Scheduling system and method for scheduling data packets from an input port (1.sub.1 . . . 1.sub.i) to an output port (3.sub.1 . . . 3.sub.o), comprising virtual output queues (6.sub.1 . . . 6.sub.n) being arranged to store data packets from the input port (1.sub.1 . . . 1.sub.i) destined for a specific output port (3.sub.1 . . . 3.sub.o). The scheduling system comprises a scheduling tree (10) having a plurality of comparison layers, each comparison layer being arranged for pair-wise comparing requests received from the associated virtual output queues (6.sub.1 . . . 6.sub.n) in parallel andsending the request with a higher priority to a higher level comparison layer until a single request remains, the single request indicating the virtual output queue (6.sub.1 . . . 6.sub.n) scheduled to send its data packet to the associated output port (3.sub.1 . . . 3.sub.o).