What Is the Star Point in Padel? The 2026 Scoring Rule Explained

The star point is the newest twist in padel scoring. Approved by the International Padel Federation (FIP) in late 2025 and introduced on the professional circuit in 2026, it sits right between the traditional advantage system and the golden point.

How the star point works

Like the golden point, the star point comes into play at deuce (40–40). But instead of deciding the game on a single point straight away, it gives each team a little more room:

1. The game reaches 40–40.
2. Each team is allowed up to two advantages to try to close out the game the traditional way.
3. If the score is still tied after those advantages, a single deciding point — the star point — is played.
4. Whoever wins the star point wins the game.

In other words, you get some of the drama of advantages and a guaranteed, quick conclusion if neither team pulls ahead.

Star point vs. golden point

The two rules are easy to mix up, so here’s the key difference:

• Golden point: one sudden-death point the moment the score hits 40–40.
• Star point: up to two advantages first, then a single deciding point only if it’s still tied.

The golden point is faster and more brutal; the star point rewards a team that can win two points in a row before resorting to sudden death.

Where the star point is used

The FIP General Assembly approved the star point on November 28, 2025. It debuted at the FIP Bronze Melbourne in early January 2026 and arrived on the Premier Padel circuit shortly after. Expect to see it appear in more tournaments — and in club and recreational play — as the format spreads.

Score the star point without the headache

A format with conditional advantages and a deciding point is exactly the kind of thing that’s hard to track by memory mid-rally. PadelMax supports modern padel scoring formats on your Apple Watch, so you can play the star point (or the golden point, tie-breaks, and custom formats) and let your wrist keep score.

Still getting comfortable with the basics? Read our complete guide to counting scores in padel.