By Yves Richel ·
Move Up / Move Down re-seeds courts after every round based on the previous round's outcome. Court 1 is the king court: winners climb up, losers drop down. Your score each round is the court you played on (Court 1 = 1, Court 2 = 2, …). Summed across rounds — fewest points wins.
How does the Move Up / Move Down format work?
Random first round
Round 1 is random. From round 2 onwards your next court is determined by what happened on the court you just played.
King-court reseeding
Court 1 winners stay on top, Court 2 winners move up. Court 1 losers drop down, bottom-court losers stay there. With more courts you climb or drop one step at a time.
Score = court position
Each round you score points equal to the court you played on. Win or lose on Court 1 → 1 point. Court 2 → 2 points. Sitting out costs (court count + 1) points, strictly worse than the bottom court.
Fewest points wins
After all rounds, the player with the LOWEST total wins — they spent the most rounds near the top.
What are the rules of the Move Up / Move Down format?
- First round random, then re-seeded by last-round outcome.
- Court 1 is the king court. Winners climb, losers drop.
- Each round adds the played court's number to your score.
- Sitting out costs (court count + 1) points.
- Fewest points wins.
When is the Move Up / Move Down format the right choice?
Best when you want a clear progression visible on the courts — climbing toward Court 1 is the goal. Works great with 8–16 players.
Best for: 8–16 players