Padel and Tennis Scoring Rules Explained Simply

Padel and tennis use the same scoring system, which surprises many people because the games feel so different. If you can follow one, you can follow the other. This guide explains points, games, sets and matches, covers the tricky bits (deuce, advantage, golden point and tiebreaks) and ends with the serving rules that differ between the two sports.

One caution: rules vary by competition and club. The details below describe the standard format; always check the rules of your own league or tournament.

The basic structure: points, games, sets, match

A match is made of sets, a set is made of games and a game is made of points. You win a match by winning the required number of sets, usually two out of three.

Points

Points in a game are called 15, 30 and 40, not 1, 2 and 3. The first point you win is 15, the second is 30 and the third is 40. Zero is called “love.” The score is said with the server's score first, so 30-15 means the server has two points and the receiver has one.

If you reach 40 and win the next point, you win the game, as long as your opponent does not also have 40.

Deuce and advantage

When both sides reach 40, the score is deuce. From deuce, a side must win two points in a row to win the game. The first point after deuce gives that side the advantage. If they win the next point, they win the game. If they lose it, the score returns to deuce.

Golden point

Many padel competitions, and some social and amateur tennis formats, use a golden point to speed things up. At deuce, one single deciding point is played and the receiving side chooses which player receives the serve. Some professional events use variations of this idea, so check your event.

Games and sets

A set is won by the first side to win six games with a lead of at least two games, for example 6-3 or 7-5. If the set reaches 6-6, the standard approach is a tiebreak.

The tiebreak

In a standard tiebreak, points are counted 1, 2, 3 and so on. The first side to reach seven points with a lead of at least two wins the tiebreak and the set, which becomes 7-6. The player who serves rotates: one serves the first point, then the opponents serve two points each, switching ends every six points.

Super tiebreak

Instead of a full third set, many club and tournament matches play a super tiebreak to ten points, again with a two-point lead needed. It is a very common format in padel and doubles tennis.

Winning the match

The most common format is best of three sets. Some tennis tournaments play best of five, and the exact tiebreak rules for the final set vary by event.

Scoring examples

Serving rules in tennis

• You serve from behind the baseline, hitting the ball over your head.
• You have two attempts. Missing both is a double fault and costs the point.
• The serve must go diagonally into the opponent's service box.
• If the ball clips the net and lands in the correct box, it is a let and the serve is replayed.
• The server alternates between the right and left side of the court after every point.

Serving rules in padel

• The serve is underarm. The ball is bounced behind the service line, then hit at or below waist height.
• It must land in the diagonally opposite service box, like tennis.
• You get two attempts, with a double fault losing the point.
• If the serve touches the net and lands in the correct box, it is a let.
• After the serve bounces in the box, the receiver can let it hit the glass wall behind them before playing it.

What else is different in padel

Padel is played in doubles on a smaller enclosed court with glass and mesh walls. After the ball bounces on your side you may play it off the walls, but you may not hit it directly off a wall on the other side before it has bounced. Rallies tend to be longer and more tactical than in tennis, and scoring is the same.

Who serves, and when do you change ends?

In a standard format, players alternate serving each game. In doubles, the serving side takes turns so each partner serves every other service game. You change ends after the first game and then after every two games (every odd-numbered game), and at the end of a set if the total games are odd. At the end of a tiebreak you change ends too.

Tips for keeping score accurately

• Call the score out loud before each point, server first.
• Agree on golden point or advantage before you start.
• Decide in advance whether a third set is a full set or a super tiebreak.
• Use an app so that no one has to remember who is ahead.

Keeping score and seeing the effort in Zafit AI

If you want your games to count alongside your training, Zafit AI includes a Matches feature where you log a match, keep score point by point and see it next to the rest of your activity. The scoring screen shows both sides' points, games and sets with a match timer and an undo button for mis-taps. Time active and an estimated calorie burn are shown too; those are estimates, not lab measurements. You can read the feature description on the home page.

Playing sport is part of fitness, and recovery matters too. After a hard weekend match, our guide to sleep and recovery is a good next read, and if you are planning your week around match days, the AI workout planner can fit gym sessions around them. Download Zafit AI on the App Store.

Frequently asked questions