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Organisations

Padel: organisations

Who sets the rules for padel, internationally and nationally.

Importance 5 out of 5Importance rating
RacketWiki EditorsVerified 25 October 202629 sources

Organisations

World governing body

International Padel Federation (FIP)
The world governing body for padel. It publishes the Rules of Padel, approves balls and runs international events including the World Padel Championships.

Americas

Padel America
The continental association for padel in the Americas, set up within the FIP in August 2024 by the federations of Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Mexico, Paraguay and the United States. It is based in Mexico and open to every American FIP federation.
Asociación Pádel Argentino (APA)
Argentina's national padel association, a founding member of the International Padel Federation in 1991 alongside Spain and Uruguay. It runs national rankings and junior circuits.
Asociación de Padel del Uruguay (AAP)
Uruguay's governing body for padel, run by the Asociación de Amigos del Padel del Uruguay (AAP). Uruguay was one of the three founding nations of the FIP in 1991; the earlier national federation lapsed around 1999, leaving the AAP as the country's only official padel institution.
Confederação Brasileira de Pádel (COBRAPA)
Brazil's national padel confederation, affiliated to the FIP since 1994. Padel reached Brazil in 1988, and the country's first state federation, in Rio Grande do Sul, was founded in 1992.
Federación Mexicana de Pádel (FEMEPA)
Mexico's national padel federation, based in Mérida, Yucatán, in the country the FIP calls the birthplace of padel. It has been affiliated to the FIP since 1992.
USA Padel (formerly the United States Padel Association)
The national governing body for padel in the United States, recognised by the FIP and Padel America, and formerly called the United States Padel Association. It is a not-for-profit run by a volunteer president and board, sanctions tournaments including the US Open Padel Championships, and selects the national teams.

Asia

Padel Asia
The Asian continental association for padel, established within the FIP and announced at the FIP's 34th General Assembly in Doha, with its board confirmed in December 2024. It is based in Doha, Qatar.
Qatar Padel Federation
Qatar's national padel federation, based at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha and affiliated to the FIP since 2022. Doha is also the seat of Padel Asia.

Europe

Padel Europe
The European continental association for padel, set up within the FIP by 31 national federations at the FIP European Padel Championships in Cagliari in July 2024. Based in Spain, it had 41 member federations by July 2025.
Fédération française de tennis (formerly the Fédération française de lawn tennis)
France's national tennis federation, which also governs padel, beach tennis, pickleball, para tennis and courte paume (real tennis) and runs Roland-Garros. It began in 1888 as a lawn tennis commission and took its current name in 1976.
Lawn Tennis Association (LTA)
The national governing body for tennis in Great Britain, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, founded in 1888. Since November 2020 it has also been the recognised governing body for padel.
Spanish Padel Federation
Spain's national padel federation, one of the three national bodies (with Argentina and Uruguay) that founded the International Padel Federation in Madrid in 1991.
Dansk Padel Forbund (DPF)
Denmark's national padel federation, based at Idrættens Hus in Brøndby. A first association applied to join the FIP in 2009 but went dormant; the federation was re-established in August 2017 and has been affiliated to the FIP since 2018.
Deutscher Padel Verband (DPV)
Germany's national padel federation, a registered association based in Hamburg that runs the German padel leagues and national teams. It has been affiliated to the FIP since 2005.
Federação Portuguesa de Padel
Portugal's national padel federation, based in Lisbon and affiliated to the FIP since 2005.
Federazione Italiana Tennis e Padel (formerly the Federazione Italiana Tennis)
Italy's national federation for tennis, padel and beach tennis (with pickleball as an experimental discipline), based in Rome. Founded in Florence in 1910, it was the Federazione Italiana Tennis (FIT) until it added padel to its name from 1 January 2023.
Koninklijke Nederlandse Lawn Tennis Bond (formerly the Nederlandsche Lawn Tennis Bond)
The Netherlands' national tennis federation, which also governs padel, pickleball and beach tennis. Founded in Amsterdam in 1899, it has represented padel since 2016 and took over all padel activity when the Nederlandse Padelbond merged into it on 1 July 2020.
Padel Belgium
Belgium's national padel association, affiliated to the FIP, which works through two regional leagues, Padel Vlaanderen in Flanders and a French-speaking league in Wallonia and Brussels. The current association was founded in 2022; Belgium's first padel federation dates from 1992.
Suomen Padelliitto
Finland's national padel federation, a member of the Finnish Olympic Committee and of the FIP (since 2017), based in Helsinki. Its members are registered padel clubs and sports clubs with a padel section.
Svenska Padelförbundet
Sweden's national padel federation, which promotes and administers padel in Sweden and represents Swedish padel abroad. It has been a member of the Swedish Sports Confederation (RF) since 2021 and joined the FIP in 2010.

