How many pairs do I need for King of the Court?

Two pairs play on each court, so you need exactly the number of courts times two. With four courts, that is eight pairs. Slams only lets you start once the number of pairs matches the number of courts.

Can I use custom court numbers for King of the Court?

Yes. On the Settings tab, enter the real numbers under Which courts, for example 2-5 or 2,3,4,5. The number of courts follows the numbers, and every screen and QR code shows the real court numbers. The king's court is the first or the last court of that range; you choose which under the king's court position. Once the session has started you can still change the numbers, but no longer the number of courts.

Does King of the Court count toward the rating?

Yes. Matches played automatically update the Slams rating of the players involved. Winning lowers the rating (lower is better on the Slams scale), while losing raises it.

King of the Court in Slams

Here is how the King of the Court format works in Slams: fixed pairs, rotation across the courts toward the king's court, and scoring per court.

3 min read · Updated 27 September 2026

View the game format: King of the Court

King of the Court (KOTC) is a fast, lively format in which fixed pairs rotate across the courts every round. Winners move up toward the king's court, while losers drop down. In Slams you run a complete session from a single screen: the schedule, live scoring, rotation and standings all keep pace automatically. Still not sure which format suits your evening? Take a look at choosing a format or check out the King of the Court format.

How King of the Court works in Slams

You play KOTC with fixed pairs (two players who stay together for the whole session) on multiple doubles courts. On each court, two pairs play against each other. One court is the king's court: the first court by default, but in the settings you can also choose the last court as the king's court.

After each round, Slams rotates the pairs automatically:

Winners move up one court toward the king's court.
Losers drop down one court toward the lowest court.
The winner on the king's court stays king, and the loser on the lowest court stays at the bottom.

Not playing on court 1 through N, but on court 2 through 5, for example? Then enter the real court numbers under Which courts on the Settings tab, with commas (2,3,4,5) or as a range (2-5). The number of courts follows the numbers. The rotation works exactly as described above: the king's court is the first or the last court of your range (so court 2 or court 5 for courts 2 through 5). The dashboard, the public page, the TV screen and the QR codes show the real court numbers. Once the session has started you can still change the numbers, but no longer the number of courts.

Participants and the number of courts

Each participant is a pair of two different players. You add pairs manually on the Participants tab, or they come in through public registrations that you confirm on the Registrations tab. You can find more about players in adding players.

Each court needs two pairs, so you need exactly number of courts × 2 pairs to start. If you have too few or too many pairs, Slams flags this so you can add a court or remove a pair.

Scoring, standings and rating

You play on games: for each court you enter the score (for example 6-4) or tap the "wins" button. The winner is derived from the highest score. A draw is not allowed. Players can also enter scores themselves via a QR code per court. See also entering scores.

The standings are determined by the final position on the courts after the last complete round: rank 1 is the winner of the king's court, rank 2 the loser of the king's court, and so on. The table also shows the number of matches won and the number of rounds spent on the king's court. King of the Court counts toward the Slams rating of your players.

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Coen ReekersFounder of Slams

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