Official Rules - TOTAL PADEL LEAGUE
Season: September – December 2026
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Chapter I: General Provisions
1.1. Of the Modality
The league will be played in a fixed pairs format.
1.2. About the Participants and the Categories
The tournament is divided into the following branches and official categories based on the playing levels of the Venezuelan Padel Federation (FVP):
• Absolute Categories (Male and Female): From 1st category to 7th category.
• Master Categories (+40 and +50 years, Male and Female): From 4th category to 7th category.
Control Note: Player classification will be verified through the official FVP ranking, the history in Venezuelan interclub circuits, or by direct designation of the committee after evaluating playing references.
1.3. Registration in Multiple Categories
A player will be allowed to register and compete in more than one category simultaneously during the season. To do so, they must comply with the corresponding age restrictions (in the case of Master categories) and ensure that the additional level is equal to or higher than their verified ranking, in order to safeguard the competitiveness of the tournament.
1.4. Consequences of Incorrect Level Registration (In-Season Monitoring)
If, once the regular season has begun, it is detected that participants are competing in a category lower than their actual level, the organizing committee will immediately apply the following mandatory sanctions:
• Partial Pair Penalty (One player at the wrong level): If only one member of a pair belongs to a higher category, the offending player will be disqualified from that category. The pair will be given the opportunity to replace the disqualified player to continue the tournament. All matches the pair has already played during the season will be declared forfeited by walkover (WO), with the official score recorded as 6-4 / 6-4 in favor of their respective opponents.
• Complete Pair Disqualification (Both Players at the Incorrect Level): If it is found that both members of a pair are playing below their actual skill level, the entire pair will be automatically disqualified from the competition. A Walk Over (WO) will be declared for absolutely all their matches on the schedule (whether played or pending), with the official score recorded as 6-4 / 6-4 in favor of all their opponents in their group.
1.5. Substitute for Temporary Absence
In case of temporary absence of one of the members of the pair, a substitute player may be called up at the direct request of the pair through the official league app.
• Requirements: The substitute player called up must have a similar or lower level of play than the absent player, thus ensuring that the competitiveness of the category is not significantly altered.
• Notification and Approval: The request for substitution must be made and approved by the organization two hours before the corresponding match.
• Usage limit: A pair may use a substitute a maximum of two (2) times during the entire regular league.
• Penalty for improper lineup: If a substitute player plays a match without the substitution having been requested and approved by the organization, and the fact is proven, the match will be declared lost by Walk Over (WO) against the offending pair, registering the official score of 6-4 / 6-4 in favor of the opposing pair.
1.6. Player Substitution
The primary intention of this rule is to guarantee the continuity of the competition and prevent teams from withdrawing. Therefore, the permanent replacement of one member of a pair will be permitted once the league has started, for any reason, under the following conditions:
• Change Window: Changes can only be made once and exclusively during the group stage. Permanent substitutions will not be allowed once the final stage (Playoffs) has begun.
• Profile Approval: The proposed new player must have a playing level equal to or lower than the outgoing player, requiring approval from the organization.
• Solomon-like Solution for Disagreement of the Pair: If the substitution is motivated by an internal conflict and the players do not agree on who continues in the tournament, the following rule will apply:
1. Simple Deadline: They have until the end of the current matchday to notify the decision. If the matchday ends and there is no agreement, both are eliminated from the league.
2. Real Ranking Protection: To maintain a fair and equitable ranking for everyone, all points and matches of the eliminated pair will be completely erased (both those already played and those pending). It will be as if the pair had never participated, preventing distortions caused by massive walkovers in the group.
1.7. Participation of League Directors and Organizers
Members of the organizing committee and league officials may participate as active players in the tournament under the following strict conditions:
• Abstention in Deliberations: They will not have a voice or vote in any deliberation, claim or sanction that directly affects their category, their own pair or their direct rivals in the group.
• Internal Conflict Resolution: Any technical dispute or conflict of interest involving an organizer or manager will be resolved exclusively by the other members of the league's board, ensuring that the affected member has no participation, intervention, or voting rights in said decision.
1.8. Level Reclassification System (Promotions and Demotions)
In order to preserve fairness, competitiveness, and the sporting growth of the league, the organizing committee will continuously evaluate player performance to determine their promotions or relegations for the following seasons, under the following guiding criteria:
1.8.1. Criteria for Mandatory Category Promotion
A player or pair will be promoted to the next higher category on a mandatory basis if they meet any of the following conditions:
• Merit for Championship (Absolute Categories): The duo that becomes the Absolute Champion of the tournament will automatically move up a category for the following season.
• Exception in Master Categories (+40 and +50): The pairs that win the Master categories (+40 and +50) will be promoted to the next higher category only if that higher category is open and active for the following season. Otherwise, they will remain at their current level to defend their title.
