Padel is a relatively "new" sport, with just over 60 years of history. Because it is still in its growth stage, the padel regulations continue to change, with a view to the evolution of the sport. One of the newest rules to be incorporated into the official books is the golden point, which, incidentally, has been quite controversial. But what is the golden point in padel all about? Why was it created? Has it been well received? Find out all about it below.

Everything you need to know about the "golden point" in padel

What is the "Golden Point" in padel?

The golden point is a rule that now appears in the Official Rules of Play prepared by the International Padel Federation. It is a recently created rule, which was announced in 2020, but is still causing a lot of discussion. The golden point in padel modifies the way a "Deuce" is handled, that is, when a game is tied 40-40. Previously, a 40-all tie required an advantage where the team needed to win two consecutive points to win a game, this fight to get the double advantage could extend until one of the pairs achieved it, with no time limit. Now, with the new golden point rule, when there is a 40-all tie, players will play only one additional point, and whoever wins it will be the winner of that game. That's why it has been named "golden point", because it is the point for winning a game.

Since when has it been applied and why?

As we mentioned, the rule was first announced in 2020, specifically in January. The FIP and World Padel announced that it would be implemented from the first tournament of that season. The tournament that first featured the golden point was the Marbella Master, which was played from February 29 to March 8. But why was this measure implemented? That was the big question players asked when they received the announcement. The highest padel authorities have justified the creation of the golden point as an immediate improvement in game intensity. Mario Hernando, general director of the World Padel Tour, mentioned the following: "If in previous seasons we decided to modify the official court or the type of grass, this year we are introducing the golden point with the same objective: to energize the game and make it more attractive for fans who experience it live and for those who follow it through television or streaming."

Padel Scoring Methods

The golden point is the latest addition to the scoring rules in padel. However, the classic scoring methods were not modified; everything is still done in the same way until reaching the golden point instance (if necessary). Nevertheless, to review the match rules a bit, we can go over the basic scoring regulations. The basic scoring rule in a padel match concerns the counting of points. Upon winning the first point, the team will get a score of 15. Upon winning the second point, this number will increase to 30. Subsequently, upon winning a third point, the team will have 40 points. Finally, if the team manages to win another point, they will have won the game. (do not confuse "game" with "match"). Now that we know the basic point count, it's also important to understand how a match is divided. The official match regulations state that victory in a match is achieved by winning the best of three sets. Sets are made up of "games," which are obtained with the scoring mentioned above. To win a "set," the team must win 6 "games," in addition to having a two-game advantage. That is, the team could win with the following game scores: 6-0, 6-1, 6-2, 6-3, and 6-4. If the opponents manage to win 5 games, and the game score indicates 6-5, additional games must be played to obtain that two-game advantage. That is, the team would have to win with a score of 7 games to 5 (7-5). When the team achieves what is mentioned, they will have won 1 set. But what happens if the teams tie with 6 games each (6-6)? This is where the famous tie-break comes in. It is a deciding game to determine the winner of the set. At this point, the score is counted from 1 to 7 (1,2,3,4,5,6,7). The first team to reach 7 points and have a two-point advantage will have won the tie-break and the set.