How beat the pro works
The pros stay on court for the whole block. Challengers sign up, wait their turn, play one game, and step off for the next group. Unlike king of the court, winning does not keep challengers on the court. Every group gets one shot, and the pros stay no matter what.
The number of pros sets how many challengers play each game:
| Pros on court | Challengers per game | Typical setup |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2 | A pro pair against a challenger pair. The classic version. |
| 1 | 3 | The pro partners one challenger against two others, so all three challengers face the pro. |
| 3 | 1 | Each solo challenger joins a pro to face the other two pros. A good way to spread a crowd of individuals across three pros. |
Scoring and handicaps
A beat the pro game should be short. Games to 7, or to 11 with no win-by-two, keep the line moving. A time limit helps when the line is long.
If the pros are far stronger than the field, a handicap keeps games competitive:
- Head start: challengers start with a few points on the board.
- Win by more: the pros must win by three or four points instead of two.
- Serve restrictions: the pros serve from a harder position or skip the third-shot drive. Use this for fun events only.
Results are usually kept simple: did the challengers beat the pros or not? Some events keep a list of every group that won and hold a prize draw among them. Settle this before you start so nobody argues about it afterwards.
Variations
- Pro rotation. Keep a pool of pros and swap one out every so often, so no pro plays three hours straight.
- Fundraiser format. Challengers donate or pay a small entry for each game against the pros.
- Clinic plus challenge. The pros give a short lesson, then play the challenge games. It is a good way to bring in newer players.
- Skill-banded lines. Run separate lines or time blocks for different levels, so beginners do not wait behind advanced players for a lopsided game.
How to run a beat the pro event
- Book the pros and set expectations. Agree on how long they will play, when they get breaks, and whether a substitute can step in.
- Give it its own court. Beat the pro does not mix with an ordinary rotation. Run regular open play on the other courts so people waiting still play.
- Choose the format. Decide the number of pros, the game length and any handicap, and post them where challengers line up.
- Keep one visible line. Challengers should be able to see how many groups are ahead of them and when to walk over.
- Start the next game right away. Every minute between games is a minute the pros stand around. Have the next group warmed up and ready at the fence.
Common problems
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| Pros get tired | Use a pool of pros and swap them in and out without stopping the line. |
| A pro has to leave early | Swap in a substitute pro. If none is available, move to fewer pros and change the challenger group size to match. |
| The line is far too long | Shorten the games or add a second beat the pro court. |
| Dead time between games | Start the next game automatically as soon as a challenger group is ready. |
| Challengers miss their turn | Tell them they are next before the current game ends, not after. |
How PaddleStack runs it
Beat the Pro is a built-in queue type
A host adds a Beat the Pro queue to a session and assigns its pros. Challengers join from the app, and the pros stay on the court. They are not in the line themselves. PaddleStack puts them into each match as the next challenger group is called.
- One to three pros. Challenger groups size themselves: four seats minus the number of pros. Two pros means challenger pairs, one pro means trios, three pros means solo challengers.
- Join your way. Challengers tap Join to take the first open spot, or pick a specific group.
- Auto-cycle. The host can turn on auto-start so the next match begins as soon as a challenger group fills and the court is free, with no button press between games.
- A pro pool. Hosts and co-hosts keep a roster of pros. Swapping one pro for another leaves the line exactly as it is. Benching a pro or slotting one in re-sizes the waiting groups automatically, and nobody already in line loses their place. They can add any player as a pro, including a guest coach who never checked in.
- Fair lines. Designated pros can not join their own queue as challengers.
- Up-next alerts. The group at the front of the line gets a push notification that they are next, and on iPhone a Live Activity shows the pros, the court and their place in line.
Players without the app can check in at the door by scanning the session's QR code and finishing in their phone's browser. To see the rest of the system, including big boards and court screens, read how PaddleStack works. For running events at your venue, see PaddleStack for facilities.
Frequently asked questions
It is an event where one or more strong players stay on a court while challengers take turns playing them. Each challenger group gets one game, then the next group steps on. The pros stay on court the whole time.
Games are usually short, to 7 or to 11 with no win-by-two. Many events give challengers a handicap, such as a few points head start, when the pros are much stronger than the field.
One to three. Two pros against a challenger pair is the classic setup. With one pro, three challengers play each game. With three pros, a single challenger joins a pro to face the other two.
In king of the court, whoever wins stays on the court, so challengers can take over. In beat the pro, the pros stay no matter the result, and every challenger group gets one game before the next group steps on.
Keep games short, have the next group ready at the fence, and start each game as soon as the court is free. In PaddleStack, a host can turn on auto-cycle so the next match starts on its own when a challenger group fills.