Where does the Star Point in padel come from? A rule inspired by badminton

The announcement of the introduction of Star Point The introduction of scoring formats in professional padel has reignited the debate surrounding them. Presented as an evolution intended to improve match clarity and better control over match duration, this new decisive point raises a central question: Does this mechanism already exist in other sports?

The answer is nuanced. If the Star Point does not formally exist elsewhere; its principle is inspired by rules already applied in certain disciplines, particularly badminton.

The Star Point: a new rule in padel

At this stage, the precise outlines of the Star Point have not yet been officially published. Nevertheless, the concept mentioned is based on a simple idea: identifying a key moment of the gamedecisive, capable of resolving a balanced situation without it dragging on.

Contrary to Golden Point (No-Ad), which immediately eliminates the advantage at 40–40, the Star Point would fit into an intermediate logic, maintaining a phase of balance before imposing a clearly identified decisive point.

This combination would be a first in padel… and more broadly in modern sport.

Star Point System: what we now know about the new scoring format recognized by the FIP

Badminton, the closest reference to Star Point

Le badminton Today, it is the sport that comes closest to this hybrid approach. Its scoring system combines sporting fairness with control over match duration.

A set is played to 21 points. In case of a tie at 20–20, the players must decide the winner with two points apartHowever, to prevent the set from dragging on, a ceiling is fixed : if the score reaches 29–29, the next point automatically becomes decisiveThe first player or team to reach 30 wins the set.

This final point is not a classic advantage, nor an immediate golden point. It is a regulatory locktriggered only after a prolonged period of equality.

An inspiration, but not a copy

The parallel between badminton and Star Point rests on a shared idea: giving players multiple opportunities to break the tie, while rejecting the notion of an infinite number of points. However, their underlying principles differ structurally.

In badminton, the decisive point occurs by score ceiling, at the set level. In padel, the Star Point would apply at the set level. game, with a deliberate intention to heighten the dramatic tension at a specific moment.

Padel also adds a dimension of staging, designed for television and the public, absent from badminton.

Why don't other sports go as far?

Tennis offers two distinct models, but they are never combined. The classic advantage system allows for theoretically infinite equality, while the No-Ad imposes an immediate decisive point. No hybrid format exists within the same game.

Volleyball and table tennis also require a two-point lead, with no final cap. Matches can therefore continue indefinitely. As for football and hockey, the golden goal rule applies only in overtime, regardless of a repeated tie.

A regulatory innovation for padel

If Star Point confirms a logic combining equilibrium phase, possible advantages et decisive point imposed, then padel would become the first sport to formalize such a combination in a single unit of play.

It would therefore not be a simple Punto de Oro renownednor a transposition of tennis, but rather a badminton-inspired hybrid, adapted to the constraints and ambitions of professional padel.

Le Star Point It does not arise from nothing. It is part of a broader reflection already observed in other sports, notably badminton, on the need to preserve fairness while controlling the duration and clarity of competitions.

Its true innovation lies in its ability to transform a key point into clearly identified eventstructuring the game, the spectacle, and the sporting narrative. It now remains to be seen what the final regulations will be to assess its real impact on professional padel.

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovered padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since then, padel has been part of his life. You often see him touring France to cover major French padel events.