Padel · Scoring guide
How to keep score in padel
Padel is scored like tennis: points go 15, 30, 40, game, the first pair to 6 games with a 2-game lead wins the set (with a tiebreak at 6-6), and the first pair to win 2 sets wins the match. The main choice to agree before you start is what happens at 40-40: advantage, a single golden point, or the 2026 Star Point (and whether a super tiebreak replaces the third set).
Padel scoring at a glance
| Unit | How you win it |
|---|---|
| Point | Win the rally |
| Game | 4 points, called 15, 30, 40, game; at 40-40 the match's deuce rule decides |
| Set | 6 games with a 2-game lead; tiebreak at 6-6, recorded 7-6 |
| Tiebreak | 7 points with a 2-point lead, counted 1, 2, 3 |
| Match | Best of 3 sets; a super tiebreak to 10 can replace the third set if announced in advance |
How do points work in a padel game?
A game is a race to 4 points, but nobody counts them 1, 2, 3, 4. Padel uses the tennis calls:
| Points won | Call |
|---|---|
| 0 | Love (0) |
| 1 | 15 |
| 2 | 30 |
| 3 | 40 |
| 4 | Game, unless both pairs have reached 40 |
Both pairs count at the same time, so 30-15 means one pair has won two points and the other has won one. When both pairs reach 40 the score is deuce (iguales in Spanish), and the deuce rule for the match takes over.
A pair one point away from winning the game has game point (players call it a break point when the receiving pair has it). One point from the set is set point, and one point from the match is match point.
What happens at 40-40 in padel?
The FIP rules give three ways to settle deuce, and a tournament announces which one it uses. In a friendly match, agree it before the first serve.
| Deuce rule | How the game ends |
|---|---|
| Advantage | Win two points in a row from deuce. Lose the point after advantage and it is deuce again, with no limit. |
| Golden Point | One deciding point at 40-40. The receiving pair chooses to receive on the right or the left. |
| Star Point | Up to two advantages, then one deciding point at the third deuce. Part of the FIP rules from 1 January 2026. |
The golden point guide scores the same rallies all three ways. Here is a whole game played with Golden Point, from the first serve to the deciding point:
| Point | Won by | Game score | Games (sets) | Serving next | What happened |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Us | 15–0 | 0–0 | Us | The serving pair's first point: 15 |
| 2 | Us | 30–0 | 0–0 | Us | |
| 3 | Them | 30–15 | 0–0 | Us | Them get on the board |
| 4 | Them | 30–30 | 0–0 | Us | |
| 5 | Them | 30–40 | 0–0 | Us | Them, receiving, have a break point at 30-40 |
| 6 | Us | 40–40 | 0–0 | Us | 40-40: Golden Point. Them, the receiving pair, choose to receive on the right or the left |
| 7 | Us | Game to Us | 1–0 | Them | Us win the deciding point and the game. First game done, so the pairs change ends and Them serve next |
Scored point by point by the same scoring rules the app uses.
How do you win a set in padel?
A set goes to the first pair to win 6 games with a lead of 2. So 6-4 or 6-2 wins a set, but 6-5 does not: you play another game, and 7-5 wins it. If the set reaches 6-6, a tiebreak decides it and the set goes into the record as 7-6.
A standard match is the best of three sets. A final result lists every set, for example 6-3, 4-6, 7-6.
How does a padel tiebreak work?
At 6-6 the pairs play a tiebreak. The first pair to 7 points with a 2-point lead wins it, and the set with it. Points are called 1, 2, 3 instead of 15, 30, 40, and there is no golden point: from 6-6 the tiebreak carries on to 8-6, 9-7 and so on.
- Serve: the player due to serve serves the first point, from the right. After that each player serves 2 points in a row, left then right, in the set's serving order.
- Ends: the pairs change ends every 6 points.
- Next set: the pair that received first in the tiebreak serves first in the next set, whoever won it.
