The French Tennis Federation has already done a lot of work to frame the explosion of padel in France. But what more could we do to improve the conditions, the regulation of this sport and help it to develop?

We will try to list the different ideas of clubs and players with the pros and cons.

1 / Homologate Mixed Tournaments

This is THE rule acclaimed by many players and clubs of padel.

Benefits :

First, the padel is a sport perfectly suited for this type of competition. Many couples from elsewhere already participate in internal mixed club tournaments. But it's not just couples. Quite the contrary. The National Padel Cup, the Padel Infinity Tour has shown that there is a huge demand, a huge potential. The French Open will also offer in September a major European competition of padel mixed.

In addition, the ladies, who are unfortunately less numerous to practice padel for now, could compete with men in a more framed way with approved tournaments.

The other advantage, especially for large clubs padel, it is the possibility of offering 2 homologated competitions at the same time, ladies or gentlemen, and to participate in more in a mixed tournament.

Players play more, clubs have extra revenue and the FFT continues to rake in additional licensees.

The measure could be implemented in a very simple way by already using the tools put in place by the FFT.

A measure that does not cost one euro and that could benefit everyone.

Disadvantages:

The pairs will be unbalanced at times, but is this a real argument against the possibility of approving mixed tournaments?

We do not really see any reason to deny clubs the opportunity to register mixed tournaments.

2 / Integrating ladies pairs into men's tournaments

Integrate pairs of ladies into men's tournaments, an idea that is sprouting up positively, but which is much more complicated than it seems in its implementation.

Starting observation: 3 big problems

=> First, there are very few tournaments padel ladies. And when the ladies' tournaments are announced, it happens that these tournaments are postponed and even sometimes canceled because not enough players.

=> Then, when there are ladies tournaments, we often see the same players. There is no renewal, emulation and new confrontations. In short, it is difficult for these ladies' pairs to constantly motivate themselves.

=> Finally, the differences in level are very important between the French top 10 and the other pairs of ladies. But there are also very important gaps among the 220 dismissed ladies (against 1610 dismissed for men)

How?

Let's use what works elsewhere. In squash, the French Squash Federation found itself faced with the same problem as the FFT concerning the ladies.

What to do when the levels and rankings are not the same between ladies and gentlemen?

1/ Incorporate a multiplier for female pairs and so classify them in the gentlemen table.

For example: 1 ladies pair of 100 points would be equivalent to 300 points in men. (Remember that the more a pair has points, the less well it is ranked). The points they win will obviously count for the ladies ranking.

2 / Set up a quota system.

Basically, there could be more than one 1 / 4 pairs of ladies in a table gentlemen. For example, in an array of 16 pairs, you could only have 4 maximum pairs.

A solution that does not cost a euro there and whose implementation would be very well received.

Disadvantages:

Is playing with the gentlemen dangerous for the ladies? It is true that the game is faster for men regardless of the level. If the ladies will be free to participate in the men's tournaments and thereby accept a faster game, there should be no injuries because of this system ...

The other disadvantage or great complication is the ranking of these pairs ladies in a table gentlemen. Because despite the coefficient, there could be aberrations. The solution is not so obvious.

Example: Audrey Casanova and Laura Clergue, the first French pair would then be considered the 6e pair at the gentlemen with this famous multiplier coefficient.

The idea then would be to apply a different multiplier coefficient depending on the ranking slices. Or to give a predefined ranking for each of the French pairs.

As we understand, the FFT will have a lot of work to do to imagine the right weighting method for women's rankings.

It will obviously be necessary to speak of "team weight" to avoid confusion.

3 / Further relax regulation on tournament packages

The goal is to give the referee some extra freedom to speed up matches or slow them down by lengthening the playing format. Is this such a good idea?

Benefits :

In squash, one can make up to 4 matches / day for a homologated squash tournament.

However, at padel, which can be considered a little less physical than squash, we can only play 3 matches max with the so-called traditional or classic formula (Format 1), ie 2 winning sets (with the ad and the 3rd classic set). Knowing that by the way, we know that there are often lightning matches, especially in the group stages, because of the differences in levels that there may be.

maybe adding one more game in the day with the traditional formula would be interesting for everyone. 

Another variation: If the referees and players agree, maybe they should be allowed to choose the format for their matches.

Disadvantages:

Lengthening matches may be difficult for players, especially if long matches follow one another. We have seen him again recently at the Lyon Open where Gael Monfils himself explained that to link the matches were physically complicated.

It would also be a difficult barrier for people who are less physically prepared or older.

And then, that would mean that the referees and players would have a lot of power. Is the door open to abuse? There could be.

