A long deuce game has always been one of padel’s pressure chambers: a pair earns advantage, loses it, regroups and tries again. In competitions using the Star Point system in 2026, that contest now has a defined endpoint. Two advantage cycles can still decide the game. If both end with the score level again, one final point settles it.
For spectators, the important question is where the game has reached in that sequence. For players, the challenge is recognizing when a familiar advantage battle becomes a point that both pairs can win outright. This guide explains the rule, walks through imaginary games and considers how to prepare for that moment.
How Star Point scoring works
Games retain the familiar love, 15, 30 and 40 progression. When each pair has won three points, the game enters this sequence:
- Deuce 1: the next point gives its winner advantage 1.
- Advantage 1: that pair wins the game if it wins again. Otherwise, the score becomes deuce 2.
- Deuce 2: the next point gives its winner advantage 2.
- Advantage 2: that pair wins the game if it wins again. Otherwise, the score becomes deuce 3.
- Deuce 3: the Star Point is played. Its winner wins the game.
There is no third advantage cycle. Either pair can earn either advantage; the system does not allocate two advantages to each team. The CUPRA FIP Tour rulebook, section 11.1.9, sets out this progression.
Three worked examples: when does the game end?
These are hypothetical scoring exercises, not descriptions of professional matches. Pair A and Pair B begin each example at the first deuce.
Example 1: two points finish the game
Pair A wins the next point and takes advantage 1. Pair A wins again. The game is over. Nobody plays a deciding Star Point, because A has already converted its advantage. Calling the format “Star Point” does not mean every game must reach that final stage.
Example 2: the second advantage changes hands
Pair A earns advantage 1, but Pair B saves it. At deuce 2, B wins the next point to take advantage 2. B wins again and takes the game. A earned the first advantage and B earned the second; the count belongs to the game’s sequence, rather than to a particular pair.
Example 3: the full five-point sequence
| Point after first deuce | Winner | Position afterward |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pair A | Advantage 1 to A |
| 2 | Pair B | Deuce 2 |
| 3 | Pair B | Advantage 2 to B |
| 4 | Pair A | Deuce 3: Star Point next |
| 5 | Pair A | Game to A |
Notice how A saves the second advantage and then wins the game immediately on the following point. There is no need to earn another advantage first. Changing the fifth-point winner to B would give B the game instead.
The arithmetic also explains the limit: six scored points create the first deuce, and at most five more complete the game. That produces a maximum of 11 scored points in an ordinary completed game. This is a calculation from the scoring sequence, not a measured match-duration statistic. Replayed points and service lets do not add to the score; lengthy rallies can still make a game take substantial time.
Who receives the deciding point?
The receiving pair chooses the right-hand service court, commonly called the deuce side, or the left-hand court, commonly called the advantage side. However, the two receivers cannot swap their established receiving positions for that point. Choosing a side therefore determines which of the existing receivers takes the return. See the Premier Padel rulebook, section 11.9.
In mixed matches, the FIP rule requires the receiver on the deciding point to be the same sex as the server, with no switch of receiving positions. The ordinary service rules remain in force: a first fault allows a second serve; two faults lose the point. A qualifying service let is replayed. A let on a second serve repeats that second serve, rather than restoring a first serve. These details come from FIP’s 2026 Rules of Padel, Rules 1, 6, 9 and 13.
For an unofficiated match, say the chosen receiving side clearly before the serve. That simple habit prevents a disagreement about which player should return from becoming the story of the game.
Star Point, Golden Point and advantage scoring
| Format | What happens at deuce? | When is one point decisive for both pairs? |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional advantage | Advantage cycles continue until a pair wins two consecutive points. | No automatic deciding point. |
| Golden Point | One deciding point is played immediately. | At the first deuce. |
| Star Point | Up to two advantage cycles, then a deciding point. | At the third deuce, if reached. |
The three alternatives are listed in Rule 1 of the FIP Rules of Padel. For a viewer joining a broadcast at 40–40, the format and deuce count provide essential context: the next rally may create advantage or settle the game.
Where is Star Point used in 2026?
FIP announced the change on December 18, 2025, following approval at its November General Assembly. Its announced 2026 scope covered Premier Padel, the CUPRA FIP Tour, FIP Promises and the amateur FIP Beyond circuit. FIP described a balance between traditional scoring, player welfare, spectator engagement and greater scheduling predictability. Read the official Star Point announcement.
That announcement does not establish the scoring format of every independent league or club competition. Players in the Pro Padel League, local leagues and social matches should check their own event rules. A circuit’s adoption also does not settle every detail of its set and match format.
A Star Point is different from a tiebreak
A Star Point decides an ordinary game. A tiebreak resolves a different scoring situation and uses numerical points. Premier Padel’s cited rulebook specifies best-of-three tiebreak sets. The April 2026 FIP Promises rulebook, section 11.1.9, instead specifies two Star Point sets with a tiebreak at 6–6, followed, if needed, by a match tiebreak to 10 with a two-point margin.
This distinction matters when following a scoreboard: a 10-point match tiebreak is not an extended Star Point game. Check the competition’s regulations before assuming how a match at one set each will finish.
What changes tactically? Practical analysis
The following suggestions are coaching analysis, rather than claims that a particular tactic has been statistically proven superior under the new format.
Make the receiving decision before pressure peaks
Discuss which return feels more dependable against the opposing server. Consider the serve’s angle, how each receiver handles the wall and whether one side has produced a more manageable first ball. A blanket instruction to choose the “better player” overlooks the specific matchup. Agree on the preference early, then revisit it only if the match gives you a concrete reason.
Plan the first two shots together
For the serving pair, a useful conversation is about placement and the partner’s expected first volley. For the receiving pair, decide whether the priority is a controlled return at the incoming players’ feet or a lob that allows you to recover court position. The objective is to avoid two partners executing different plans on the most consequential point of the game.
Pressure does not require an immediate winner
A deciding point can tempt a player to force a spectacular finish from a poor ball. A more useful question is whether the shot gives the pair a better next position. A high ball that sits up may justify an attack; a ball arriving low and close to the wall may call for patience. The scoring system changes the consequence of an error, while the quality of the incoming ball still determines the sensible shot.
Practice the transition from survival to opportunity
Run a drill starting at the second advantage against you. If you save it, announce Star Point, choose the receiving side when applicable and play the next point with your agreed plan. This trains the mental reset: the previous rally kept you in the game, but the next rally is a fresh chance to win it. Repeat the drill with both pairs serving.
Why the change matters for spectators
The rules preserve the possibility of a comeback through two saved advantages, then give a deuce game a visible destination. The tradeoff is easy to recognize: a pair can work back to level terms and still lose the game on one rally. Whether that feels exciting or unforgiving will depend on what a viewer values in scoring.
The stated scheduling rationale should be understood as an aim. Capping the number of scored points does not guarantee a fixed game length, a particular percentage reduction in match time or a specific advantage for servers. None of those measured outcomes is established by the rule itself.
Questions players often ask
Does the deciding point win the match?
It wins the game. It also ends a set or match only when that game completes the required set or match score. At an early deuce in the opening game, its importance is entirely different from a deciding point on match point.
Is Star Point a ranking bonus?
No. In this context the term names a game-scoring method. Tour ranking points and league standings are separate systems.
What should social players agree before starting?
Confirm the deuce format, the set length and the deciding-set format. When using Star Point, call the deuce number and advantage number aloud. If the score is disputed, resolve it before another serve rather than allowing uncertainty to compound.
For the surrounding rules, continue with Major League Padel’s complete padel scoring guide, padel rules guide and court-position and strategy guide.
Checked: 2026-10-08
International Padel Federation ↗