To organize a padel tournament, rely on a club affiliated with the FFT, have the tournament sanctioned through ADOC (with a padel head referee and according to the target P category), define the categories by gender, age and level, open registrations by pair, build the pools then the bracket, schedule the courts, then publish the results. Allow several weeks to a few months of preparation.
Step 1: understand the governing framework and sanctioning
Which governing body for organizing a padel tournament in France?
In France, padel is governed by the FFT (Fédération Française de Tennis), which is its delegated governing body; at the international level, the FIP (Fédération Internationale de Padel) is the reference. The FFT sanctions tournaments, classified by level (P25 to P2000 categories), and a sanctioned tournament awards points to the players' ranking.
Your first choice shapes everything else: the level of the tournament. The P category (P25, P100, P250, P500, P1000...) reflects the importance of the event, and determines the ranking points, the level of head referee required and the sanctioning lead time. A small club P25 is set up quickly; a large tournament requires more anticipation. In every case, the bracket, the scores and the schedule are the same building blocks.
Check in early with your league: it validates the sanctioning, specifies the accessible P category and the requirements (head referee, calendar). Anticipate sanctioning, whose lead time depends on the P category, because it determines the tournament date.
Step 2: understand the format, the pairs and the categories
How does a padel tournament work?
Padel is played exclusively in doubles, by pairs, on an enclosed court of 20 m by 10 m surrounded by glass walls. A tournament most often runs qualifying pools followed by a single-elimination bracket per category. The score follows tennis (games and sets, best of three sets), often with the golden point, a decisive point at 40-40.
Categories are by gender (men, women, mixed), by age (juniors, adults, seniors over 45 and 55) and by level. There is no weight class. The level of the tournament is carried by its P category, and registered pairs are split by level bracket for balanced matches. Clearly define the open categories: they are what determines who registers and how many brackets you will have to manage.
A few specifics to know for the rules: the serve is delivered underhand (below the waist) after a bounce, with each server having two service balls, and the glass walls are part of the game (the ball may rebound off them after a first bounce on the ground). Announce the chosen game format (best of three sets, golden point) from registration.
Step 3: set the date, the venue and the budget
How long does it take to organize a padel tournament?
Allow from a few weeks to several months depending on the P category, factoring in the sanctioning lead time. Book the courts and set the dates from the start, taking your league's calendar into account. Open registrations several weeks ahead, and set a closing date to lock the pools and the brackets.
The venue is above all the number of padel courts available, which determines how many matches you can run in parallel and the duration of the tournament. A padel court measures 20 m by 10 m, enclosed by glass walls and fencing. Also plan a welcome and display area, and a table for the head referee.
The budget depends on court rental, balls, the head referee, prizes and sanctioning. Build it item by item rather than as a single figure. The breakdown is below. Do not announce any license or registration fee amount without having verified it at the official source.
Step 4: sanction the tournament and obtain the authorizations
How do you sanction a padel tournament?
Sanctioning is requested from the FFT through the ADOC application, with a qualified padel head referee (JAP). The level of head referee required and the lead time depend on the P category: a few days for a P25, several weeks for the higher levels. A JAP1 covers the small departmental categories, a JAP2 up to the regional P1000, a JAP3 the national level.
Sanctioning is the central step of an official padel tournament: it determines the awarding of ranking points and is done through ADOC, with the head referee accepting the assignment in writing. If your tournament takes place in a public space, add a sporting event declaration on declaration-manifestations.gouv.fr. Refer to fft.fr and to your league for the up-to-date procedure and lead times by P category.
On the participation side, each player must present a current-year FFT license. As in tennis, a medical certificate is no longer systematically required for adults since 2022 (health questionnaire); for minors, an attestation of the health questionnaire is enough, unless a positive answer calling for a certificate. The license includes civil liability insurance. Date each step on your countdown plan.
Step 5: open registrations by pair
How do you manage registrations for a padel tournament?
Open registrations online: since padel is played by pairs, each entry brings together two players. Collect the category (gender, age, level), the club and, according to your rules, the players' licenses and ranking. Accept or decline each pair, set a closing date, then lock the pools and the brackets. Software avoids double entry and the Excel list to cross-check.
For the competition, plan to collect for each pair: names and rankings of the two players, gender, age category, target level, club and license numbers. This information helps you split the pairs into the right pools and position the seeds. Since clubs enter several pairs, plan to enter lists all at once rather than registration by registration.
Competition management software collects these registrations online by category, whereas an Excel sheet requires copying everything by hand. You register each pair as a participant, and you keep a clean list, filterable by category and by status, with search by name, ready to generate pools and brackets.
Step 6: build the pools and the elimination bracket
What format for a padel tournament?
The most common format combines qualifying pools, where all the pairs in a group play each other, then a single-elimination bracket for the final stages. In sanctioned tournaments, the seeds are placed according to the ranking of the pairs to avoid early encounters between the best ones.
Choosing pools then a bracket guarantees several matches for each pair, which is appreciated over a day or a weekend of padel. The placement of the seeds, according to the ranking, is up to the organizer and the head referee. Then choose the game format (best of three sets, golden point) according to the number of pairs and courts to hold your duration.