Finally, the FFT is here to offer a framework with a precise regulation. The same rule for everyone is certainly more accurate.

Has the balance been found by the FFT with the current match formulas? Perhaps.

For you to say.

4 / Treatment of private and municipal structures tied

Clubs padel private individuals who are then FFT authorized must be able to benefit from the same aids as the municipal club.

Indeed, we observe that some private claim to be confronted with unfair competition.

First, because municipal clubs are often financially supported by municipalities and sometimes regions. And then, the FFT league helps at times more the municipal club than the private club.

When a league offers to financially support a project padel, it cannot distinguish the municipal club from a private club which will subsequently qualify. There must be perfect equality.

It should be noted, however, that many leagues play the game of equal treatment, starting with the Lyon league which now has 7 clubs of padel.

5 / Allow the referee to participate in the tournament

Strangely enough, the rules prohibit the referee from participating in his tournament. We can see the objective. But is not it a bit harsh? Especially that it often happens that the Referee is himself a player and therefore the first applicant to his own tournament.

And then, this indirectly implies that the referee's referee's partner has to look for another partner. (Which does not matter, of course). But this regulation can annoy the first concerned: The judges referees / players.

Why not relax this part of the regulation?

6 / A diploma of padel

Very soon, we will be offering an interview with Jean WALLACH, President of the Lyonnais League and vice president of the FFT in charge of training and the thorny issue of training. padel.

Today, you must have the state tennis certificate to be a teacher padel... However, many players padel have all the qualities required to train.

Of course, this is not an FFT problem, but a much more general problem, since it is the Ministry of Sports that certifies the diplomas.

Equivalences, a solution?

Since the September 1er 2009, the ENIC-NARIC France center has adopted a comparative approach to the processing of applications for recognition of foreign degree holders and, when the study of the file permits, issues a certificate of comparability for a diploma obtained at the foreigner who evaluates the diploma submitted in relation to the French system.

In Europe, equivalences are legion. France must accept and authorize that a French who has obtained a diploma in Spain can teach in France.

But here too, the FFT does not have all the cards even more on this issue that goes beyond the simple framework of tennis.

The FFT works the CQP facilitator

However, the FFT is working on another way to get around this Franco-French problem:

The animator CQP. This host would animate all sports (Tennis, Padel, Beach tennis). This diploma would also be more flexible than the current AMT. But we will come back to this subject shortly.

7 / Prize money from tournament categories padel

There are 4 types of tournaments: the P100, P250 P500 and P1000.

From p250, mandatory prize money at the minimum height of the numbering of the chosen category.

Is this a good thing?

Benefits :

The formula seems to take everywhere in France.

Many clubs already offer P1000. We can even say that France is ambitious with its financial endowments. Big tournaments bring back good players including Spanish players.

For the players, it is a formula obviously very interesting, especially for the best who suddenly move.

Disadvantages:

Note that the prize money (P500 and P1000) benefit more Spanish than French players. If it has the merit of raising the level of the tournament, one might wonder if this prize money rule would not be double-edged.

What is more, the winners are often players who are not part of the economic life of the padel French. Of course, this is a trend. Should we leave it this way?

Then these tournaments (P500 and P1000) are expensive for clubs. Is it so interesting for them?

A little early perhaps to take stock of these categories of tournaments.

8 / French outdoor championships possible?

The French championships of padel always take place indoors. Over the past two years, the championships have been held at Padel Lyon Club (Padel Central) and Padel Attitude. The next ones will take place at BIG IV. 3 indoor clubs.

Why the French championships of padel are still indoors?

Benefits :

Certainly for organizational reasons. In case of rain, what do we do? France has an increasingly important indoor park.

Disadvantages:

Yet there are many stages of World Padel Tour outdoors. And then for outdoor clubs and specialized outdoor players, this is not necessarily fair. Because playing indoors and outdoors is not the same thing at all. Are outdoor players still at a disadvantage?

9 / Increase the minimum height to homologate a club?

Today, it is enough to be 6 meters high for an indoor club to qualify or affiliate its club of padel. Is it sufficient ?

Advantage:

All clubs of padel are almost certain to be homologable and will thus be able to offer padel, dismiss players from padel, etc. For the democratization of sport, this is certainly a very good thing.

Drawbacks :

To compete, the 6 meters height limits the game padel and we can even estimate that this height favors tennis players ... Given the explosion of padel, shouldn't we push this height back to 7,5 meters. ? This would force new projects to be beyond that height.

Clubs having already been authorized or affiliated and having a height of less than 7,5 meters shall not be affected by these possible new provisions.

Franck Binisti - Padel Magazine

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovers the padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since padel is part of his life. You often see him touring France going to cover the major events of padel French.