The Star Point in padel, explained

By Alejandro Portillo GuerreroUpdated 11 October 20268 min read

The Star Point is the newest official way to settle deuce in padel. At 40–40 you play advantage as normal, but only twice. If the game reaches deuce a third time, one decisive point is played: the receiving pair chooses the side, and whoever wins that point wins the game. FIP added it to the Rules of Padel from 1 January 2026.

The rule in one paragraph

Points run 15, 30, 40, game, exactly as in normal padel scoring. The change only starts at 40–40. The first time both pairs reach 40 the call is “deuce 1”, and the next point gives “advantage 1”. Win the following point and you take the game; lose it and the score goes back to “deuce 2”. The same again gives “advantage 2”. If that advantage is also lost, the score is “deuce 3” and the next point is the Star Point: one decisive point, receivers choose the side, winner takes the game.

The official wording

The FIP rulebook is written in Spanish (Reglas del Pádel, “Revisión de aplicación 01.01.2026”, Regla 1, Método 2). The English below is the wording published by the LTA in its Referee and Organiser Guide 2026. It is a translation of the official Spanish text, not FIP’s own English; we have removed a sentence the LTA document repeats and a note about sponsor names.

“When a pair wins its first point, ‘15’ will be called, on the second point won ‘30’. At the third point ‘40’ and the fourth ‘game’. Except, if each pair have won three points, at which time ‘deuce 1’ will be called. The following point won ‘advantage 1’ is called in favor of the pairs who won the point: then, if the same pair wins the next point they win the game, if the point is lost the score will return to ‘deuce 2’. The following point won ‘advantage 2’ is called in favor of the pairs who won the point: then, if the same pair wins the next point they win the game, if the point is lost the score will return to ‘deuce 3’ and a deciding point called the ‘Star Point’ […] will be played. The receiving pair will choose whether to receive the service on the right or the left side of the court. The players of the receiving pair cannot change positions to receive the deciding point. The pair that wins the ‘Star Point’ wins the game. […] In mixed matches, in the deciding point the player receiving will be the same sex as the server. The players of the receiving pair cannot change positions to receive serve.”

Original Spanish text: FIP, Reglas del Pádel (PDF), printed page 10. We checked the translation above against it line by line.

A worked example

Pair A (Ana and Luis) receive; pair B (Marta and Javi) serve this game. Both pairs have won three points, so it is 40–40.

Points played	Point won by	Call	What happens next
6	(3–3)	Deuce 1	Normal advantage point
7	A	Advantage 1, A	A win the game with the next point
8	B	Deuce 2	Second and last advantage cycle
9	B	Advantage 2, B	B win the game with the next point
10	A	Deuce 3	Next point is the Star Point; A, the receiving pair, choose right or left
11	A or B	Game	Whoever wins the Star Point wins the game

The game can still end earlier: before any deuce (at the 4th, 5th or 6th point), at the 8th (advantage 1 converted) or the 10th (advantage 2 converted). It can never go past the 11th point.

Who chooses the side, and who receives

The receiving pair chooses whether to receive from the right or the left. Not the server.
The receivers may not swap positions. If your partner plays the left, they stay on the left. The choice is which of you two takes the return, by picking that side.
The server does not change. The player serving the game serves the Star Point, to the side the receivers picked.
Mixed doubles: the player of the same sex as the server receives the decisive point. Because the receivers still may not swap positions, that player receives from the side they are playing.

These are the same side rules FIP uses for the golden point. The only difference is when the decisive point arrives.

Advantage vs golden point vs Star Point

The FIP rulebook lists three methods for 40–40. The match format (sets, tie-breaks) is the same in all three; see our padel rules guide for the rest.

	Advantage	Golden point	Star Point
FIP method	Método 1	Método 3	Método 2
Advantages played	Unlimited	None	At most 2
Decisive point	Never; win two in a row	At the first deuce	At the third deuce
Max points in a game	No limit	7	11
Who chooses the side	Normal serve rotation	Receiving pair	Receiving pair
Typical use (2026)	Traditional matches, purists	Most social and club play	FIP and pro circuits, LTA Grades 1–2

Where the Star Point applies

FIP: the General Assembly approved it unanimously on 28 November 2025 (FIP brings together 100 national federations), and FIP announced it on 18 December 2025. From 2026 it is used on Premier Padel, the CUPRA FIP Tour, FIP Promises and the amateur FIP Beyond. First use was scheduled for FIP Bronze Melbourne (5–11 January 2026), with the Premier Padel debut scheduled for the Riyadh P1.
UK (LTA): from 1 January 2026 it is mandatory at Grades 1 and 2 and optional at Grades 3 to 5, at the officials’ discretion.
USA Padel: its 2026 competition guide uses the Star Point in sanctioned tournaments, replacing the golden point.
Spain and social play: we found no Spanish federation circular or amateur league that has adopted it. Club nights, leagues and pozos still mostly play golden point or advantage.

