King of the Court pickleball: how it works
Updated
King of the Court in pickleball is a court ladder. Court 1 is the King Court, winners move up one court, losers move down one, and partners split after every game. DinkPro runs it free as King / Queen court in open play, working out every move from the results so the host never has to.
King / Queen court rules in DinkPro
| Rule | King / Queen court |
|---|---|
| Also called | Up and down the river, or waterfall |
| King Court | Court 1 on the board |
| After each game | Winners move up one court and losers move down one |
| Top court | Winners stay on the King Court to defend it. No limit on defenses |
| Bottom court | Losers stay on the bottom court. When players are waiting, they are the first to sit |
| Partners | Split after every game, so last game's partners play on opposite sides whenever possible. Locked pairs stay together |
| First round | Seeded by skill, with the strongest players on the King Court |
| Late arrivals | Join at the bottom court |
| Pace | Courts run at their own pace. An open court waits up to 90 seconds for the players climbing or dropping onto it |
| Fair turns | Nobody gets 2 games ahead of the least-played player while someone else can play. Anyone waiting 25 minutes gets the next open court |
| On the board | Each court card names its place on the ladder, who is defending the King Court and where each player came from: up, down or stays |
Example: 12 players on 3 courts
After the first round, every player moves one court up or down, and partners split. The next games below are one split DinkPro allows.
| Court | First game | Next game | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Court 1 (King Court) | Ana & Ben beat Cal & Dee | Ana & Eve v Ben & Fay | Ana and Ben defend. Eve and Fay climb from Court 2 |
| Court 2 | Eve & Fay beat Gus & Hal | Cal & Ivy v Dee & Jon | Cal and Dee drop from Court 1. Ivy and Jon climb from Court 3 |
| Court 3 | Ivy & Jon beat Kai & Lou | Gus & Kai v Hal & Lou | Gus and Hal drop from Court 2. Kai and Lou stay on the bottom court |
How does King of the Court work in pickleball?
The courts form a ladder with Court 1, the King Court, at the top. After each game the winners move up one court and the losers move down one. Winners on the King Court stay to defend it, and losers on the bottom court stay there. Partners split after every game, so the crown belongs to individual players, not a fixed team, and the strongest players sort themselves toward the top within a few games.
How does DinkPro run King / Queen court?
Pick King / Queen court as the game mode. The first round is seeded by skill, then DinkPro reads every result and sends each player to the right court, split from their last partner. Courts run at their own pace instead of waiting for a full round: an open court waits up to 90 seconds for the players moving onto it, and a player who has waited 12 minutes for their own court can take the next court that opens instead.
What is the difference between King of the Court and Winners / challengers?
King / Queen court moves everyone: winners up, losers down, across every court. Winners / challengers keeps each court separate: the winners stay on that court, split up, and take on challengers from the queue, while the losers go back to the queue. DinkPro caps Winners at 3 games in a row by default so the queue keeps moving. King / Queen court has no defense cap.
Winners / challengers rules in DinkPro
| Rule | Winners / challengers |
|---|---|
| Who stays | Winners stay on their court for the next game. Losers go back to the queue |
| Partners | Winners split up and play the next game with new partners whenever the lineup allows. Locked pairs stay together |
| Limit | 3 games in a row by default, then a winner sits a turn when replacements are waiting. The host can set 2 to 6 |
| Fair turns | A winner who is more than one game ahead of the waiting challengers comes off. Anyone waiting 25 minutes gets the next open court |
| On the board | Each court shows Winners defend, or the streak once a winner has 2 wins in a row |
Is there a ranked ladder too?
Yes, and it is a different thing. King / Queen court ranks players by court for one session. DinkPro Ranked keeps a Top 100 ladder of players ordered by their DinkPro Player Rating (DPR), which follows them from session to session. See pickleball rankings and the DPR rating.
King of the Court questions
What is King of the Court in pickleball?
King of the Court in pickleball is a court ladder. Court 1 is the King Court, winners move up one court, losers move down one, and partners split after every game. DinkPro runs it free as King / Queen court in open play, working out every move from the results so the host never has to.
How many courts do you need for King of the Court?
Two or more make a ladder, with Court 1 as the King Court and the last court as the bottom. Each court holds four players in doubles, so 12 players fill three courts. Extra players wait, and the bottom court's losers are the first to sit.
Do partners stay together in King of the Court?
No. Partners split after every game, so you climb on your own results. DinkPro puts last game's partners on opposite sides whenever it can. A pair the host has locked together stays together and moves as one.
What happens when a new player arrives mid-session?
They join at the bottom court and climb from there. Before the first game, everyone is seeded by skill instead, with the strongest players starting on the King Court.
Is there a ranked ladder across sessions?
Yes, separately. DinkPro Ranked keeps a Top 100 ladder of players ordered by their DinkPro Player Rating (DPR), which follows them from session to session. King / Queen court is the on-court format for one session.
Compare every open play format, see how the rotation works, put the King Court on a TV, or read the FAQ.