How do padel tournaments work?
Want to play your first padel tournament but not quite sure how it all works? Here's everything you need to know:
How do I sign up for a padel tournament?
You need two things to sign up for a padel tournament.
Once you and your partner have both, you can pick a tournament on RankedIn (or on Padelradar 👀) and sign up there via RankedIn. During sign-up you can (but don't have to) already select your partner. They then get a request to confirm. Congrats, you're registered!
Which tournament should I sign up for?
Your opponents' level mostly depends on the category you sign up for. There are the following categories, where the number after GPS (German Padel Series) marks the points each player earns for winning the tournament. Next to each category I've noted the minimum level I'd recommend, which you can find out with our Padel level check :
- GPS 50 | Level 1.0
- GPS 100 | Level 1.5
- GPS 250 | Level 2.5
- GPS 350 | Level 3.5
- GPS 500 | Level 4.0
- GPS 750 | Level 4.5
- GPS 1000 | Level 5.0
- GPS 1500 | Level 5.5
Points caps Tournament categories have different points caps per team. For example, at a GPS 50 tournament a team may have at most 300 points (both players' points added). (As of the 2026/27 season)
- GPS 50 ➡️ Limit 300
- GPS 100 ➡️ Limit 750
- GPS 250 ➡️ Limit 2000
- GPS 350 ➡️ Limit 3500
- GPS 500 or better ➡️ no cap
When do I play?
On RankedIn every tournament shows a start time. But of course you might not play right at the start. You can see your individual start time after the draw (who plays whom). You should arrive at the venue at least 20 minutes before your match so you and your partner can warm up.
What do I do when I arrive at the tournament?
First park up nice and easy, then go find the tournament director.
They'll usually collect a few euros entry fee, unless you already paid online. You can basically always pay by card too. The director then tells you which court you'll likely play on and whether you can get on earlier or later than planned. If courts are free, ask the director whether you may warm up there.
First match
When it's your turn, your opponents have shown up and you get a free court, you'll receive balls from the director. If they're new balls you have to open the can and give the balls a good sniff first.
After a short warm-up with your opponents it's on, and you play best-of-three — until one team has won two sets. If both teams win a set, the deciding set is played as a champions tiebreak (to 10). In Germany a Golden Point is still played at deuce (40:40). The returning team gets to choose which side the opponents serve from, and that point decides the game. If you win — congrats, keep going! The next match probably starts just a few minutes later.
Consolation round
Losing a match doesn't mean you're out of the tournament right away — you move into the consolation round. If you lose in the semi-final, for example, you still play a match against the team that lost the other semi-final, for third place. Thanks to this consolation format you basically get at least 3 matches at every padel tournament.
Result
On the Monday after the tournament the RankedIn ranking is updated, you get your points credited and can check out your new national ranking position.
Frequently asked questions about padel tournaments
The annual licence for adults costs €59.00. For juniors €12.00. Adults can also get a weekly licence (valid 7 days) for €18.00.
It varies, but most tournaments are between €20 and €30 per person.
No! There's almost always a consolation round and usually all places are played out. That means you almost always get 3 matches or even more.
