Padelin säännöt: Aika ja käytös

Time between points, changeovers and sets

You have 20 seconds between points, 90 seconds at a change of ends and 120 seconds between sets. There is no rest after the first game of a set, and food and drink wait for the changes.

Warm-up, suspensions and medical breaks

Matches start with a three-minute knock-up. A player who is not ready ten minutes after the start time loses by walkover. An injured player gets one three-minute treatment, which can be repeated at the next two changes.

Coaching during a match

Under the FIP rules, advice from an accredited coach is allowed only in team and double-pair competitions, and only during rest times. Otherwise players sort it out between themselves.

Conduct and the penalty scale

Swearing, ball or racket abuse and unsporting behaviour are punished on a three-step scale: a warning, then the loss of a point, then disqualification. Very serious aggression means instant disqualification.

Injuries and medical time

A player with an injury or a treatable condition gets one three-minute treatment, which may be repeated at the next two changes of ends. After a fall or a ball strike the umpire can allow up to five minutes, and for a sudden illness the referee can allow up to fifteen.

Bad light and lights going out

If play stops for lack of light, it should stop after an even number of games in the set, so both pairs are on the same ends when play resumes. The match restarts exactly where it stopped.

Rain and suspended matches

When rain or an accident stops a match, it picks up exactly where it stopped: same game, same score, same server. The warm-up on your return depends on how long you were off.

A broken racket, shoe or piece of clothing

If your racket, shoes or clothing fail unexpectedly, you get a reasonable amount of extra time to replace them. Broken kit is not on the list of reasons to replay a point.

Leaving the court during a match

Players may not leave the court and its surroundings during a match, warm-up included, without the umpire's permission. Organisers may announce a limited number of toilet breaks or clothing changes before the match.

Taking too long: time violations

Go over the time limits without good reason and the first offence is a warning. After that a serving pair lose a first serve or a receiving pair lose a point, and later offences cost further points.