You start the padel and you don't know how to count points? You are a player padel experienced but want to know all the formats used in France? You don't understand why some international competitions are played with “no-ad” and others not? You are in the right place !

Games

As you may know, the counting system used in padel is the same as tennis with points, games and sets. To win a game you have to win four points. Here's how it works:

  • No dot: “zero”
  • First dot: “15”
  • Second point: “30”
  • Third point: “40”
  • Fourth point: "game"

At the start of a game, we always serve to the right side during the first point, then to the left, and so on. Points are announced for the pair that serves first.

If both teams reach three points in the same game, it gives a score of 40-40, which can also be called "40A". It will therefore be necessary, except in the case of “No-ad” (see below), for a pair to win two points in a row to win the game. The team which wins the next point 40A obtains the “Advantage ". If this same team wins the next point, it then wins the game. However, if it loses the point after having had the “Advantage”, the score returns to equality, therefore to “40A”.

Sets

To win a set, you have to win six games. However, if both teams find themselves at “5-5”, the set continues until one of the two reaches 7 games. In the event of a tie at “6-6”, a decisive game or tie-break is played. In this tiebreaker, points are counted differently from traditional games, using the numbers 0 to 7. The first team to reach 7 points wins the tiebreaker and therefore the set, provided they have a two-point lead over their opponents (otherwise the game continues until one team has a two point difference).

To win a match, it is necessary to win two sets.

The “No-ad”

“No-ad”, or “punto de Oro” in Spanish, or decisive point in French, is a system which removes advantages during a game and establishes a decisive point when the score is at 40A. It is the returning pair that chooses which side the point will start on. The team that wins this point wins the game.

This system is used in A1 competitions Padel and the FIP Tour but not the Premier Padel, which organized a referendum before the first tournament in its history, which saw players vote for the advantage system.

In France, the decisive point was used for several years, before the advantage, used in tennis, made a comeback.

Game formats in France

There are currently 9 game formats for FFT approved competitions:

  • A1 format: traditional, 3 sets to 6 games
  • Format A2: 3 sets to 6 games with decisive point
  • Format B1: 2 sets to 6 games / 3rd set = super decisive game to 10 points
  • Format B2: 2 sets to 6 games / 3rd set = super decisive game at 10 points, with decisive point 
  • Format C1: 2 sets to 4 games (decisive game at 4/4) / 3rd set = super decisive game at 10 points 
  • Format C2: 2 sets to 4 games / 3rd set = super decisive game at 10 points, with decisive point (decisive game at 4/4)
  • Format D1: 1 set to 9 games (decisive game at 8/8)
  • Format D2: 1 set to 9 games (decisive game at 8/8) with decisive point
  • Format E: 1 set to 10 points (format reserved for P 25 tournaments)

Xan is a fan of padel. But also rugby! And his posts are just as punchy. Physical trainer of several padel, he unearths atypical posts or deals with topical subjects. It also gives you some tips to develop your physique for the padel. Clearly, he imposes his offensive style as on the field of padel !

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