Padel
The glass, the fence, and the score up to date.
Game after game, set after set. Four on court, and nobody argues over the score anymore.
Score a gameOne point, one tap.
Tap the color of the pair that won the point. At 40 all, the golden point decides. Try it!
- Golden point at 40 all
- Tiebreak at 6 all
- 2 sets to win
- Pick padel, and name the two pairs.
- After each point, tap the color of the pair that won it. Games and sets follow on their own.
- The referee calls the server’s score first, the golden point, and when to change sides.
The rules, in short.
What the International Padel Federation’s rules say, and nothing more.
- 15, 30, 40
A game
Just like tennis: 15, 30, 40, game. At 40 all, there are three ways to decide, your pick: advantage, the Star Point or the golden point.
FIP, Rules of Padel, revision of January 1, 2026, Rule 1 - Gold
The golden point
At 40 all, a single point decides the game. The receiving pair chooses to receive on the right or on the left.
FIP, Rules of Padel, revision of January 1, 2026, Rule 1, option 3 - 6
A set
The first to 6 games, with a two-game lead, wins the set. At 5 all, you need 7 to 5; at 6 all, a tiebreak to 7 points.
FIP, Rules of Padel, revision of January 1, 2026, Rule 1 - 2
The match
A match is won by the first to take 2 sets. To shorten it, a match tiebreak to 10 points can replace the third set.
FIP, Rules of Padel, revision of January 1, 2026, Rule 1, alternative methods - Sides
Changing sides
Players change sides after the first game, the third, and every odd game of the set. In the tiebreak, every six points.
FIP, Rules of Padel, revision of January 1, 2026, Rule 5 - Below the waist
The serve
You bounce the ball in your area, and hit it at waist height or lower. It goes diagonally. Two serves.
FIP, Rules of Padel, revision of January 1, 2026, Rule 6 - Glass
The walls
Once the ball has bounced on your side, it can hit a wall or the fence: it stays in play, and you return it before its second bounce. Your shot can go off your own walls. If it hits the opposing walls or fence before bouncing there, or your own fence, you lose the point.
FIP, Rules of Padel, revision of January 1, 2026, Rules 12.3, 13.1.g, 13.1.l and 14.1.b - Order
Order of service
Before each set, each pair chooses who serves first, and who receives the first serve of each game. That order stays until the next set. Within a game, the receivers take turns, and the serve starts from the right, then switches sides after each point.
FIP, Rules of Padel, revision of January 1, 2026, Rules 6.5, 6.8, 8.2 and 8.3
Or keep your racket in hand.
One press per point won, on your watch or the three buttons on your earbuds: ⏮ for pink, ⏭ for yellow. ⏯ undoes the last point.
The questions people ask.
How do you keep score in padel?
Just like tennis: 15, 30, 40, game, then 6 games for a set and 2 sets for the match. At 40 all, you play advantage, the Star Point or the golden point.
FIP, Rules of Padel, revision of January 1, 2026, Rule 1What is the golden point?
At 40 all, no advantage: one deciding point. The receiving pair chooses its side and can’t switch; in mixed, the player of the same sex as the server receives.
FIP, Rules of Padel, revision of January 1, 2026, Rule 1, option 3What is the Star Point?
At the first deuce, you play advantage. After two advantages lost, at the third deuce, one deciding point settles the game: the Star Point.
FIP, Rules of Padel, revision of January 1, 2026, Rule 1, option 2How do you serve in padel?
Behind the service line, you bounce the ball in your area, then hit it at waist height or lower, diagonally. If the first one is a fault, you get a second serve.
FIP, Rules of Padel, revision of January 1, 2026, Rule 6Can the serve hit the fence?
No. If it bounces in the right box and then hits the fence before the second bounce, it’s a fault.
FIP, Rules of Padel, revision of January 1, 2026, Rule 7.1.eWhen do you lose the point in padel?
When the ball bounces twice on your side, when you touch the net, when the ball touches you or your partner, when you both hit it, or after two service faults in a row.
FIP, Rules of Padel, revision of January 1, 2026, Rule 13.1