As we told you a few weeks ago, the tournaments of padel armchair are now approved by the FFT. Thus, it is possible to organize tournaments of padel women's, men's or mixed wheelchairs in the P25 and P100 categories. However, it is necessary to have at least 4 pairs entered per event.

In order to best adapt the practice, there are some specific rules.

In the game

  • Two rebounds are allowed before each strike
  • Side changes are made at the end of each set or at the discretion of the referee depending on playing conditions
  • If, after hitting the ball, one of the pair touches the player himself, his partner or any object they are carrying, the point is lost. The wheelchair is considered part of the player's body, so it cannot be touched either.

For the service

The player must keep the front wheel(s) behind the service line and not cross the imaginary line which follows the center line. It is possible for the server to use the racket to bounce the ball when serving, if he has difficulty doing it by hand. When serving, the player must hit the ball below the shoulders.

During the service, the player cannot change his position by moving or turning. However, there is a tolerance in the event of slight movements of the wheels that do not affect the position initially adopted. Wheelchair players may not serve while moving.

The server scores a point if he directly touches the receiver who is inside the service zone. In the opposite case where, on the service, the ball touches a receiver who is outside the service square, the ball is considered fault. The returning player must wait for the ball to bounce in the service receiving area and hit the ball before it bounces to the ground for the third time.

Finally, the ball is considered fault if it rebounds in the opponent's service box and touches the fence before the third rebound. It is also a fault if the ball bounces once or twice in the service receiving square and goes directly out the door.

The service is considered as a let and therefore to be redone if:

  • the ball does not touch the racket or if the ball touches the server's legs or chair before being hit by the racket.
  • the ball hits the net or the posts and then falls into the receiver's service box, provided it does not hit the fence before the third bounce.

Special rules

It is forbidden for the player to lose contact with the wheelchair. From the start, it is mandatory to anchor the player's feet and waist with belts, straps or rails. It is therefore not permitted to rub the foot against the ground of the court with the intention of braking or propelling oneself voluntarily.

It is not possible for a player in a wheelchair to leave the field. This is explained by the impossibility of passing if the access to the land respects the conventional standard of 0,82 m maximum opening. On the other hand, it would be practically impossible for the player not to hit the post or the net on the way out, so he would lose the point.

However, an outing on a track with special characteristics can still be considered. In this case, it would still be necessary to respect the rule of the “third bounce”.

For those who would like to find these FIP rules in their original version, this happens HERE !

thomas jay

After being rocked by tennis for nearly 15 years, I became an absolute fan of its cousin, the padel. For nearly a year now, I've been chasing the little yellow ball with another racquet, but with just as much passion! Based in Lyon, I intend to make you better acquainted with the padel in the region and at the national level.

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