals can be added)
- Five courts booked and ready
That's it. No spreadsheet, no PDF template, no app to install.
Step-by-step setup
Open areno.pro/app
Open in any browser. No sign-in, no download. You land directly on the tournament setup screen.
Select Mexicano & Individual mode
In the Tournament Format card, tap Mexicano. Leave the mode on Individual (players rotate freely as partners).
Prefer fixed pairs? Switch to Teams mode instead — works identically.
Set Players → 20, Courts → 5, Rounds → 8
Use the +/− spinners in the Format card. Areno will suggest an optimal round count — 8 rounds works well for a 2-hour session at 10 minutes per round. The estimated time bar at the bottom updates live.
Running short on time? Drop to 6 rounds. Each round is roughly 10–15 minutes of play.
Set scoring mode to Fixed Points (16 or 24)
For 20 players across 5 courts, Fixed 16 points keeps games to a predictable length. If your group likes longer rallies, use 24. Avoid Race to Target for large groups — it makes timing unpredictable.
Name your courts (optional but helpful)
Scroll down to the Court Names section. Rename courts to match your venue — "Court A", "Back Court", or whatever players know them as. Saves confusion when announcing matchups.
Enter player names
Tap each name field and type. Hit Tab to move to the next field quickly. If you have a club account with a saved roster, names appear as suggestions as you type — just Tab to autocomplete.
Players arriving late? You can add them after the first round using the late-arrival feature.
Hit Start Tournament
Areno generates all matchups instantly. Round 1 is displayed on screen — announce the court assignments and you're playing.
Total setup time: With players' names ready, most organisers complete this in 90 seconds. Even typing 20 names from scratch takes under 3 minutes with Tab navigation.
Managing the tournament on the night
Once the tournament is running, your job is mainly score entry. After each round, tap the score entry area for each court and enter the result. Areno recalculates standings and generates the next round's matchups automatically — no manual work.
Showing the scoreboard
Tap the Share button to generate a live link. Send it to your players' WhatsApp group — anyone can follow the standings and upcoming matchups on their phone without logging in.
Handling late arrivals
Use the late arrival feature (accessible from the ⋯ menu during a tournament). You can add players to the rotation after round 1; Areno handles the adjustment automatically so they sit out fewer rounds than expected.
Tips for large groups
📱 One device per court
Share the scoreboard link with players on each court. Whoever finishes first can start entering their own score while you handle others.
⏱ Use the shot clock
If games are dragging, switch to Shot Clock mode. Set a round timer and games end when time's up — whoever leads wins.
💾 Save as you go
Areno auto-saves after every score entry. If the screen locks or you switch apps, everything is still there when you come back.
🏆 Add a finals round
Enable Finals before you start. After the last regular round, Areno generates a bracket with the top players seeded automatically.
What about 24 or 28 players?
The same setup works for larger groups — just adjust the player count and court count accordingly. 24 players needs 6 courts; 28 players needs 7 courts. Mexicano handles large groups particularly well because the dynamic matchups keep every court competitive even with a wide ability range in the room.
Running tournaments regularly? A free club account gives you a saved player roster, so you never have to type names again. The tournament setup drops from 3 minutes to about 30 seconds once your roster is loaded.