The padel tiebreak rules page goes through the serve order player by player. This tiebreak shows the rhythm:
| Point | Won by | Game score | Games (sets) | Serving next | What happened |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Us | 1–0 | 6–6 | Them | Us serve 1 point, from the right |
| 2 | Us | 2–0 | 6–6 | Them | Them serve 2 points: left, then right |
| 3 | Them | 2–1 | 6–6 | Us | |
| 4 | Us | 3–1 | 6–6 | Us | Us serve 2 points (the other partner, next in the set's order) |
| 5 | Them | 3–2 | 6–6 | Them | |
| 6 | Them | 3–3 | 6–6 | Them | 3-3: 6 points played, change ends |
| 7 | Us | 4–3 | 6–6 | Us | |
| 8 | Us | 5–3 | 6–6 | Us | |
| 9 | Them | 5–4 | 6–6 | Them | |
| 10 | Us | 6–4 | 6–6 | Them | Set point to Us at 6-4 |
| 11 | Us | Set to Us | 0–0 · 7–6 | Them | 7-4, 3 clear: Us win the set 7-6. Them received first in the tiebreak, so Them serve first in set 2 |
Scored point by point by the same scoring rules the app uses.
What happens at one set all?
Normally a full third set decides the match, played like the first two. Some events announce a super tiebreak instead: at one set all the pairs play a single tiebreak to 10 points, won by 2, and the result is written as its points score, for example 6-4, 4-6, 10-7. The super tiebreak rules cover who serves first and play one point by point.
Who serves in padel doubles?
One player serves the whole game; serve alternates between pairs each game. Partners take turns across their pair's service games, so over four games the order runs:
- Pair A, first server
- Pair B, first server
- Pair A, second server
- Pair B, second server
The cycle then repeats for the rest of the set. A pair can change which partner serves first only at the start of a set. Within a game the server starts from the right and switches sides after every point.
The server gets 2 attempts, so two faults in a row (a double fault) lose the point.
When do you change ends in padel?
- During a set: after games 1, 3, 5 and every odd game of the set.
- At the end of a set: only if the set's total games is odd. After 6-3 (9 games) you change straight away. After 6-4 (10 games) you play the first game of the next set, then change.
- In a tiebreak or super tiebreak: every 6 points.
Rest is limited to 90 seconds at a change of ends and 120 seconds between sets.
How the app handles it
You tap the side that won each point and the app works out the rest. It starts with Golden Point, best of 3 sets, sets to 6 with a tiebreak at 6-6, and a full third set. You can switch to Advantage, best of 1, 9-game sets or a super tiebreak decider.
It passes the serve after every game and follows the 1-then-2 tiebreak serve pattern. It marks the serving side, not which player serves or from which court. It does not tell you when to change ends, so follow the rules above yourselves, and it does not offer Star Point.
Questions
Is padel scored the same as tennis?
Almost. The points (15, 30, 40), sets to 6 and the tiebreak at 6-6 are the same. The differences are at 40-40, where many padel events play a golden point or the Star Point instead of advantage, and in the game itself: padel is doubles with an underarm serve. See how tennis scoring works for comparison.
Do you have to win by 2 in padel?
In sets and tiebreaks, yes: a set needs a 2-game lead (or the tiebreak at 6-6) and a tiebreak needs a 2-point lead. In a game it depends on the deuce rule. Advantage needs two points in a row from deuce, but a golden point is won by a single point.
Can you serve overarm in padel?
No. The padel serve is underarm: you bounce the ball once behind the service line and strike it at or below waist height, diagonally into the opponent's service box.
What happens if the serve hits the net in padel?
If the serve clips the net and bounces in the correct service box, it is a let and is replayed, unless the ball then hits the metal fence before its second bounce, which is a fault. A net serve that hits the receiver or their partner is also a let. A net serve that lands outside the box is a fault like any other, and two faults in a row lose the point.
Last reviewed September 25, 2026
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