Padel guides
Finding a partner, understanding tournament categories, entering an official tournament, knowing your level: our guides to playing padel.
- How to find a padel partner at your levelPadel is played two against two: no partner, no match. Here is how to find players at your level near you, for a friendly game or a tournament.
- Padel tournaments P25 to P2000: the categories explainedIn France, padel tournaments sanctioned by the French Tennis Federation (FFT) are ranked by category, from P25 to P2000. The number is the points awarded to the winners for the national ranking.
- How to enter an official padel tournamentWant to play your first padel tournament? Licence, partner, category, entry: here are the steps, in order.
- What is my padel level? The 1 to 8 scaleBeginner, intermediate, advanced? The 1 to 8 level scale helps you place yourself and find suitable partners and tournaments. Here is how to use it.
- French padel ranking (FFT): how points are calculatedThe padel ranking of the French Tennis Federation (FFT) orders licensed players by the points they earn in sanctioned tournaments. Each tournament awards points according to its category (from P25 to P2000) and the round reached, and only your 12 best results of the last 12 months count. The higher the category you play and the further you go, the more you climb.
- FFT licence to play padel in France: steps and priceTo play a sanctioned padel tournament in France, you need a licence from the French Tennis Federation (FFT), which governs padel. You get it from a club affiliated with the FFT when you join, or directly online (Web licence), for the sporting season. It lets you enter tournaments and appear in the ranking.
- Padel rules: the essentials to play wellPadel is played by four players, two against two, on a court enclosed by glass walls and wire mesh. Scoring is the same as in tennis, you serve underarm below the waist, the ball must bounce once on the ground before touching the walls, and you can play it after it rebounds off the walls. Here is what you need to play your first game without mistakes.
- Playing left or right in padel: how to chooseIn padel, each player of the pair keeps one side of the court for the whole match. The right-side player builds the play and brings consistency; the left-side player is often the one who finishes points, with more smashes and attacking shots. For a right-hander, the left side puts the forehand in the middle of the court, which is why the more attacking player often plays there. The right choice depends on your game, your hand and your partner.
- Padel for beginners: a guide to your first gamesTo start padel, you need a padel racket (often lent or rented by the club), shoes with suitable soles and three partners. You book a court at a club near you, ideally for an introductory lesson, then play games with players at your level. Most beginners are rallying within the first hour: that is what makes padel so easy to pick up.
- Choosing a padel racket: shape, weight, materialsTo choose your padel racket, look first at its shape: round to start and control, teardrop for an all-round game, diamond to attack. Then at its weight (often between 340 and 380 grams) and balance, then at the core foam, soft or hard. A racket too attacking for your level leads to more errors and tires the arm.
- Padel over 45: play, improve and enter tournamentsPadel is one of the easiest racket sports to start or take up again after 45: a small court, long rallies thanks to the walls, and a four-player game that limits running. A good warm-up, suitable shoes and a light racket to protect the elbow and shoulder are all you need. And for those who like competition, the FFT organises +45 and +55 tournaments.
- Women's and mixed padel: tournaments, partners, tipsFFT-sanctioned padel tournaments have three draws: Men, Women and Mixed. Women's tournaments bring together pairs of two women; mixed tournaments, pairs of one woman and one man. They follow the same categories (P25 to P2000) and award ranking points: mixed tournaments count in both the women's and the men's rankings. The hardest part is often finding a partner at your level who is free on the right date.