How padel scoring works

Points and games

A game goes 15, 30, 40, then game. At 40-40 (deuce) there are three ways to finish it, all allowed under the International Padel Federation (FIP) rules for 2026:

• Advantage. Win two points in a row from deuce to win the game. This is the traditional method.
• Golden point. At 40-40 one deciding point wins the game, and the receiving pair choose which side to receive on. Common in club and social play because it keeps matches to time.
• Star point. Approved by the FIP in November 2025 and used on the professional tours from 2026. Deuce and advantage are played normally twice; if the game reaches deuce a third time, one deciding point (the star point) is played, with the receivers choosing the side.

Most club leagues use advantage or golden point. Say which in the house rules.

Sets

A set is first to six games with a lead of two, so 6-4 wins a set but 6-5 does not; the set goes on to 7-5. At 6-6 a tie-break decides it and the set is recorded as 7-6.

The tie-break at 6-6

The tie-break is first to seven points with a lead of two, counted 1, 2, 3 rather than 15, 30, 40. The first server serves one point, then each side serves two in turn, and the pairs change ends every six points. It is often written with the loser’s points in brackets: 7-6(5) means the tie-break finished 7-5.

Matches: best of three, or a match tie-break

A standard match is best of three sets. To save court time, many leagues play a match tie-break (also called a super tie-break) instead of a third set: first to ten points with a lead of two. A match might then read 6-4 3-6 10-7.

Short sets

For short court slots, some competitions play short sets. The FIP’s own short set is first to four games with a lead of two and a tie-break at 4-4; LTA grade 3 and 4 tournaments use short sets to four. Some leagues borrow Fast4 from tennis instead: first to four games with a tie-break at 3-3. Agree exactly which before the season starts.

Scores that cannot happen

• A set that finishes level, such as 6-6 or 7-7.
• 7-4 or worse: once a set reaches 7 games the loser must have 5 or 6.
• A third set after one pair has already won two.

Serving, briefly

The server bounces the ball and hits it at or below waist height, diagonally into the opposite service box, with two attempts. Serving alternates between the pairs each game, and between the two partners each time their pair serves.

How Padeliga does it

When a Padeliga league is set up, staff pick its scoring: best of three sets, a match tie-break to 10 as the decider, or Fast4 short sets, so a club can give a beginners league shorter matches than its top division. Padeliga records whatever shape of match was actually played, and a tie-break set can keep its tie-break score as 7-6(5). It only rejects scores that cannot happen, such as a set finishing level. Either pair enters the sets, the other confirms them, and the table uses the sets and games for its tie-breakers, so staff never type a score in.

Questions