Padel appeals to all generations, but participation in  official competitions approved by the FFT  is subject to  strict rules according to age  of the player. Here's what you need to know for the sporting year  2025-2026 .

 Recognized age categories 

 Youth 

  •  U10  : Boys / Girls of  9 to 10 year-olds 
  •  U12  : Boys / Girls of  11 to 12 year-olds 
  •  U14  : Boys / Girls of  13 to 14 year-olds 
  •  U16  : Boys / Girls of  15 to 16 year-olds 
  •  U18  : Boys / Girls of  17 to 18 year-olds 

 Seniors 

  •  Seniors  : Ladies, Gentlemen and Mixed (from 19 years old)
  •  + 45 years  : Ladies, Gentlemen and Mixed
  •  + 55 years  : Ladies, Gentlemen and Mixed

 Participation by age: what are the limits? 

  • A player of  U10 category  can only participate in competitions  U10, U12 or U14 .
  • The  children under 9  (age categories  8 or younger )  are not authorized  to participate in official FFT tournaments.

This guarantees a  framework appropriate to age, safety and maturity  of the player.

 How is the age category calculated? 

For FFT competitions (in France), the  age category is determined by subtraction  :

 Sports year   year of birth  =  FFT age 

 Example  : for the 2026 season (from September 1, 2025 to August 31, 2026), a player born in  1981 or before  is in the category  + 45 years  (2026 – 1981 = 45).

 And what about international competitions? 

In competitions outside the FFT (notably FIP or Premier Padel), age is determined  according to the calendar year  :  Calendar year   year of birth  =  international category 

No,  Not all ages can participate in official padel tournaments .
La  minimum limit  is fixed to the category  U10 (9-10 years old) , with a ban on children  Less than 9 years old .
On the other hand, from this category there is a structured offer for  all age groups , up to  + 55 years , going through the  young people, seniors and veterans .

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.

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