Guide
Padel scoring explained
If you can keep score in tennis, you can already keep score in padel: 15, 30, 40, games, sets and tie-breaks are the same. The differences are at deuce, where official competitions use the golden point, in the underarm serve, and in the fact that padel is almost always played in doubles. Here is everything in order.
Points, games and sets: as in tennis
Each point takes you to 15, then 30, then 40; the fourth point wins the game if the other pair is on 30 or less. The set goes to the first pair to reach six games with a lead of two, and at 6-6 a tie-break to 7 points with a lead of two is played. The match is best of three sets: it goes to whoever wins two. The score is announced starting from the serving pair.
The golden point at deuce
From 2020 to 2025 professional padel played 40-40 without advantages: a single point, the “golden point”, and whoever wins it takes the game. The receiving pair chooses which of the two players receives the serve, and therefore on which side the point is played. From 2026 Premier Padel and the international federation's circuits use the Star Point: two advantages, then a deciding point.
Among friends and in many clubs the classic advantages are still used: it is worth agreeing before you start. With the golden point, games are shorter and matches take less time.
The underarm serve
The serve in padel is always underarm: the ball is bounced on the ground behind the service line and hit at waist height or lower, diagonally into the opponents' service box. You get two serves, as in tennis. After bouncing in the box the ball may touch the side glass, but if it touches the metal fence it is a fault. If it touches the net tape and lands in the right box, the serve is replayed.
Changes of ends and serving order
- Ends are changed after the first game and then every two games (after the third, the fifth and so on), as in tennis; in the tie-break every six points.
- The serving pair alternates its two players game after game; the order is decided at the start of each set.
- In the tie-break the player due to serve serves the first point, then each serves two points in turn.
The formats you meet most often
- Golden point at 40-40 in tournaments, advantages among friends.
- A 10-point super tie-break instead of the third set, in many amateur tournaments and junior circuits.
- Short or timed sets in training and in “americanas”, where pairs change every round.
How TennisScore does it
TennisScore keeps score in padel with the same scoreboard as tennis: you create the match in doubles with the names of the two pairs, choose the “no advantage” option for the golden point and, if the tournament uses it, the super tie-break in the deciding set. The app counts games, sets and tie-breaks, shows who serves, and whoever is far away follows the score live with the match code. After the match remain statistics, timings and memory photos, and from a Wear OS watch points are scored without touching the phone.
Frequently asked questions
Is padel scored like tennis?
Yes: 15, 30, 40, games, sets to six games with a lead of two, tie-break at 6-6 and matches best of three sets. The one frequent difference is the golden point at deuce instead of advantages.
What is the golden point?
At 40-40 a single deciding point is played instead of advantages. The receiving pair chooses which player receives the serve. It was the rule in professional tournaments from 2020 to 2025; from 2026 Premier Padel uses the Star Point, and among friends you can also play with advantages.
Is padel only played in doubles?
In competitions yes, and courts are built for doubles. Singles courts and matches exist but are rare. TennisScore handles both: two names for singles, two pairs for doubles.
More guides
Keep score in padel with TennisScore
Golden point, tie-break and live score for those not on the court: free, ad-free, also from the wrist.
