Beat the Box
Players are split into boxes of four, one per court. Over three rounds you partner each of the other three once; then the best player in each box moves up a box and the lowest moves down.
What changes from a standard match
Individual points replace games and sets for ranking. Partners rotate on a fixed three-round pattern inside each box. Promotion and relegation between courts are added between cycles.
The rules
Each box has four players and plays on one court. A cycle is three rounds. With players A, B, C and D, the rounds are AB v CD, AC v BD and AD v BC. So every player partners each of the others once and plays against each of them twice. Points are kept individually for the cycle. After the cycle, the player with the most points in each box moves up one box and the player with the fewest moves down one. The winner of the top box stays there, and the last player in the bottom box stays there. A new cycle starts with the new boxes. The overall winner is decided as announced, for example the winner of the top box in the last cycle.
How to run it
Place players into boxes of four by level, strongest on court 1. Announce the round length, the tie rule for each box and how the overall winner is decided. Play the three rounds of the cycle, collecting individual points. Move the top player in each box up and the bottom player down, all at once. Start the next cycle. Two cycles fit a typical two-hour slot.
The rulebook
In real games
Related formats
Questions
What is Beat the Box in padel?
A format where groups of four rotate partners over three rounds, then the best player moves up a box and the lowest moves down.
How many rounds is a cycle?
Three, so that each player partners each of the other three once.