Nobody is obliged to use the Star Point in a friendly. It is a competition rule. In social padel, the deuce rule is whatever the four of you agree before the first serve.

Why FIP introduced it

Long advantage games are hard on players and hard to schedule for television. Golden point fixes that, but many players feel one point at 40–40 is too abrupt. The Star Point sits in between: it keeps two real advantage chances and caps the game at 11 points. FIP President Luigi Carraro described it as “designed to preserve padel tradition, whilst improving player welfare and broadcast predictability”. FIP says it consulted players, coaches, promoters and broadcasters during the 2025 season before the vote.

What it is called

The FIP Spanish rulebook uses the English name: the heading says “Star Point” and the text says “Star point”. In Spain, the press often writes “punto estrella”, but that is media usage, not the official term. Some players call it “punto de oro con ventajas”, golden point with advantages, which describes it quite well. The LTA guide also notes that at sponsored events it may carry the title sponsor’s name.

Common misreadings

“Every deuce is decisive.” No. Deuce 1 and deuce 2 are played with advantage. Only deuce 3 leads to the decisive point.
“Advantage is played three times.” No. Advantage 1 and advantage 2, then the Star Point.
“The server chooses the side.” No. The receiving pair chooses.
“The receivers pick which player returns and can swap.” They pick a side; they may not change positions.
“It replaced golden point everywhere.” No. It is a competition rule on the circuits listed above; social padel has not followed.

Playing the Star Point well

A coaching piece by Adriana Díaz Pérez in Padel Addict (April 2026) suggests treating it like a tie-break: a separate phase you prepare for. Its main points:

Arrive with two or three set patterns, not a menu of options that creates doubt.
First, don’t give the point away with deep, safe balls; attack only a ball you can finish.
On serve, aim for a high first-serve percentage and a clean, low-risk start.
The side choice is a real tactical lever: send the return to the partner who feels more confident.
Reset quickly afterwards. As the article puts it, the Star Point ends a game, not the match.

Using it in your own matches

Agree before the first serve. Say “Star Point” out loud, and agree that the receivers choose the side. Disputes start when one pair thinks it is golden point.
Call the deuce number. “Deuce 2” and “advantage 2” are your warning that the next deuce is decisive.
Americano rounds are different. A fixed-total Americano round (say 24 points) has no games and no deuce, so the Star Point does not apply. It only matters for matches scored in games and sets. To run the rounds themselves, see how to organise an Americano or use the free Americano generator.
Let the scorer count. The PorTres match scorer, on iPhone and Apple Watch, starts on golden point because that is what most social matches use; Star point is one tap away under “At 40–40”, next to Advantage. It numbers the deuces (Deuce, Deuce 2) and shows STAR POINT when the decisive point arrives, so all you have to do is let the receivers pick their side.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Star Point in padel?

It is a deuce rule from the FIP Rules of Padel (2026). Advantage is played at most twice; if the game reaches deuce a third time, a single decisive point called the Star Point decides the game.

Who chooses the side on the Star Point?

The receiving pair chooses whether to receive from the right or the left. The receiving players may not swap positions to do it, and the same server serves the point.

How many points can a Star Point game last?

At most 11 points: 6 to reach deuce 1, up to 4 more through advantage 1, deuce 2, advantage 2 and deuce 3, then the Star Point itself. A golden-point game lasts at most 7 points and an advantage game has no limit.

Is the Star Point used in club and social padel?

Mostly not. It is used on the FIP circuits, Premier Padel, LTA Grade 1 and 2 events and USA Padel sanctioned play. We found no evidence of the Spanish federation or social play adopting it; most social padel still uses golden point or advantage.

How does the Star Point work in mixed doubles?

The player of the same sex as the server receives the decisive point, and the receiving players may not swap positions to receive it.