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Robin · Format guide

Pecking Order — King of the Court for badminton

Singles or doubles

King of the Court: win and you climb a court, lose and you drop one. No finish line.

winners climblosers drop1TOP23no fixed round count — play until the hall closes

  1. Courts are ranked

    Court 1 is the top of the ladder, and the strongest matchup settles there on its own.

  2. Win up, lose down

    Winners move up a court, losers move down. Top and bottom simply hold their spot.

  3. Partners reshuffle

    The two climbers split to opposite sides, so nobody keeps a partner two rounds running.

Good for

  • Open-ended drop-ins
  • Peg-board clubs
  • No fixed round count
  • 8+ players

Quick facts

Players

8+

multiples of 4 · fixed-pair and singles ladder variants also available

Courts

4

players per court, set automatically and ranked top to bottom

Typical round

~10–14

minutes per round at Official 15 · open-ended, no fixed round count

Scoring

15

recommended, pick at creation · single game, win by 2, capped at 21, no ties

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FAQ

What is King of the Court in badminton?

A ladder format where every court is ranked by strength. Each round sends the winning pair one court closer to the top while the losing pair slides down, so the strongest matchup naturally settles on the top court. It's also called Up & Down.

How is Pecking Order different from Round Robin?

Round Robin runs a fixed schedule, so everyone partners everyone once. Pecking Order has no fixed schedule at all: it's an open-ended ladder where your court position each round depends entirely on whether you won or lost the round before.

Can Pecking Order matches end in a tie?

No. Every match needs an outright winner, since promotion and relegation both depend on a clear result.

How many players do you need for Pecking Order?

At least 8, in multiples of 4, for the default doubles ladder. A singles ladder variant allows as few as 4, in even counts.

Can I add or remove players mid-session in Pecking Order?

No. Pecking Order is the one format whose roster locks the moment play begins — there's no way to slot a unit into a running ladder. Finish the party, or cancel it, to change who's playing.