Drawing these brackets by hand and recomposing them with each result is the leading source of error and delay. A software that automatically generates your padel bracket produces the pool, the elimination bracket (with an optional match for 3rd place) and the double-elimination in one click, and advances the winning pair as soon as you enter the result of a match.
Step 7: schedule the courts
How do you schedule a padel tournament on a limited number of courts?
The number of padel courts available is constraint number one. Estimate the average duration of a match according to the chosen format, and distribute the matches by court and by slot while respecting the rest times of the pairs playing back-to-back. Display a schedule by court and keep it up to date as results come in.
A padel tournament lives to the rhythm of its courts. When a match ends early or late, the whole schedule shifts: you have to reschedule, notify the pairs and avoid the same pair being expected on two courts. On paper, this tracking is the leading source of confusion, all the more so since the pools generate many matches.
Assigning a court and a time to each match, and detecting slot conflicts, is exactly the kind of task that competition management software takes care of, keeping the schedule up to date as the matches progress and the brackets fill in.
Step 8: the head referee and the officials
What is the role of the head referee in a padel tournament?
The qualified padel head referee (JAP) is responsible for the conduct of the tournament: they validate the draw and the seeds, manage the schedule, enforce the rules and settle disputes. Their level (JAP1, JAP2, JAP3) must match the P category of the tournament. Around them, plan for the welcome, the display and the logistics.
The scoring during the matches is handled by the pairs themselves (self-refereeing), under the authority of the head referee who oversees all the courts. Your role as organizer is to give them the right conditions (clear schedule, match sheets, display) and to report the results.
Also plan for the welcome and logistics roles: registration and match-sheet table, display of brackets and schedule, balls in sufficient quantity, refreshments, and what is needed to hand out the prizes. For a club event, the organization is light; for a sanctioned P tournament, the federal framework and the level of head referee apply.
Step 9: prepare the courts and the equipment
What courts and what equipment for a padel tournament?
You need compliant padel courts (20 m by 10 m, enclosed by glass walls and fencing), padel balls in quantity (renewed depending on the rounds), regulation nets and a display of the brackets. Plan for lighting if you play in the evening, and check the condition of the glass walls and the synthetic turf.
The enclosed court is the signature of padel: the glass walls are part of the game, which requires panels in good condition and a uniform surface (sanded synthetic turf). For a fair tournament, have the same category play on courts of comparable quality, and plan a solution in case of weather if your courts are outdoors.
Round it out with the head referee's table, the display of the brackets and the schedule, signage to the courts, a first-aid kit, refreshments and what is needed to hand out prizes and gifts. A clear welcome point smooths the arrival of the pairs and the handover of match sheets.
Step 10: communicate and fill the tournament
How do you promote a padel tournament?
Create a public page with the presentation, the dates, the venue, the rules (P category, events by gender and level, game format) and the list of pairs registered by category. Share it with neighboring clubs, your league and on social media. Specify the conditions (license, level, format) early to avoid back-and-forth by email.
Padel attracts a large and friendly audience: neighboring clubs, players looking for matches, families. Relay the announcement to the clubs in your league and through their channels. Clearly state the P category, the open events and the format, because these elements determine which pairs register. A public page with the list of entered pairs gives a serious image and limits questions.
Step 11: manage the matches on event day
How do you track the matches of a padel tournament on event day?
After the welcome and the license check, start the pools then the brackets. The head referee calls the matches court by court; at the end of each match, the score is reported and entered. The winning pair advances to the next round, the pool ranking updates, and the audience follows brackets and results without paper sheets.
Event day flows to the rhythm of the courts. Welcome, handover of match sheets, call of the pairs, then the matches start. When a match ends, the result is entered right away and the court is reassigned to the next match. Watch the rest times of the pairs playing back-to-back and keep the schedule up to date to avoid court conflicts.
Centralized tracking changes the day. When the result is entered, the winning pair advances automatically in the bracket, the pool ranking recomputes, and the public page updates automatically for the clubs and the audience. This eliminates scattered sheets, makes the brackets reliable and keeps the club informed.
Step 12: publish the results and do the wrap-up
How do you establish the ranking of a padel tournament?
In an elimination bracket, the winning pair of the final is first, the runner-up pair second. In a pool, the ranking is by points (three per win), tied breaks decided on difference. Publish the results on the public page; entrants, pool ranking and schedule export to CSV. For a sanctioned tournament, the head referee transmits the results to the FFT for the ranking.
Once the finals are played, thank the head referee, the officials and the volunteers, compare the actual financials against the forecast, gather feedback from the clubs and archive results and registrations. Export the list of entrants, the pool ranking and the schedule to CSV for your records, and let the head referee finalize the official transmission to the FFT.
How much does it cost to organize a padel tournament?
How much does it cost to organize a padel tournament?
The budget is built item by item: court rental or use, balls, head referee, sanctioning, prizes, communication and refreshments. Courts and balls often weigh the most. Revenue (registration fees per pair, refreshment stand, sponsors) often balances a weekend. Verify each federal amount at the source before announcing it.
