From Burger King to padel courts: how Quentin Rollet became a referee

He never thought he would become an umpire. Even less make padel your daily life. And yet, at 24 years old, Quentin Rollet gave it all up to make a living from his passion. From his unexpected beginnings in Narbonne to his desire to referee internationally, he talks about his career, his commitment, and the behind-the-scenes stories of a role that is too often overlooked. Repeated withdrawals, tensions on the slopes, poorly understood rules: He shares his observations frankly... and his ideas for improving tournaments and the player experience.

Interview during the FIP Silver Côte du Midi at Set Padel Narbonne

An unexpected journey, from tennis to the referee tower

Native Montauban, Quentin initially devoted his time to tennis until the age of 19. It was by going down to Narbonne for his studies in 2019 he discovered padel, a little by constraint:

“Here, there are 300 windy days a year. Outdoor tennis was complicated. One day, the club offered me an introduction to padel… and I never stopped playing.”

His first steps were taken atAREA, one of the city's clubs. Very quickly, an opportunity presented itself to him: he was offered the chance to spend the JAP1, to referee tournaments that lack officials.

“I went there a bit by chance, but I quickly got into it.”

It is finally at Silk Sets Padel, a structure set up by Théo Barthe, that Quentin finds a real field of expression.

"He gave me a big role in the club, organizing schedules and refereeing a lot of tournaments. It was a springboard."

From accounting… to padel

Alongside his debut as a referee, Quentin continued his studies in DCG (accounting) and works at Burger King, then in a training center.

"Last April, I left my job to devote myself fully to padel. I obtained the JAP2 and I want to make it my job."

An unusual, but fully accepted, reconversion:

“We’re staying a bit in Excel, but it’s much more fun!”

An Instagram page to popularize periods

With time on his hands, Quentin launched an Instagram page: The JA of the Padel. Goal : explain the rules of the game, often poorly understood, including at high level.

"I still see mistakes in serves, or in catching the ball before it crosses the net. Even among the pros, there is debate."

Top 3 Misunderstood Rules:

The ball played across the net (before she crosses it).
Non-regulatory service (ball throw, height, foot position).
The bounce at the window/floor intersection, often a source of misunderstanding.

Arbitrating also means defusing tensions

Quentin also takes on a role of mediator :

"I've already had to separate two players head-to-head. There was outside intervention, and things got out of hand. I intervened firmly."

But the objective always remains to maintain a calm atmosphere:

"I speak softly, I stay calm. That's how we keep things from getting out of hand."

Withdrawals: “a scourge for tournaments”

If there is one subject that makes Quentin react, it is the last minute cancellations, frequent on the P25 to P250 :

"Players register early, block spots, and then cancel without warning. The result: incomplete rosters, canceled matches, and modified rosters."

And he continues:

"Prepayment is a solution, but not ideal. This scourge ruins tournaments, penalizes clubs and players, and makes organization very complicated."

Same observation on the classification matches not played :

"Some people lose in the first round and leave without playing the next round. Yet these matches are scheduled. We need more dissuasive sanctions, such as a loss of points."

The role of the referee: between federal official and “commercial” of the club

The business of arbitrary judge has profoundly evolved:

“We are first and foremost an FFT official, but also a vector of satisfaction for clubs. If players have a bad experience, they don't come back."

Its objective: to ensure that each participant leaves Satisfied, with a smooth organization and respected playing times.

Ideas to improve the player experience

Quentin is testing new formulas:

“I organize parallel tournaments for men and women, which allows couples to come together without necessarily playing mixed.”

He also thinks of raffles, original lots, or more flexible formats for value all participants, even those eliminated early.

The mixed tournament debate: should there be more regulation?

Quentin recognizes it: the mixed tournaments are sometimes sources of conflict.

"There's a gap in skill levels, different visions of the game... Some want to win, others want to have fun. And sometimes, players pick on the female player."

He calls for more Responsibility Law :

"You have to be ready to play in these conditions. Otherwise, it's better to choose another format."

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovered padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since then, padel has been part of his life. You often see him touring France to cover major French padel events.