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This page explains what governing bodies, standards bodies and researchers publish. It is not a substitute for lessons from a qualified coach or for medical advice.
The rule book
The foreword to the FIP Rules of Padel says the International Padel Federation (FIP) is padel's governing body and is responsible for its rules. The FIP's sports department recommends changes to the General Meeting, which under the federation's bye-laws is the final authority. The edition used here is titled "Review of application 01.01.2026": the rules applying from 1 January 2026.
What the rules say the game is
- Pairs: padel is played by two pairs, one each side of a net (Rule 3). The rules provide for men's, women's and mixed matches. No FIP singles format was found in the rules text.
- The serve must be struck at or below waist height (service rule 4) and goes diagonally into the receiving box. The receiver is the server's diagonal opponent; the receiver and both partners may stand anywhere on their own side.
- The walls: the court is enclosed, and the rules govern play off the walls and the metal mesh.
- Out-of-court play: in set cases, after a correct bounce, a ball that leaves the court over the walls may still be played from outside it ("authorised out-of-court play", Rule 16).
- The wrist cord: a non-elastic cord of at most 35 cm, fixed to the racket handle, is obligatory.
The court, enclosure and net
| Feature | FIP Rules of Padel, 2026 review |
|---|---|
| Court | A rectangle 10 m wide by 20 m long, measured inside, with a 0.5 per cent tolerance, divided by a net |
| Service lines | Parallel to the net, 6.95 m from it on each side |
| Central service line | Divides the service area and runs at least 20 cm beyond the service line |
| Lines | 5 cm wide, preferably white or black |
| Clear height | At least 6 m over the whole court; 8 m suggested for new facilities |
| Net | 10 m long; 0.88 m high at the centre, rising to 0.92 m at the ends (tolerance 0.005 m) |
| Net cable and band | Metal cable of at most 1 cm diameter; white top band of 5.0 to 6.3 cm |
| Side wall layouts | Two permitted for the side enclosures: a stepped layout (3 m high for 2 m of length, then 2 m high for 2 m), or a "crystal" layout with a 3 m high, 4 m long section without steps; both completed with metal mesh |
| Wall material | Glass, brick or another transparent or opaque material with a uniform bounce; glass courts must meet the tempered-glass standards in the FIP's court homologation annex |
The FIP rules also set safety requirements for the enclosure, the space around the court and the padding on posts and openings. Those are on the court and facility safety page.
Scoring: three options (Rule 1)
The 2026 rules give three ways to score a game.
Option 1: Advantage
Points run 15, 30, 40 and game, as in tennis, with deuce and advantage. Sets go to six games with a two-game margin and a tie-break at 6-6. Matches are best of three sets. If agreed in advance, the third set may be played without a tie-break.
Option 2: Star Point (new for 2026)
After the first deuce ("deuce 1"), if the side with advantage loses the next point, play goes to "deuce 2". If the second advantage is also lost, the score returns to "deuce 3" and a single deciding point, the Star Point, is played. The receiving pair chooses the side to receive from. In mixed matches the receiver is the same sex as the server.
Option 3: Golden Point
There is no advantage. At deuce a single deciding point is played; the receiving pair chooses the side and may not change positions. The same-sex receiving rule applies in mixed matches.
The tie-break
Points are counted zero, 1, 2, 3 and so on. The first pair to seven points with a two-point margin wins the game and the set, which is recorded as 7-6.
Shorter formats
The FIP rules also allow four-game mini sets with a tie-break at 4-4, a seven-point match tie-break, or a ten-point "super tie-break" in place of the final set at one set all.
Who uses Star Point
According to Premier Padel and the FIP, the FIP General Assembly of 100 national federations approved the Star Point option unanimously on 28 November 2025. Premier Padel used it from the Riyadh Season P1 in February 2026, and the CUPRA FIP Tour from its first event of 2026. An FIP notice, as summarised in search results, says all matches on the FIP Promises World Tour and Continental Tour (the junior circuits) use Star Point.
Formats beyond the pair
In October 2026 the FIP announced an "FIP World League" for national teams that do not qualify for the FIP World Cup, with details to follow. The same October 2026 General Assembly named adaptive padel a priority; padel is not a Paralympic sport. See wheelchair and para play.
Racket and ball rules, including the FIP ball certification list, are on the padel rackets and balls page. Who runs padel is on padel bodies and tours.