Sport Scoring SolutionsPadel scoring: the rules and a free score keeper
Padel is the fastest-growing racket sport in South Africa, with new courts opening at clubs and centres every month. It uses the same scoring as tennis, plus a few twists of its own: the golden point and, since 2026, the star point. Keeping track of points, games, sets and whose serve it is during fast doubles rallies is hard, and our free padel scorer does it for you.
Watch: how to play padel
Points, games and sets
- Points in a game go 0 (love), 15, 30, 40, then game.
- A set is won by the first pair to win 6 games with a two-game lead (6–4, 7–5).
- At 6–6 a tie-break decides the set, which is recorded as 7–6.
- Matches are usually best of three sets. Many club and league matches replace the third set with a super tie-break.
What happens at 40–40
Padel has three ways of settling a game at 40–40 (deuce). Agree which one you are playing before you start. You choose it in the app's setup.
| Rule | How it works | Used in |
|---|---|---|
| Golden point | At 40–40 one deciding point is played. The receiving pair chooses which side receives. Whoever wins the point wins the game. | Most social and club play, many leagues |
| Star point | At 40–40 you play advantage. If the game returns to deuce a second time, you play advantage again. If it returns to deuce a third time, a single deciding star point is played, with the receiving pair choosing the side. | Introduced in 2026 for professional and FIP events |
| Advantage | The traditional tennis rule. A pair must win two points in a row from deuce: advantage, then game. | Some tournaments and friendly matches |
Tie-break and super tie-break
- A tie-break is played to 7 points with a two-point lead. Points are counted 1, 2, 3 and so on.
- A super tie-break (also called a match tie-break) is played to 10 points with a two-point lead and replaces a deciding set.
- The player whose turn it is serves the first point from the right. After that, each player serves two points in a row in the normal rotation.
- Pairs change ends after every 6 points of a tie-break.
Serving order and sides
The serve is underarm, hit at or below waist height after one bounce, and must land diagonally in the opponent's service box. Each game is served by one player, in a fixed rotation across the four players: a player from pair 1, then pair 2, then the partner from pair 1, then the partner from pair 2. Every game starts with a serve from the right side, and the server then alternates sides after every point. The app shows who serves and from which side, so you never have to argue about it.
Changing ends
Pairs change ends after the first, third, fifth and every following odd game of a set, and every 6 points in a tie-break. If a set ends after an odd number of games, they also change at the start of the next set. The app shows a Change ends reminder at the right moment.
How to use the padel scorer
- Enter the four players, choose the number of sets, the deciding set and the deuce rule.
- Choose who serves first, and who serves first for the other pair.
- Tap the pair that won each point. The score, server, service side and reminders update automatically. Tap Undo if you make a mistake.
- At the end the set scores are saved on your device under My results and can be shared with one tap.
These notes summarise the commonly used padel rules for club and social play. For tournaments, follow the current FIP rules and the event's own regulations.