Mixer
Unique features
- Works for any player count from 8 to 32 — no need for a "perfect" multiple of four.
- The manager chooses how many rounds to play; the schedule doesn't have to exhaust every possible partnership.
- Partners are randomized but optimized — balanced games, balanced byes, and as few repeated partners as possible.
- Byes go to whoever has played most and sat out least, and never two rounds in a row when it can be avoided.
- Managers can swap any player — with another player or with someone on a bye — at any time.
- Four selectable modes, from Balanced to Fully Random.
How it works
- Every match has four players: one partner and two opponents.
- The correct number of players sit out each round, distributed fairly.
- Withdrawn or unavailable players are excluded automatically.
- Repeated partners are avoided as a near-hard rule — used only when mathematically unavoidable. Repeated opponents are minimized but allowed.
Mixer specifications
Mixer is a flexible round-mixing format for 8 to 32 players over a manager-chosen number of rounds — it can run as singles, set-team doubles, or rotating-partner doubles. Each round, players are matched into fresh pairings, sent to courts, and whoever can't be seated sits out — so everyone gets balanced playing time, fresh matchups, and a fair share of byes.
Byes are assigned to the players who have played the most and sat out the least, and the engine avoids making anyone sit two rounds in a row. Repeated partnerships are treated as nearly forbidden and only used when the math leaves no alternative.
Managers stay in control. Any player can be swapped — with another player or with someone on a bye — and PB360 instantly recalculates fairness and flags any repetition the change introduces, without blocking it. Completed rounds are never regenerated automatically; future unlocked rounds can optionally be rebalanced after a change.
Capacity by format
How many matches run each round depends on the format. Singles and set-team doubles work the same way — they pair up indivisible units (one player, or one fixed team) two to a match — while rotating doubles seats four players to a match.
Two per match. Singles counts players (3–64); set-team doubles counts teams (3–32) — identical numbers, just teams instead of players.
| Players / teams | Matches per round | Sitting out | Total matches after X rounds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 1 | 1 | 1X |
| 4 | 2 | 0 | 2X |
| 5 | 2 | 1 | 2X |
| 6 | 3 | 0 | 3X |
| 7 | 3 | 1 | 3X |
| 8 | 4 | 0 | 4X |
| 9 | 4 | 1 | 4X |
| 10 | 5 | 0 | 5X |
| 11 | 5 | 1 | 5X |
| 12 | 6 | 0 | 6X |
| 13 | 6 | 1 | 6X |
| 14 | 7 | 0 | 7X |
| 15 | 7 | 1 | 7X |
| 16 | 8 | 0 | 8X |
| 17 | 8 | 1 | 8X |
| 18 | 9 | 0 | 9X |
| 19 | 9 | 1 | 9X |
| 20 | 10 | 0 | 10X |
| 21 | 10 | 1 | 10X |
| 22 | 11 | 0 | 11X |
| 23 | 11 | 1 | 11X |
| 24 | 12 | 0 | 12X |
| 25 | 12 | 1 | 12X |
| 26 | 13 | 0 | 13X |
| 27 | 13 | 1 | 13X |
| 28 | 14 | 0 | 14X |
| 29 | 14 | 1 | 14X |
| 30 | 15 | 0 | 15X |
| 31 | 15 | 1 | 15X |
| 32 | 16 | 0 | 16X |
| 33 | 16 | 1 | 16X |
| 34 | 17 | 0 | 17X |
| 35 | 17 | 1 | 17X |
| 36 | 18 | 0 | 18X |
| 37 | 18 | 1 | 18X |
| 38 | 19 | 0 | 19X |
| 39 | 19 | 1 | 19X |
| 40 | 20 | 0 | 20X |
| 41 | 20 | 1 | 20X |
| 42 | 21 | 0 | 21X |
| 43 | 21 | 1 | 21X |
| 44 | 22 | 0 | 22X |
| 45 | 22 | 1 | 22X |
| 46 | 23 | 0 | 23X |
| 47 | 23 | 1 | 23X |
| 48 | 24 | 0 | 24X |
| 49 | 24 | 1 | 24X |
| 50 | 25 | 0 | 25X |
| 51 | 25 | 1 | 25X |
| 52 | 26 | 0 | 26X |
| 53 | 26 | 1 | 26X |
| 54 | 27 | 0 | 27X |
| 55 | 27 | 1 | 27X |
| 56 | 28 | 0 | 28X |
| 57 | 28 | 1 | 28X |
| 58 | 29 | 0 | 29X |
| 59 | 29 | 1 | 29X |
| 60 | 30 | 0 | 30X |
| 61 | 30 | 1 | 30X |
| 62 | 31 | 0 | 31X |
| 63 | 31 | 1 | 31X |
| 64 | 32 | 0 | 32X |
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 |
| Wild Card* | 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 Leagues | Not suitable | Suitable | Suitable |
| Single Elimination | Suitable | Not suitable | Not suitable |
| Double Elimination | Suitable | Not suitable | Not suitable |