Do you wonder how padel scoring works? The short answer: padel usually uses the same basic scoring as tennis: 15, 30, 40 and game. A set usually goes up to 6 games, with a tie-break at 6-6, and a match is often played in 2 winning sets. In Belgium, you will also often encounter formats with golden point, 1 set to 9 or a super tie-break as the third set.
That doesn't make padel difficult, but as a beginner, it's useful to immediately know the difference between international basic rules and the formats you often see in Belgian clubs and tournaments.
How are points counted in padel?
Within one game, scoring usually goes like this:
- 0 points = love
- 1 point = 15
- 2 points = 30
- 3 points = 40
- 4th point = game
That is the classic padel scoring according to international rules. At a tied score of 40-40, you call it deuce. After that, the format depends on the match: sometimes you play with advantage/disadvantage, sometimes with a golden point.
What happens at 40-40?
International or classic: advantage/disadvantage
In classic scoring, after 40-40, a team must win 2 points in a row. The first point after deuce gives advantage, the next point then decides the game. If the team with advantage loses the next point, you go back to deuce. This is still an official scoring method within the international padel rules.
In many Belgian matches: golden point
In many matches of Tennis and Padel Flanders, at 40-40, no advantage is played, but a golden point. Then there is immediately one decisive point. The receiving team chooses left or right to receive that serve, and in mixed doubles, the receiver at that point must be of the same gender as the server. The team that wins that point immediately wins the game.
That's an important nuance, because your original blog only explains the classic model. For a Belgian reader, that is too incomplete.
How does a set work in padel?
The most commonly used international format is a set to 6 games. You must win the set with at least 2 games difference. Therefore, scores like 6-3 and 6-4 are simply set wins, but at 5-5 you have to continue playing until 7-5 or until a tie-break at 6-6. The first team to win 2 sets then wins the match.
In Belgium, there is also an alternative format of 1 set to 9 games. The team that first reaches 9 games wins, and at 8-8 a tie-break is played. You see this in certain tournament formats.
How does a tie-break work?
In a tie-break, you don't count with 15, 30, and 40, but simply with 1, 2, 3, 4… The team that first reaches 7 points with at least 2 points difference, wins the tie-break and thus also the set. This means the set then ends, for example, at 7-6 or, in a set to 9, at 9-8.
The service order in a tie-break is a bit more technical:
- the player whose turn it is to serve starts
- that player serves only 1 point, from the right
- then the other team serves 2 points
- subsequently, each player continues to serve 2 consecutive points
- after every 6 points, players switch sides
How do you win a padel match?
In the standard format, you win the match by winning 2 sets. This is the classic best of 3 sets system. Examples are:
- 6-4, 6-3
- 6-7, 6-4, 6-2
In some tournaments, when the score is 1-1 in sets, a full third set is not played, but a super tie-break. Then play continues until 10 points, with at least 2 points difference. In Belgium, this format is explicitly used in certain competitions and tournaments.
What about serving and service order?
The serve in padel is underhand and is served diagonally. At the beginning of each set, both teams choose who serves and receives first. That service order then remains until the end of the set. The receiving order is also fixed within the set.
That's more accurate than simply saying "teams switch serves after each game". There isn't just a loose alternation: it's a fixed order per set.
Common mistakes in padel scoring
Many beginners make the same mistakes:
1. Thinking that advantage/disadvantage is always played
That's not true. In many Belgian formats, you play a golden point at 40-40.
2. Miscounting the tie-break
In a tie-break, you simply count 1, 2, 3… and not 15, 30, 40.
3. Not knowing that alternative formats exist
Besides sets to 6, there are also matches to 1 set to 9 and matches with a super tie-break as the deciding third set.
Summary: how does padel scoring work?
The basics of padel scoring are simple:
- points within a game: 15, 30, 40, game
- set usually up to 6 games
- tie-break at 6-6
- match usually in 2 winning sets
But in Belgium, you also have to take into account:
- golden point at 40-40 in many formats
- sometimes 1 set to 9
- sometimes a super tie-break to 10 as a third set
FAQ – Frequently asked questions about padel scoring
Is padel scoring the same as in tennis?
Basically yes: 15, 30, 40 and game. But in padel you also often see alternative formats such as golden point, 1 set to 9 and super tie-breaks.
What does deuce mean in padel?
Deuce means that both teams are at 40-40. After that, depending on the format, you play with advantage/disadvantage or with a golden point.
When do you play a tie-break in padel?
In a standard set to 6, you play a tie-break at 6-6. In a set to 9, this happens at 8-8.
How many sets do you play in padel?
Padel is usually played to 2 winning sets, but in some formats a third set is replaced by a super tie-break to 10.
What is a golden point in padel?
In a golden point, at 40-40, one decisive point is played. The team that wins that point immediately wins the game.