What Level Am I at Padel? How Padel Levels Work
Everyone asks your level before a game. Here is what the numbers mean, what each band looks like on court, and how to find yours.
The short answer
Most padel levels sit on a 0 to 7 scale, where 0-1 is brand new, 2.5-3.5 is a regular club player, 4-5 is a strong amateur and 7 is a pro. Your level is usually set by a short questionnaire, then moved up or down by your match results. If you are asking "what padel level am I?" after a few months of social games, you are probably somewhere between 1.5 and 3.
What do padel levels actually measure?
A padel level is a number that says roughly how good you are. It exists for one reason: so four people who have never met can book a court and have a fun, close game.
There is no single world scale. Booking apps, clubs and national bodies each run their own. The good news is that most of them look alike. They run from 0 or 1 up to 7, and they go up in small steps.
The best known is Playtomic's 0 to 7 scale, because so many clubs take bookings through it. Padel Mates uses a similar 0 to 7 range, MATCHi uses a 1 to 10 scale you pick yourself, and in the UK the LTA has a 1.0 to 7.0 rating in half steps, according to a comparison by Playskan.
What does each padel level look like on court?
This is a rough guide based on how Playtomic describes its bands (as summarised by Padel Haus). Clubs read it a little differently, so treat it as a sketch, not a law.
| Level | Rough label | What it looks like on court |
|---|---|---|
| 0 - 1.0 | Brand new | First few games. Little or no racket sport background. |
| 1.5 - 2.0 | Beginner | Had a few lessons. Can rally slowly and return easy balls. |
| 2.5 - 3.5 | Club player | Hits most shots and aims some of them. Still makes plenty of errors. |
| 4.0 - 4.5 | Strong intermediate | Good control and direction. Finishing the point is the weak spot. |
| 5.0 | Advanced amateur | Tidy technique, smart tactics, can handle real pace. |
| 5.5 - 6.0 | Top amateur | Owns the court. Very consistent, plays national events. |
| 7.0 | Pro | Plays on the professional tour. |
A quick self-check helps more than any chart. Can you use the back glass without panic? Can you lob on purpose? Do you know where to stand at the net? If the answer to all three is "sort of", you are likely in the 2 to 3 zone. If you are not sure where to stand, our guide to how padel scoring works and a few lessons will move you fast.
What about A, B, C and D categories?
Some clubs and leagues use letters instead. D is usually beginners, C is intermediate, B is advanced and A is the top group. Corcuera Padel Club points out that these letters are local labels. A C+ at one club might be a B at the next, so always ask the organiser what they mean.
How is your padel level set, and how does it move?
Most rated systems work in two steps.
Playtomic also tracks "reliability". When you are new, your level swings a lot because the app is still guessing. As you play more rated matches, the swings get smaller. On Playtomic, only competitive matches count, not casual ones.
The LTA rating in the UK is different again. The LTA starts it as a self-assessment, where you pick the statements that match your game.
Why do players rate themselves wrong?
Almost everyone guesses wrong at first. Tennis and squash players often go high, because their hands are good but the walls are new. Nervous beginners often go low. Both mess up the game for the other three.
A few honest tips:
- Rate on how you play now, not on your best day.
- Ask a coach or a regular partner. They will tell you.
- Play a few games first. The number settles quickly once real results come in.
- Don't chase the number. A close, fun game is the whole point.
How do Scorepion Levels work?
Scorepion is a watch-first scoring app for padel and five other racket sports, and it gives you its own player Level for each sport.
Here is how it works:
- Per sport. Your padel Level is separate from your tennis or pickleball Level.
- From 1.00 to 7.00. Two decimal places, so you can see small changes.
- Questionnaire first. A short set of questions gives you a starting Level.
- Then match results. Every match you score moves it, using a Glicko-style rating. Matches with guests count at reduced weight.
- Retakes. Pro users can retake the calibration questionnaire if their start was way off.
Scorepion groups Levels into four tiers:
- Beginner: 1.0-2.4
- Intermediate: 2.5-3.9
- Advanced: 4.0-5.4
- Elite: 5.5-7.0
To be plain about it: Scorepion Levels are Scorepion's own scale. They are not an official rating, and they are not a Playtomic or LTA number. The range looks similar, but a 3.20 in Scorepion won't match a 3.2 somewhere else, so don't copy one into the other.
Also, Americano rounds don't move your Level. Random partners over a short race to a points total say very little about skill. A strong player stuck with a weaker partner would get punished for it, which is not fair. The Americano ladder is that event's own scoreboard. If you are new to the format, here is what an Americano is.
Your Level sits next to your win rate and match history. Our guide to tracking your padel stats and match history covers what else is worth watching. You can see the full feature set on the padel scoring app page.
Find your level, then watch it move
Scorepion gives you a padel Level from a short questionnaire, then moves it with every match you score on your wrist. Start with 5 free matches, no card needed.
