Guide
Star Point in padel: how it works
From 2026, Premier Padel tournaments and the international federation's circuits no longer settle deuce with the golden point: they use the Star Point. It sits halfway between classic advantages and a sudden-death point: two chances to close with the advantage, then a single point that decides the game. Here is the rule step by step, an example and how it differs from the other two ways of scoring.
The rule in three steps
The Star Point comes into play the first time a game reaches deuce. From there it goes like this:
- First advantage: the pair that wins the point after deuce has the advantage. If they win the next point too, they take the game; if they lose it, the score goes back to deuce.
- Second advantage: same again. The pair with the advantage takes the game by winning the point; if they lose it, the score does not go back to deuce.
- Star Point: a single deciding point is played. Whoever wins it takes the game.
An example
Marco and Paolo are serving at deuce. They win the point: advantage to them. They lose the next one: deuce again. Their opponents win the following point and have the advantage, but lose the one after: both advantages are used up. The next point is the Star Point, and whoever wins it takes the game. In all, at most five points can be played from the first deuce.
Advantages, golden point and Star Point compared
With classic advantages a game can go on with no limit: from deuce you need two points in a row. With the golden point, used by the professionals from 2020 to 2025, deuce is settled at once by a single point. The Star Point sits in between: it keeps two chances to close with the advantage, as in the traditional game, but puts a limit on how long a game can last.
Where it is used
The International Padel Federation approved the Star Point on 28 November 2025 and announced it on 18 December 2025. From 2026 it applies in Premier Padel, the CUPRA FIP Tour, FIP Promises and the amateur FIP Beyond circuit. In club tournaments and matches among friends the organiser decides: before you start, agree whether you are playing with advantages, the golden point or the Star Point.
Keeping score with the Star Point
With TennisScore today you choose, match by match, between classic advantages and a deciding point at deuce. The Star Point is not among the options yet.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Star Point in padel?
It is the deuce rule introduced in 2026: at most two advantages are played and, if nobody closes the game, a single deciding point, the Star Point.
When does the Star Point come in?
After two advantages that came to nothing: when the first advantage is lost the score goes back to deuce, when the second is lost the deciding point is played.
Has the Star Point replaced the golden point?
From 2026 it is the deuce rule in Premier Padel, the CUPRA FIP Tour, FIP Promises and FIP Beyond, where the golden point was played until 2025. In other tournaments the organiser's rules apply.
How many points can deuce last at most?
Five: advantage, back to deuce, second advantage, advantage lost and finally the Star Point, which ends the game.
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