Here are the items to plan for, with indicative ranges to adapt to your context. The amounts tied to the federation (license, registration fees, sanctioning) change every season: confirm them on fft.fr or with your league before any announcement.
| Item | Indicative range |
|---|---|
| Courts (rental or use) | often the 1st item, variable depending on the club |
| Padel balls | variable depending on the number of matches and rounds |
| Head referee (JAP) and officials | fees and expenses, depending on the P category |
| Sanctioning | according to the FFT schedule and the P category |
| Prizes (gifts, cups) | variable depending on the categories |
| Communication and printing | variable |
| Refreshments and refreshment stand | variable |
| Contingency margin | 10 to 15 % |
On the revenue side: registration fees per pair (to confirm with your league), refreshment stand and local sponsors. Since padel is friendly and spectacular, a well-run refreshment stand and a present audience often cover a notable share of the costs over a weekend.
Countdown plan and checklist to organize your padel tournament
A countdown plan avoids oversights on sanctioning, courts and the head referee.
- Well in advance: choose the P category and the events, book the courts, set the dates, identify the head referee (suitable JAP level), build the forecast budget.
- According to the P category lead time: file the sanctioning request through ADOC, confirm the head referee, prepare the communication.
- Several weeks before: open online registrations by pair, define the categories by gender, age and level, communicate with the clubs, organize the welcome and the logistics.
- As it approaches: close registrations, build the pools and the bracket, place the seeds, finalize the court schedule and the equipment checklist (balls, display).
- Event day: welcome and license check, launch of the pools then the brackets, calls court by court, entry of the results, automatic display.
- After: publish the results, export entrants, pool ranking and schedule to CSV, let the head referee transmit to the FFT, give thanks, do the financial wrap-up, archive.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Sanctioning too late. The sanctioning lead time depends on the P category and can reach several weeks. Anticipate it, because it determines the date and the ranking, and check the level of head referee required.
- Underestimating the number of courts. The pools generate many matches. The number of courts sets the throughput and the duration: calculate the number of matches per category before settling the format.
- Forgetting that everything is by pair. In padel, you register, draw and rank pairs, not individual players. Collect the two players and their level from registration.
- Choosing a game format that is too long. On few courts, matches in straight sets overrun. The golden point and a controlled format let you hold the schedule.
- Neglecting the condition of the courts. Glass walls and surface in good condition determine fair play. Check them before the tournament and plan a weather fallback for the outdoor courts.
- Managing the brackets on paper. Redrawing pools and brackets and rescheduling the courts by hand quickly distorts results and schedule. Centralized entry makes everything reliable.
FAQ: organizing a padel tournament
Do you need software to organize a padel tournament?
It is not mandatory, but strongly recommended from a few dozen pairs onward. Between the categories by gender, age and level, the qualifying pools, the elimination bracket by pairs, the matches to schedule on a limited number of courts and the ranking to keep, manual tracking quickly becomes unmanageable. Software generates the brackets, advances the winning pair automatically and publishes the schedule by court.
How does a padel tournament work?
Padel is played exclusively in doubles, by pairs, on an enclosed court of 20 m by 10 m surrounded by glass walls. A tournament most often runs qualifying pools followed by a single-elimination bracket per category. The score follows tennis (games and sets), often with the golden point (a decisive point at 40-40).
How do you sanction a padel tournament?
Sanctioning is requested from the FFT through the ADOC application, with a qualified padel head referee (JAP). Tournaments are classified by level (P25, P100, P250, P500, P1000...) and the sanctioning lead time depends on this category, from a few days for a P25 to several weeks for the higher levels. A sanctioned tournament awards ranking points.
What categories are there in padel?
Padel is played by gender (men, women, mixed), by age (juniors, adults, seniors over 45 and 55) and by level. The level of a tournament is designated by a P category (P25 to P2000) according to its importance, and the pairs are ranked according to their results. There is no weight class.
What license and medical certificate are required to play?
Since padel is governed by the FFT, a current-year FFT license is required for a sanctioned tournament. As in tennis, a medical certificate is no longer systematically required for adults since 2022 (health questionnaire), and a questionnaire is enough for minors unless a positive answer. The license includes civil liability insurance.
Can you organize a padel tournament for free?
You pay for certain items (courts, balls, head referee, prizes) and for sanctioning. The management tool, however, can be free: CompetHub is free to start, with no credit card. You manage registrations by pair, pools, brackets, scores, court scheduling and ranking with no software cost.
The software to organize your padel tournament
Once the method is set, the tool does the rest. CompetHub links every step of this guide: online registrations by pair (each pair entered as a participant), bulk entry of club lists (profiles without an account), pools and elimination brackets generated automatically, entry of the winning pair and the score, advancement, pool ranking, schedule by court, branded public results page and CSV export of the entrants, the pool ranking and the schedule. Sanctioning and the official ranking remain handled by the FFT and the head referee. Organize the tournament. We bring it to life.
To compare the features in detail, see the page padel tournament software.
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Registrations by pair, pools, elimination brackets, score tracking and court scheduling: everything is in one place. Free to start, no credit card.