Padel rules
How padel scoring works
Fifteen, thirty, forty, game. It sounds strange for about ten minutes and then it never confuses you again.
Padel borrowed its scoring from tennis without changing a thing. If you already know one, you know the other. Here it is from zero.
Points
| Points won | Called |
|---|---|
| 0 | Love |
| 1 | 15 |
| 2 | 30 |
| 3 | 40 |
| 4 | Game (if two clear) |
You need to win a game by two clear points. At 40-40 the score is deuce: win one point and you have advantage, win the next and the game is yours. Lose it and you go back to deuce.
The golden point
Most padel competitions, including the professional tour, use the golden point. At 40-40 there is no advantage — the next point decides the game, and the receiving pair chooses which side receives it.
Games and sets
- First to six games wins the set, but you must be two games clear.
- At 5-5, the set continues to 7-5.
- At 6-6, a tiebreak decides the set. More in how tiebreaks work.
- Matches are usually best of three sets.
Short formats for tournaments
A best-of-three match takes 60 to 90 minutes, which is too long for most one-day events. Clubs shorten it like this:
| Format | Length | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| One set to 6 with tiebreak | 40-50 min | Group stages |
| Two short sets to 4, tiebreak at 3-3 | 45-60 min | Main draws |
| Match tiebreak to 10 as third set | saves 20-30 min | Any knockout |
| Fixed points per round (16, 21, 24) | 15-25 min | Social rotating formats |
Serving order
Serve alternates between the two pairs each game, and within a pair the two players alternate service games. You serve from the right for even points and from the left for odd ones. Ends change after every odd-numbered game.
Say the score out loud before every serve. It is not formality — it is the cheapest possible way to avoid a disagreement three points later.
Frequently asked questions
What is the golden point in padel?
At 40-40, instead of playing advantages, a single point decides the game. The receiving pair chooses which side takes it. Most competitions use this rule.
How many sets is a padel match?
Usually best of three. Club and social tournaments often use one set or two short sets instead to fit more matches into a day.
Why is it 15, 30, 40 and not 15, 30, 45?
The most common explanation is that 45 was shortened to 40 in speech centuries ago, so 'forty-five' became 'forty'. Tennis kept it and padel inherited it.
Who serves first in padel?
Decided by a coin toss or a racket spin. The winning pair chooses to serve, to receive, or which end to start on.