The announcement of the introduction of star point The introduction of scoring formats in professional padel has reignited the debate on them. Billed as an evolution aimed at improving match clarity and control over match duration, this new decision point raises a central question: Does this mechanism already exist in other sports?
The answer is nuanced. If the star point it does not formally exist elsewhere; its principle is inspired by rules already applied in some disciplines, in particular in badminton.
The Star Point: a new rule in padel
At this point, the precise contours of the star point they have not yet been officially published. However, the concept mentioned is based on a simple idea: identifying a key moment of the matchdecisive, capable of resolving a situation of equilibrium without it being prolonged.
Unlike the Golden point (Without advertising)which immediately eliminates the 40-40 advantage, the Star Point will fit into an intermediate logic, maintaining a balance phase before imposing a clearly identified decisive point.
This combination would be a novelty in padel… and more generally in modern sport.
Badminton, the closest reference to Star Point
The badminton Today, it is the sport that comes closest to this hybrid approach. Its scoring system combines sporting fairness with control over match length.
A set is played to 21 points. In case of a tie at 20-20, players must decide the winner with two points awayHowever, to prevent the set from dragging, a the ceiling is fixed : If the score reaches 29–29, the next point becomes automatically decisiveThe first player or team to reach 30 wins the set.
This last point is not a classic advantage, nor an immediate golden point. It’s a regulatory blocktriggered only after a prolonged period of equality.
An inspiration, but not a copy
The parallel between badminton and Star Point is based on a common idea: giving players multiple opportunities to break a tie, while rejecting the idea of an infinite number of points. However, the basic principles differ structurally.
In badminton, the deciding point happens via maximum scoreat set level. In padel, the Star Point would apply at the set level. gamewith the deliberate intention of increasing dramatic tension at a specific moment.
The padel also adds a dimension of stagingdesigned for television and the public, absent from badminton.
Why don’t other sports get this far?
Tennis offers two distinct models, but they are never combined. The classical advantage system allows for theoretically infinite equality, while the No ads imposes an immediate decisive point. There is no hybrid format within the same game.
Volleyball and table tennis also require a two-point advantage, with no maximum point limit. The games can therefore continue indefinitely. For football and hockey, the golden goal rule only applies to extra time, regardless of a repeated draw.
A regulatory innovation for padel
If Star Point confirms a logical combination equilibrium phase, possible advantages et decisive point imposedthen padel would become the first sport to formalize this combination in a single game unit.
So it wouldn’t be a simple thing Renowned Punto de Oronor a transposition of tennis, but rather one Badminton inspired hybridadapted to the constraints and ambitions of professional padel.
The star point It doesn’t come from nothing. It is part of a broader reflection, already observed in other sports, particularly badminton, on the need to preserve fairness, while controlling the duration and clarity of competitions.
Its true innovation lies in the ability to transform a key point into clearly identified eventstructure the game, the spectacle and the sports narrative. It now remains to be seen what the definitive regulation will be to evaluate its real impact on professional padel.
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.
