Padel scoring is essentially tennis scoring. Points within a game go love → 15 → 30 → 40 → game. Tied at 40-40 is deuce; you need two consecutive points (or a single "golden point") to win. First team to six games wins a set; tie-break at 6-6. Matches are usually best of three sets.
Points within a game
Padel uses the same point sequence as tennis. As soon as a team starts winning rallies, their score climbs:
| Points won | Score called |
|---|---|
| 0 | Love |
| 1 | 15 |
| 2 | 30 |
| 3 | 40 |
| 4 (with at least 2 ahead) | Game |
The serving team's score is always called first. So if the servers have won two points and the receivers one, the score is 30-15.
Deuce, advantage & the golden point
When both teams reach 40, the score is deuce. From deuce, you need to win two consecutive points to take the game. After the first deuce point, the winning team has advantage:
- Win the next point too: game.
- Lose it: back to deuce.
Many leagues — including most amateur formats and Padel Loop — use the golden pointrule instead. At deuce, a single decisive point wins the game outright. The receiving team chooses which player will receive the serve. It's simply faster and helps fixtures fit inside a 90-minute booking.
Games and sets
Once a team wins enough points to take a game, the next game starts with serve passing to the other team. The serving order rotates within a team too: each team chooses the order their two players serve in at the start of the set, and that order is fixed for the rest of the set.
A set is won by the first team to six games, with at least a two-game lead. So 6-4 wins; 6-5 doesn't — you keep playing until either someone is two ahead or it reaches 6-6.
The tie-break
At 6-6 in a set, you play a tie-break to decide it. Tie-breaks have their own scoring (1, 2, 3 …) rather than 15/30/40.
- First team to 7 points wins, with a 2-point lead.
- The first server serves one point. After that, serve alternates every two points.
- Teams change ends every six points.
- If it's 6-6 in the tie-break, you keep playing until someone is two ahead — 8-6, 9-7, etc.
Winning the tie-break wins the set 7-6.
The match
Standard padel matches are best of three sets. Win the first two and the match is over. If sets are split 1-1, you play a deciding third set.
Some formats vary:
- Pro sets / first to nine games: a single long set, first to 9 games. Common in casual league play.
- Match tie-break in lieu of a third set: the deciding set is replaced by a single tie-break, often first to 10 with a 2-point lead. Used in many doubles formats and time-capped leagues.
- Time-capped: the match runs inside a 90-minute court booking. If the booking ends before someone wins, the team ahead wins; level = draw.
A worked example: a Padel Loop fixture
In a Padel Loop fixture, you have a 90-minute court booking. Use the first 5 minutes to warm up and the last 1–2 minutes to swap details and submit your score. That leaves around 80 minutes of actual play.
Most matches finish inside that. If you're still mid-set when the booking ends, you stop: whoever is ahead in sets, then games, then points, wins. If the score is level on every count, the match is a draw.
Switching sides
Teams change ends after the first game of each set, then every two games (i.e. after games 1, 3, 5, 7 …) and after every odd-numbered point in a tie-break. This is automatic if you're using a clock or scoreboard, and worth doing in casual play to keep wind/sun fair.
Who serves and from where
At the start of a set, each team picks which player serves first and which receives in which box (deuce or ad). Once chosen, those decisions are fixed for the set. In the next set you can change them.
During a service game:
- The same player serves the entire game.
- The first point of every game is served from the right of the court (deuce side).
- After each point, the server moves to the other side of the centre line — alternating right (deuce) and left (ad).
- When the game ends, the next game is served by a player on the other team.
Calling the score
It's normal — and helpful — to call the score before each point. The serving team's score comes first. So:
- "30-15" means the servers have won 2 points, receivers 1.
- "Deuce" or "40-40" both work.
- At advantage, call "advantage in" (servers ahead) or "advantage out" (receivers ahead).
- Between games and at set end, recap the games score: "3-2 to us", "set is 5-4", etc.
Frequently asked questions
How does scoring work in padel?
Padel uses tennis scoring. Within a game: love, 15, 30, 40, game. At 40-40 (deuce) you need two consecutive points to win. First team to six games wins a set with a two-game lead, otherwise a tie-break is played at 6-6. Matches are usually best of three sets.
What is the golden point in padel?
The golden point is a deuce variation used in many amateur and professional padel formats. At 40-40 the next point wins the game outright — no advantage. The receiving team chooses which side they want to receive on. It speeds up matches, which is why it's common in time-capped league formats.
How does a padel tie-break work?
A standard padel tie-break is played at 6-6 in a set. The first team to 7 points wins the tie-break and the set, with a margin of two points required. If it gets to 6-6 in the tie-break, play continues until one team is two points ahead.
Is padel best of three sets?
Yes — most padel matches, including amateur leagues and professional events, are best of three sets. Some shorter or time-capped league formats use first-to-one-set or pro-set (first to nine games) rules.
What happens if a padel match runs out of time?
In time-capped league formats like Padel Loop, if the booking expires before the third set is decided, the match stops where it is: the team ahead wins, and if scores are level at any point (sets, games or even points) the match is recorded as a draw.
Want to put it all into practice? Read the full padel rules guide next, or join the Padel Loop waitlist for a weekly fixture in London, Birmingham or Nottingham.
