Padel scoring explained, golden point included
Points, games, sets and the one point at deuce that changes how a whole match is played.
If you know how tennis is scored, you already know most of padel. If you do not, here is all of it in one place. New to the game itself? Start with the rules for beginners.
Points
A game is won by the first pair to four points, counted in an old and slightly strange way:
- No points: love (zero)
- One point: 15
- Two points: 30
- Three points: 40
- The next point wins the game.
The serving pair's score is said first. "30, 15" means the servers have two points and the receivers one.
Deuce, advantage and the golden point
At 40 all, the traditional rule is that you need two points in a row to win the game: the first one gives you advantage, the second wins it. Lose the next point and you are back to deuce.
Many clubs and most professional tournaments now play the golden point instead. At 40 all, one single point decides the game. The receiving pair chooses which of them receives that serve.
The golden point keeps matches shorter and makes every deuce a small final. Agree before you start which rule you are playing.
Games and sets
- The first pair to six games wins the set, as long as they are two games ahead.
- At 5 all, you play to seven.
- At 6 all, you play a tie break.
The tie break
In a tie break points are counted simply: 1, 2, 3. The first pair to seven points, two ahead, wins the set. The player whose turn it is serves once, then the serve passes to the other side and each player serves twice in turn. Change ends every six points.
The match
Most matches are the best of three sets. Friendly games often just play for an hour and count the games, which is perfectly fine too.
Recording the score
When you play a match booked through Padli, you can enter the score after the game. The other players confirm it, and the result counts towards your match history and stats.
