Points, games and sets
A game is made of points counted like in tennis: 0, 15, 30, 40 and then game. At 40–40 it is deuce. What happens next depends on the scoring format you agreed on (see below).
A set usually goes to the team that first wins 6 games with a two-game lead. At 6–6, a tiebreak decides. Matches are normally played to two winning sets. Club games often use shorter formats, such as a single set or a set to 9 games.
Scoring at a glance
This is how a game runs point by point:
| Points won | Called | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | love (0) | start of the game |
| 1 | 15 | |
| 2 | 30 | |
| 3 | 40 | next point wins if the opponents are below 40 |
| 3 : 3 | deuce | continues by scoring format |
Advantage, golden point and star point
With classic advantage, a team needs two points in a row after deuce: the first gives advantage, the second wins the game. Lose the next point and it is deuce again. Games can go on for a long time.
With the golden point, the next point at deuce decides the game straight away. The receiving team chooses which side the serve goes to. The golden point is common in many tournaments and club games because it makes matches easier to plan.
The star point is a middle ground introduced by the international federation FIP: advantage is played first, but only twice. If it comes back to deuce after that, the next point decides, just like a golden point.
Tiebreak and super tiebreak
In the tiebreak at 6–6, points are simply counted up: 1, 2, 3 … The first team to 7 points with a two-point lead wins. The first serve switches after one point, after that each team serves twice in a row. Ends are changed every six points.
In many tournaments and club games, the super tiebreak replaces the third set. It is scored like a tiebreak but goes to 10 points with a two-point lead.
Serve and change of ends
The serve is underhand: the ball bounces once behind the service line and is hit at or below waist height. It must land diagonally in the opposite service box. As in tennis, you get two attempts. If the ball hits the metal fence after bouncing in the box, the serve is a fault; hitting the glass is fine.
In doubles, a different player serves each game, alternating between the teams. Ends are changed after every odd game – after the first, third, fifth and so on.
Walls and fence
What sets padel apart from tennis are the walls. After bouncing on your side, the ball may come back off the glass or the fence and stay in play. If it hits the opponents’ wall or fence directly, without bouncing in their court first, the opponents win the point.