Crazy 8's
- Number of players
- 8 to 64, in multiples of 8
- Group limit
- Every 8 players make a group
- Team format
- Rotating partners. Winners stay together.
- Bye option
- No
- Courts needed
- 2 for each group (16 for 64 players)
- Rounds played
- You choose, from 2 to 12. A manager can add a round to one group.
Unique features
- Mobile experience: managers enter scores on a phone, players follow live
- Airport-style large-screen kiosk for the club TV, with courts and standings
- Starting seeds from your own order first, then rating (DUPR)
- Several groups run side by side, 8 players each
- The next round is drawn for you when both courts are scored
- Add an extra round to a specific group
- Live table with each round's result and point difference. Tap a player for their match analytics
- Run it as a league of weekly sessions
Rules
Eight players, ranked 1 to 8, play doubles on two courts. Partners change each round for the teams that lose.
Pairing system
Round 1 pairs the top-ranked player with the bottom-ranked: 1 + 8 play 2 + 7 on one court, and 3 + 6 play 4 + 5 on the other.
Match dynamics
The winning teams stay together and play each other. The four losers split up and take new partners, then play each other.
Ranking
Players are ranked individually, using the tie-break order the organizer sets for the event.
About Crazy 8's
Crazy 8's is a doubles format for groups of eight. Everyone starts with a seed from 1 to 8, taken from your own order first and then from rating. Two matches are played at the same time on two courts.
In round 1 the top seed partners the bottom seed, so strong and newer players share a side. After every round the two winning teams stay together and meet each other. The four players who lost split up. The highest-seeded loser partners the lowest-seeded loser they have not yet played with, the other two team up, and the two new teams play each other.
Because only the losers change partners, a team that keeps winning stays together while everyone else keeps meeting new people. The organizer picks how many rounds to play, and the table ranks each player on their own results. Each group of eight plays on its own two courts, so a large event is several groups running in parallel.
How does it work?
- Seed the group
Players are listed 1 to 8 by your order first, then rating.
- Round 1 pairs top with bottom
1 + 8 v 2 + 7, and 3 + 6 v 4 + 5.
- Score both courts
When both results are in, the next round is drawn for you.
- Winners stay, losers re-pair
The winning teams meet on one court. The four losers form two new pairs on the other.
- Repeat, then read the table
Play the number of rounds you chose. The table ranks every player.
On the club TV
The kiosk shows the courts in play for the selected round, with the round tabs above them, and the standings below. It needs no sign-in.
Suitability comparison
A green check shows which play styles each format is best suited to.
| Format | Intense competition | Competitive fun | Social & casual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crazy 8's | Not suitable | Suitable | Suitable |
| Ladder | Not suitable | Suitable | Suitable |
| King & Queen | Not suitable | Suitable | Suitable |
| Team Challenge | Suitable | Suitable | Not suitable |
| Compass Draw | Suitable | Suitable | Not suitable |
| Wildcard* | Suitable | Suitable | Suitable |
| Social | Not suitable | Not suitable | Suitable |
| Mixer | Not suitable | Not suitable | Suitable |
| Round Robin with Playoffs | Suitable | Suitable | Not suitable |
| Round Robin Rotating Teams | Not suitable | Suitable | Suitable |
| Round Robin Set Teams | Not suitable | Suitable | Not suitable |
| Inter-clubs | Suitable | Suitable | Not suitable |
| Flex | Not suitable | Suitable | Suitable |
| Single Elimination | Suitable | Not suitable | Not suitable |
| Double Elimination | Suitable | Not suitable | Not suitable |