Points: 15, 30, 40, game
Each game starts at love (zero) for both pairs. The server's pair score is said first. Points go 15, 30, 40, then game — win a point past 40 and you win the game, as long as you're at least two points ahead. If both pairs reach 40, that's deuce, and from there a pair needs to win two points in a row to take the game, unless the golden point rule is in use (more on that below).
Games and sets
A set is normally won by the first pair to reach six games, provided they're at least two games clear. If the score reaches 5–5, play continues to 7–5. If it reaches 6–6, most padel matches go to a tiebreak rather than playing on indefinitely. A full match is usually best of three sets, so the pair that wins two sets wins the match.
Golden point vs advantage
This is the rule change most people ask about. Under standard advantage scoring, deuce at 40–40 keeps going until one pair is two points clear. Under the golden point rule, the next point after deuce simply decides the game — whoever wins it wins the game, no advantage required. Golden point makes matches quicker and more predictable to schedule, which is why it's the default in many club and social formats. Advantage scoring feels more traditional and can favour pairs who perform well under pressure over several points. Neither is more 'correct' — it's a choice you make before the match, and worth agreeing with your group (or setting in your tournament's rules) in advance.
Tiebreaks at 6–6
When a set reaches 6 games each, a tiebreak decides it. Points are counted as 1, 2, 3 and so on rather than 15/30/40, and the first pair to reach 7 points with a two-point lead wins the tiebreak — and the set 7–6. If the tiebreak also reaches 6–6, play continues until one pair is two points ahead. Serve rotates in a tiebreak: the pair due to serve plays one point, then serve switches every two points.
The super tiebreak (match tiebreak to 10)
Playing a full third set takes time, so many matches — especially in club competitions and tournaments — replace it with a super tiebreak, also called a match tiebreak. It's played to 10 points instead of 7, still with a two-point margin needed to win, and it stands in for the entire third set. So if the two pairs split the first two sets one each, the match tiebreak to 10 decides the match rather than playing a third full set. It's faster, keeps schedules on time, and is now extremely common at social and amateur level.
Timed and short formats for social events
Full best-of-three matches with sets don't always suit a social event with a fixed afternoon and several courts. Two shorter formats are popular instead. In a timed match, pairs simply play for a set number of minutes — 12 minutes is a common default for a quick social session — and whoever's ahead on games (or points) when time runs out wins. Golden point is usually paired with timed matches to keep things moving. In a points race, pairs count up points to a target such as 16, 21, 24 or 32, and every point counts toward the total rather than being grouped into games. Both formats make it much easier to fit a full draw into a single afternoon, and are common presets when you set up a tournament in iTournee — for example the Quick social preset uses timed matches with golden point by default, and you can fully customise games, sets, points and golden point vs advantage before you publish.
Choosing the right rules for your event
For a relaxed social event, timed matches with golden point keep the schedule predictable. For a club competition or anything more competitive, best of three sets to six games, with a tiebreak at 6–6 and a super tiebreak instead of a third set, is the standard choice. You can even set different rules for the knockout stage or the final than for the group stage. Whatever you choose, write it down somewhere players can check — iTournee generates a rules page from your settings automatically, so nobody has to ask what the golden point rule means halfway through a match. If you're still deciding on the overall structure of the event, our guide to padel tournament formats and the schedule planner are good next reads.