• Sustained Technical Mastery (App Performance): Any player or pair who, during the regular phase, wins 85% or more of their matches on the court, demonstrating a level far superior to the rest of their group, will be evaluated by the committee for direct promotion, even if they do not win the final (subject to the same availability of higher categories in the case of the Master modality).
• FVP Ranking Update: If during the development of the league the official ranking of a player in the Venezuelan Padel Federation (FVP) is updated to a higher category, the player will be ineligible to register again in their previous category for the next season.
1.8.2. Criteria for Relegation
To ensure that players experiencing dips in performance or prolonged inactivity can compete at a comfortable level, demotion will be permitted under strict conditions:
• Formal Request for Negative Record: A player may formally request from the committee his relegation only if in the previous league season he has won less than 20% of his games played on the field.
• Medical or Age Assessment: Players returning from demonstrable serious injuries or who, due to age transition, meet the requirements of the Master categories (+40 or +50), may request a level reclassification if their current playing pace justifies it.
• Prohibition of "Level Speculation" (Sandbagging): Under no circumstances will the demotion of a player who maintains a higher active ranking in the FVP or in interclub circuits in Caracas be approved, in order to prevent advanced players from deliberately competing at lower levels.
1.8.3. Reclassification and Appeals Window
• Implementation: All official reclassifications will be processed and published on the official App in the period between the end of the current season and the opening of registrations for the next one.
• Right of Reply: If a player believes that their automatic promotion seriously affects their ability to compete (for example, if their regular partner is not promoted), they may submit a reasoned appeal to the committee within a maximum of five (5) business days after the list is published. The committee's final decision will be final.
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Chapter II: Competition Format
2.1. Tournament Structure
The tournament will consist of a regular group stage and a knockout final stage.
2.2. Game Mode
All matches in the tournament will be played under the official regulations of the Venezuelan Padel Federation (FVP), applying the following scoring structure on the court:
• Winner of the Match: The match will be won by the first pair to win two (2) sets.
• Tie in Set (6-6): It will be immediately defined by a conventional Tie-Break to seven (7) points (with a minimum difference of two points in favor).
• Tie in Sets (1-1): In case of equal conditions (one set won by each pair), the match will be decided directly through a Super Tie-Break to ten (10) points (with a minimum difference of two points in favor), which will award the second and final set to the winner.
2.3. Scoring and Classification of the Group Stage
The regular season standings table will be updated automatically after each result is validated, strictly adhering to the following points allocation system:
• Winning Pair: Will receive two (2) points in the general classification for a match won on the court or by way of Walk Over (WO).
• Defeated Pair on Court: Will receive one (1) point in the general classification for each match played and completed, rewarding the attendance, sportsmanship and competitiveness of the pair.
• Non-appearance / Walk Over (WO): The pair that does not appear to compete in their scheduled commitment will receive zero (0) points in the overall classification, automatically losing the right to the consolation point.
2.4. Tie-breaking Criteria and Walk Over (WO) Regulations
To ensure sporting fairness and prevent pairs who win matches on the court from being disadvantaged by a game difference in the event of a walkover, the following regulations will apply:
1. WO Mitigated Score: Every match decided by Walk Over (WO) will be charged with an official score of 6-4 / 6-4 in favor of the winning pair.
2. Effect on the Standings: The winning pair will receive the 2 points for the victory and a controlled difference of +4 games. This protects the merit of the pairs who actually competed and won convincingly on the court.
3. Tie-Breaking Order: In the event of a tie in total points at the end of the group stage between two or more pairs, the tie will be broken by strictly applying the following sequential order of criteria:
First: Direct confrontation between the tied pairs (who won the match between them).
or Second: If there is a multiple tie; Greater set difference in the overall group ranking.
or Third: If there is a multiple tie; Greater difference of games in the overall group classification.
or Fourth: Official draw conducted by the organizing committee.
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Chapter III: Of the Parties
3.1. Match Schedules and Programming
3.1.1. Calendar and Scheduling (Regular Phase)
• Publication: The organizing committee will publish the match schedule with the deadlines for each day.
• Courts: Matches may be played at any available padel facility in Caracas, provided both pairs agree. For the smooth running of the competition, participants are encouraged to be flexible and cooperative when arranging logistics.
• Shared Obligation to Contact: The agreement to set the date, time, and venue of the match is an absolute and shared obligation for both pairs. Both players are equally obligated to initiate contact and seek a sporting agreement. The visiting pair has the same obligation to contact the home pair and is prohibited from adopting a passive stance.
• Court Management (Home / Local): The couple designated as "Home" will be operationally responsible for making the court reservation and must assume its initial cost.