Coaching and qualification bodies

Racquet Sports Professionals Association (formerly the United States Professional Tennis Association)
A US-based membership and certification organisation for racket sports teaching professionals, founded in 1927 as the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) and renamed in 2024. It certifies coaches in tennis, pickleball, padel, squash and platform tennis.
Padel Coaches Registry (PCR)
A membership organisation that certifies padel instructors through workshops and a test, run as a division of Professional Racquets Registry, Inc, the company behind PTR.
  • TennisSame scoring. Padel counts points, games and sets as tennis does.
  • PickleballSmall-court doubles. Both are compact doubles games often played at the same clubs.
  • SquashWalls in play. Both use walls to keep the ball in play.
  • Platform tennisEnclosed court, solid paddles. Both are doubles games played inside a screened court where the ball can be played off the enclosure.

Sources

  1. FIP announces the birth of 'Padel America', International Padel Federation, News, 8 August 2024padelfip.comOfficial rulebook or governing body (tier 1 of 5)
  2. FIP General Assembly strengthens global unity as membership reaches 115 federations, International Padel Federation, News, 13 October 2026padelfip.comOfficial rulebook or governing body (tier 1 of 5)
  3. FIP: Who we are, International Padel Federationpadelfip.comOfficial rulebook or governing body (tier 1 of 5)
  4. History of padel, International Padel Federationpadelfip.comOfficial rulebook or governing body (tier 1 of 5)
  5. Nace Padel Europe en el seno de la FIP, International Padel Federation, News, 25 July 2024 (Spanish)padelfip.comOfficial rulebook or governing body (tier 1 of 5)
  6. Padel Asia, Board of Directors appointed, International Padel Federation, News, 12 December 2024padelfip.comOfficial rulebook or governing body (tier 1 of 5)
  7. Padel Europe meets in Madrid during the FIP Euro Padel Cup, International Padel Federation, News, 10 July 2025padelfip.comOfficial rulebook or governing body (tier 1 of 5)
  8. About Padel Belgium, Padel Belgiumpadelbelgium.beNational body or tour (tier 2 of 5)
  9. Asociación de Padel del Uruguay: Historia, Asociación de Amigos del Padel del Uruguaypadel.com.uyNational body or tour (tier 2 of 5)
  10. Dansk Padel Forbund: Kontakt os, Dansk Padel Forbunddanskpadelforbund.dkNational body or tour (tier 2 of 5)
  11. Dansk Padel Forbund: Vores historie, Dansk Padel Forbunddanskpadelforbund.dkNational body or tour (tier 2 of 5)
  12. DPV: Impressum, Deutscher Padel Verbanddpv-padel.deNational body or tour (tier 2 of 5)
  13. FEMEPA affiliation site and privacy notice, Federación Mexicana de Pádel A.C.femepa.appNational body or tour (tier 2 of 5)
  14. FFT: Mentions légales et CGU, Fédération française de tennisfft.frNational body or tour (tier 2 of 5)
  15. FFT: Qui sommes-nous ?, Fédération française de tennisfft.frNational body or tour (tier 2 of 5)
  16. FPP: Contactos, Federação Portuguesa de Padelfppadel.ptNational body or tour (tier 2 of 5)
  17. KNLTB: Contact, Koninklijke Nederlandse Lawn Tennis Bondknltb.nlNational body or tour (tier 2 of 5)
  18. KNLTB: Historie, Koninklijke Nederlandse Lawn Tennis Bondknltb.nlNational body or tour (tier 2 of 5)
  19. La FIT cambia nome: è nata la Federazione Italiana Tennis e Padel, Federazione Italiana Tennis e Padelfitp.itNational body or tour (tier 2 of 5)
  20. LTA Website Terms & Conditions, Lawn Tennis Associationlta.org.ukNational body or tour (tier 2 of 5)
  21. LTA: History of tennis, Lawn Tennis Associationlta.org.ukNational body or tour (tier 2 of 5)
  22. Padel Belgium: Contact, Padel Belgiumpadelbelgium.beNational body or tour (tier 2 of 5)
  23. Padel Coaches Registry: home page, Padel Coaches Registrypcrpadel.orgNational body or tour (tier 2 of 5)
  24. Qatar Padel: Contact us, Qatar Padel Federationqatarpadel.comNational body or tour (tier 2 of 5)
  25. Racquet Sports Professionals Association: home page, Racquet Sports Professionals Associationrspa.netNational body or tour (tier 2 of 5)
  26. RSPA: History & Legacy, Racquet Sports Professionals Associationrspa.netNational body or tour (tier 2 of 5)
  27. Statuto della Federazione Italiana Tennis e Padel, Federazione Italiana Tennis e Padelfitp.itNational body or tour (tier 2 of 5)
  28. Suomen Padelliitto, Suomen Padelliitto rypadel.fiNational body or tour (tier 2 of 5)
  29. USA Padel: About, USA Padelpadelusa.orgNational body or tour (tier 2 of 5)