Influence of No-Ad Scoring in Temporal Strcuture and Matches’ Outcome in Professional Padel

Abstract

The objective of this study was to analyze the influence of “no-ad scoring” rule on the temporal and outcome variables on professional World Padel Tour, depending on the gender and the tournament round. A total of 24 matches corresponding to the final phase of the Marbella Master 2019 (N = 12), which was played with advantages, and the Marbella Master 2020(N = 12), which were played with no-ad scoring, were analyzed. The variables analyzed were: gender, tournament round,set duration, number of games per set, number of break points, number of breaks made and equality of the set. Resultsshowed that the use of no-ad scoring in professional padel produced a significant increase in the number of breaks.Furthermore, although the duration of the set decreased slightly, the number of games per set increased, but thedifferences were not significant. No differences were found in any of the variables related to the temporal structure andoutcome between men and women. Regarding the tournament round, significantly higher values were observed in gameduration and number of games from the semifinals. These data can be useful to coaches and players when designingstrategies for the dispute of these deciding points.