If you have watched professional padel this season, you have watched matches played under the Star Point system — the new scoring format that arrived with the 2026 season. There is a lot of noise about it, so here is a clean summary of what is actually verified, and what it does and does not change for you.
The Facts
The Star Point scoring system was approved by the FIP General Assembly on 28 November 2025. It launched at the start of the 2026 season, debuting at the Riyadh P1 in February — the season opener won by Tapia and Coello in the men's draw and Sánchez and Ustero in the women's — and it applies across both Premier Padel and the CUPRA FIP Tour.
That scope is the important part. This is not a one-event experiment or a broadcast gimmick trialled at a single tournament. It is the official scoring format of professional padel's entire pyramid, adopted through the federation's formal governance process and in force at every tour event you have watched this year.
The timeline, for the record: formally approved at the General Assembly in late November 2025, live from the first ball in Riyadh in the second week of February, and applied at every stop since — through the spring swing in the Americas, the European summer, and the tour's debut weeks in Pretoria and London still to come on the calendar at launch. Whatever else is debated about the system, its rollout has been total.
Why Tours Change Scoring at All
Governing bodies do not alter something as fundamental as scoring for fun. Across racket sports, format changes tend to chase the same goals: matches that fit broadcast windows more predictably, more moments where a single point visibly matters, and a product that is easier for new audiences to follow. Padel is in the middle of an aggressive global expansion — 26 tournaments in 18 countries this season, with first-time events in London and Pretoria — and a scoring format adopted uniformly across the whole tour is part of presenting one coherent product to a lot of new eyes.
It is worth being equally clear about what has not changed. The sport you play at your local club still uses the traditional scoring you know — 15, 30, 40, game, sets to six. Nothing about Star Point requires amateur padel to do anything differently, and no club is tearing up its scoreboards. If you are learning the game, our rules guide covers everything you need on court this weekend.
The Season It Produced
Whatever the format's long-term verdict, the padel played under it has been outstanding. The men's tour has already produced nine finals between Tapia/Coello and Galán/Chingotto, the fiercest running rivalry the sport has staged. The women's game has delivered four different title-winning pairs, including this month's extraordinary Bordeaux ambush of the world No.1s by Icardo and Jensen. A new scoring system's first season could have been remembered for the system; instead it is being remembered for the sport.
We will keep this explainer updated as the federation publishes more. For how the season is unfolding under the new format, start with the mid-season audit.