• Schedule report: Once the schedule has been agreed, both couples must register the date and time in the official LIGA TOTAL PADEL App for validation by the organizing committee.
• Committee Decision for Lack of Agreement: In the event that the couples fail to reach a mutual agreement before the deadline of the day, the organizing committee will intervene by unilaterally setting a date, time and venue, which will be strictly mandatory.
• Resolution for Evasiveness through Evidence: If a match day concludes without the game having been played due to a lack of response or demonstrable evasiveness from one of the parties, the committee will resolve the matter by evaluating the communication evidence:
1. The pair that did take the initiative must submit to the organization the screenshots of the chat where it is clearly demonstrated that they tried to coordinate in the corresponding times.
2. After validating the evidence, the committee will declare a Walk Over (WO) in favor of the proactive pair (2 points and a score of 6-4 / 6-4). The evasive pair will receive zero (0) points.
3.1.2. Calendar Extension and Game Offer Limit
The tournament grants a maximum and non-extendable extension of up to seven (7) consecutive days after the close of the official match week to play pending matches. If the match is not played within this extension, the following rule will apply:
• Obligation of the Available Pair: The pair that was willing and actively requested to play during the official week will maintain priority. For the extension week, they will be obligated to propose a maximum of two (2) different date and time offers to play the match.
• Rejection Limit and Sanction: If the duo that caused the original postponement rejects the two date options presented, or does not give an affirmative response, the negotiation process will be concluded.
• WO Declaration: The organizing committee will automatically declare the match as lost by Walk Over (WO) against the pair that rejected the offers (zero points for the offender and 2 points with a score of 6-4 / 6-4 for the proactive pair).
3.1.3. Courtesy Time on the Court and Non-Appearance Report
The following punctuality policy will be strictly applied on the day and time formally agreed for the match:
• Waiting Limit: The maximum courtesy time in the club will be fifteen (15) continuous minutes after the time set for the start of the meeting.
• WO Declaration: If after 15 minutes of tolerance one or both members of the opposing pair have not appeared ready to play, an automatic WO is declared.
• Immediate Reporting Obligation: The pair present has the obligation to enter the official App when the 15 minutes of delay are completed to upload the non-appearance of the opponents.
• Score Registration: The system will process the victory for the punctual pair with the corresponding two (2) points and the official unified score of 6-4 / 6-4.
3.1.4. Programming (Final Phase)
• Centralization: From the quarter-final stage onwards, the organizing committee will centralize the management of all matches and will notify the venue and time directly.
• Rental costs: The LIGA TOTAL PADEL organizing committee will cover 100% of the court rental costs only from the Quarter-Final round onwards. If the tournament requires earlier rounds (such as the Round of 32 or Round of 16), the rental costs for those courts must be covered by the players.
3.1.5. Game Results Report
• Responsibility: The winning pair of the match must enter the final result in the official LIGA TOTAL PADEL App.
• Deadline: The scoreboard must be uploaded no later than twenty-four (24) hours after the end of the match.
3.1.6. Time Window and Procedure for Claims and Appeals
To provide formal structure and guarantee sporting justice, any claim or challenge regarding a match must comply with the following requirements:
• Maximum Deadline: It must be entered within a strict period of twenty-four (24) to forty-eight (48) hours after the match end time recorded on the platform.
• Mandatory Formal Channel: The claim will only be processed if submitted in writing through the incident module of the league's official app or to the institutional email address. It must detail the facts and include relevant evidence (photos, videos, or witnesses).
• Unauthorized Channels: No claim made through WhatsApp, phone calls, or verbal conversations will be processed under any circumstances.
3.2. The Court and Breaks
• Warm-up: A maximum warm-up time of five (5) minutes will be allowed on the court.
• Permitted breaks: The authorized rest periods will be strictly as follows:
or Twenty (20) seconds between each point contested.
or One (1) minute at the time of the change of sides in the odd games of each set.
or Two (2) minutes exactly at the end of each complete set.
3.3. Balls and Equipment
• Supply: The organization will supply the appropriate official balls for the development of each league match.
• Personal equipment: Each player is solely responsible for providing their own padel racket and appropriate sports clothing.
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Chapter IV: Rules of Conduct and Penalties
4.1. Fair Play and Discipline
• Sportsmanship: All participants are expected to play with the utmost sportsmanship and absolute respect towards everyone involved.
• Governance: Decisions made by the organizing committee after evaluating any incident will be final.
4.2. Non-appearance
The failure of a couple to appear for a match without prior notice or without a valid justification approved by the committee will result in the immediate loss of the match, the application of corresponding financial penalties and the strict assignment of zero (0) points in the table.
4.3. Walk Over (WO)
A Walk Over (WO) will be considered and the match will be forfeited (0 points) for any pair that incurs any of the following operational situations:
• Non-appearance or delay due to unpunctuality: If fifteen (15) continuous minutes have elapsed from the agreed official time, the couple or one of its members is not ready on the court.
