# **Open matches** for padel and pickleball

One player opens the court, the others join, and each one pays their share. The club fills off-peak hours without getting involved in the money.

- **URL:** https://sporttia.com/en/features/open-matches
- **Product:** Sporttia, sports facility management software
- **Data updated:** 2026-08-31

## On screen: An open match, on a player's phone

- The player sees how many places are left and what they owe, not the price of the whole court.
- Joining and paying are the same action, by card or with their balance at the club.
- Sharing opens WhatsApp with the link, which is where people actually look for a fourth player.

## What usually happens

- Courts empty at off-peak hours because nobody manages to gather four players.
- Whoever books pays for the whole court and then chases the others for their share.
- Club WhatsApp groups used to find a fourth, with no connection to the booking.
- Matches that turn one-sided because beginners end up against league players.

## You rent hours that used to go to waste

### One player is enough to open a court

Nobody has to gather four people before booking. One opens the match and the others join as they come.

### Everyone pays their own share

The court fee is split and each player pays their part by card. The club neither fronts the money nor chases it.

### Your till does not double up

The four charges hang off one grouped payment, and only that one counts in the accounts. Four players are not four sales.

- **4** — players signing up separately for the same court
- **0** — payment chasing for the front desk
- **WhatsApp** — the match is shared where people already look for a fourth

## Matches worth turning up to

### By playing level

Whoever opens the match decides which levels it accepts, so a beginner does not end up against three league players.

### Public, or just for your own

A match can show up for any member or stay restricted to whoever gets the invitation.

### Non-members can join

The link leads to the sign-up screen and lets them create an account right there. Finding a fourth does not mean a trip to the club.

## The front desk tells a match from a booking

Both take up the grid, but they do not mean the same thing for the till:

|  | Before | After |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Match with a padlock | Free slot | Taken, private, nothing outstanding |
| Unpaid booking | Free slot | Taken, with a red edge: there is money to chase |

Verified on screen with both operations in place. It is the difference between a court that is taken and a court that is taken and also owes you money.

## What members sort out themselves

Desde la app gratuita, sin pasar por el mostrador.

- Open a match on a court and share it over WhatsApp.
- Join matches that match their level.
- Pay only their share, by card or with their balance.
- Give up their place within the match's window.

## What you should know

- Only for padel and pickleball, the sports where the format makes sense: a fixed number of players and a natural way to split the cost.
- You need per-player rates on the court. Without them, it rents out whole like any other.
- Level is declared by each player on their profile. Sporttia does not estimate it or adjust it from results.

## Frequently asked questions

### What happens if the match does not fill up?

The club can let whoever opened it keep the whole court and pay for it, within the cancellation window. Otherwise the match is cancelled and the slot goes back on sale.

### How do you stop players of very different levels being thrown together?

Every player declares their level per sport on their profile, and whoever opens the match sets the range it accepts. The system filters who can join on that basis.

### Is it available for any sport?

No. Open matches exist for padel and pickleball, the sports where the format makes sense: a fixed number of players and a natural way to split the cost of the court.

### How much income does a four-player match generate?

One sale. There is a charge per player plus a grouped payment holding the total, and only the grouped one counts in the center's accounts, so income is never double-counted.

## More information

- Full feature catalog: https://sporttia.com/en/features.md
- Getting started: https://sporttia.com/en/getting-started.md
- Landing page by center type: https://sporttia.com/en/sports-management-software/padel-clubs.md
- Landing page by center type: https://sporttia.com/en/sports-management-software/gyms.md