How Does Scoring Work in Padel?

Each game starts at 0–0, also called love. Points are then counted as:

1. 15
2. 30
3. 40

If a team wins the point at 40 while the opponents have less than 40, the game is over.
This part is identical to tennis and usually becomes intuitive after just a few games.

When both teams reach 40, the score is called deuce. From this point, there are two possible ways to decide the game.

Advantage scoring

With advantage scoring, a team must win two points in a row:

• first point gives advantage
• second point wins the game

If the team with advantage loses the next point, the score returns to deuce.

Golden point

With the golden point rule, there is no advantage. One single point decides the game.
The receiving team chooses which side receives the serve. This rule is common in many amateur leagues and professional tournaments to speed up matches.

A set is usually won by the first team to reach six games, with a minimum difference of two games.

Examples:

• 6–3 → set over
• 6–4 → set over
• 6–5 → play continues
• 7–5 → set over

If the score reaches 6–6, a tie break is normally played.

A tie break is played to decide a set at 6–6. Points are counted numerically: 1, 2, 3, and so on.

Key rules to know:

• the first team to reach 7 points wins
• a two-point difference is required
• the first serve is played once
• after that, teams serve two points each
• players change ends every six points

Tie breaks often feel more intense because every point has a bigger impact on the set.

Most padel matches are played as best of three sets. This means a team needs to win two sets to win the match.

At amateur or club level, matches are sometimes shortened to:

• one set
• one set plus a tie break
• or a fixed match duration

These formats are usually decided before the match starts.

Many beginners understand how points are counted but still lose track of the score during real matches. This often happens because rallies are long and attention shifts to the next ball rather than the situation in the game.

Another common issue is confusion between advantage scoring and the golden point. Players assume the rules are the same everywhere and only realise the difference when a game suddenly ends on a single point. It is also common for beginners to think a set is finished at 6–5, without knowing that a two-game difference or a tie break may still be required.

Taking a few seconds between games to confirm the score with your partner avoids most of these mistakes and keeps both players mentally aligned.