• Voluntary withdrawal from the match: A couple who decide to leave or withdraw once the match has started on the court for reasons not fully justified to the committee.
• Disqualification by sanctions: If a pair is expelled from the league for accumulation of misconduct, improper lineup (Section 1.4) or serious faults.
Exception for Disabling Injury on the Court: In accordance with FVP rules, if a player suffers a genuine medical injury during a match that prevents them from continuing, a penalty walk (WO) of 0 points will not be applied. The match will be stopped, the affected pair will receive one (1) point in the overall standings for having competed on the court, but the score of the set in question and the remaining sets will be administratively completed in favor of the opponents to award them the 2 points for the victory without affecting the overall statistics.
4.4. Consequences and Record of WO
• Scoring: The offending pair will receive zero (0) points in the overall ranking table and the opponent will get two (2) points for the victory.
• Single Corrective Score: Every match resolved by way of WO will be recorded in a mandatory manner with the mitigated score of 6-4 / 6-4 in favor of the winning pair (+4 controlled games).
• WO Accumulation and Expulsion: A pair that accumulates three (3) Walk Over (WO) during the regular phase will be automatically disqualified from the league season.
4.5. Notification of Non-Appearance
• Alert Obligation: Couples who are unable to attend have a strict obligation to formally notify the organization and the counterpart through digital channels as far in advance as possible.
• Cases of Force Majeure: In the event of serious medical emergencies or accidents duly justified with official support, the organization will evaluate exempting the couple from the usual consequences of the WO, allowing an extraordinary rescheduling.
4.6. Control of the Public and the Bars
• Responsibility of the Pair: Each registered pair is directly responsible for the behavior of their supporters, family, and friends.
• Sanctions: If spectators shout insults at the opponents, boo, interfere with the score, or otherwise disturb the peace, the match will be stopped so the pair can control their supporters. If the behavior persists, it will be documented, and in cases of continued disrespect or aggression, the pair associated with the supporters will be disqualified, and the opposing pair will be awarded a 6-4 / 6-4 walkover victory.
4.7. Time Limit for Last Minute Cancellations (Emergencies)
In order to protect the opposing duo's time, the following regulations are established for suspensions:
• Cancellation Deadline and Channel: A formally coordinated match may only be suspended without penalty if mandatory notification is given through the official WebApp of the league at least eight (8) hours in advance of the scheduled time.
• Late Cancellation and Penalty: Any suspension communicated outside this 8-hour limit, or through a digital channel other than the one stipulated, will be automatically penalized with the loss of the match by Walk Over (WO), assigning zero (0) points to the offending pair and awarding the victory with a regulation score (6-4 / 6-4) to the affected pair.
• Exception: Cases of force majeure duly proven (accidents or medical emergencies justified with official support before the committee) are exempt from this sanction.
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Chapter V: Awards
5.1. Awards by Category and Classification
Official prizes will be awarded to the pairs who achieve the highest rankings (Champions and Runners-up) in each of the tournament's active categories. The specific type of incentive (official trophies, sports equipment from sponsors, or cash prizes in USD) will be detailed in an official attached table.
5.2. Adjustments for Volume of Enrollees
The final prize amount in each category will depend directly on the total number of registered and financially solvent couples. The organizers reserve the right to adjust the prize amounts if a particular category does not reach the minimum number of couples required to make the event financially viable.
5.3. Publication of the Awards Annex
The attached table with the exact distribution of the prizes will be made public on the official platforms before the formal start of the first day of the regular season.
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Chapter VI: Final Provisions
6.1. Extraordinary Update and Modification
This set of regulations may be modified, expanded or updated exclusively by the organizing committee if exceptional, logistical or force majeure situations arise.
6.2. Obligation and Ignorance
Formal registration in the tournament implies full acceptance of these clauses. Under no circumstances may a player or pair claim ignorance of these rules to avoid fulfilling their obligations, penalties, or responsibilities.
6.3. Classification and History System
The mathematical processing of the data from the standings table, game differences, sets and the individual player ranking system will be managed and calculated exclusively by the official LIGA TOTAL PADEL App.
6.4. Mandatory Use of the Official Platform and Code of Conduct
The use of technological tools and mutual respect are fundamental pillars of the league:
• App Status: The official LIGA TOTAL PADEL app is the only authorized platform for managing schedules, substitutions, results reports, and checking rankings. Its use is strictly mandatory for all participants.
• Zero Tolerance for Aggression: Verbal or physical aggression towards rivals, teammates, spectators, club staff, or members of the organizing committee is strictly prohibited. Any such infraction will be immediately sanctioned with total disqualification from the tournament.
