📜Official Team Regulations - TOTAL PADEL LEAGUE
Season 1 (September - December 2026)
Chapter I: Team Structure and Categories
1.1. Team Composition and Captains
• Official Roster: Each registered team will consist of a minimum of six (6) players and a maximum of fifteen (15) players. This closed list constitutes the entire roster available for the entire season.
• The Captain: Each team must designate a Captain (and a Vice-Captain), who will be the sole representative to the organizing committee. They will be responsible for registering team lineups, coordinating game dates, and submitting chat logs as evidence in case of disputes.
1.2. Categories and Match Series
The matches between two teams will be called "Series" and will be played in the format of three (3) matches of independent pairs belonging to the same category.
• Uniformity of Category: For each scheduled series, the three (3) pairs presented by both teams must strictly belong to the same category in dispute (for example: three pairs of 4th category against three pairs of 4th category).
• Lower Category Reinforcements Clause: In order to allow flexibility in rosters, a team will be fully empowered to field lower category players as reinforcements in a higher level series (e.g., a verified 5th category player playing as a reinforcement in a 4th category series).
• Restriction on Reverse Reinforcements: The reverse case is strictly prohibited. Under no circumstances may a player from a higher category be sent down to play as a reinforcement in a lower category team, this being considered an Improper Lineup and resulting in an automatic Walk Over (WO) sanction according to Section 3.1.
1.3. Single Registration and Use of the Payroll (Without Substitutions or Replacements)
• Single Registration: A player may not be registered with two different teams competing in the same category or division during the same season.
• Availability of the Squad: With a wide limit of up to twelve (12) members per team, the figures of external substitute players or extraordinary substitutions/signings once the competition has started are not considered.
• Free Rotation: The Captain has the absolute freedom to form and rotate the three (3) pairs of each day using exclusively any of the players enabled in his official roster, guaranteeing the continuity of the team by his own means.
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:
• Individual Sanction: The offending player will be permanently disqualified from the tournament. The team will retain its place in the league, but will not be able to replace the offending player with a new signing, and must complete the remainder of the tournament with the remaining players on its official roster.
• Match Penalty: All matches of the pair in which the player participated at the incorrect level will be declared lost by Walkover (WO), with the official score recorded as 6-4 / 6-4 in favor of their respective opponents. If the improper inclusion alters the overall result of a completed Series, the points in the overall standings will be corrected in favor of the opposing team.
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Chapter II: Competition Format and Scoring
2.1. Definition of the Confrontation (The Series)
• Structure: The winning team of the series will be the one that wins two (2) of the three (3) doubles matches played. It is mandatory to play all three individual matches in the group stage for the purposes of the overall game statistics.
• Match Format: Each individual match will be played under the approved league rules: the match will be won by the first pair to win two (2) sets. In case of a 6-6 tie in a set, it will be decided by a conventional tie-break to seven (7) points. If they are tied in sets (1-1), the winner will be decided directly by a Super Tie-Break to ten (10) points (with a minimum difference of two points in favor).
2.2. Standings Table Scoring (Points System for Games Won)
The overall standings table will not be governed by the simple win or loss of the Series, but by the distribution of five (5) total points at stake in each round, assigned according to the exact result of the three (3) doubles matches:
• Result 3 - 0: The team that wins all three matches will receive five (5) points in the overall standings. The losing team will receive zero (0) points.
• Result 2 - 1: The winning team of the Series will receive four (4) points in the overall standings. The losing team will receive one (1) point in the standings for the match won on the court, rewarding their competitiveness.
• Non-appearance / Walk Over (WO) General: The team that does not appear to play the series will receive zero (0) points in the general classification and will be penalized with the corrective score.
2.3. Group Tie-Breaking Criteria
In case of a tie in total points at the end of the regular phase between two or more teams, the tie will be broken by strictly applying the following sequential order:
1. Direct confrontation between the tied teams (Series won against each other).
2. Highest number of doubles matches won in total.
3. Largest set difference in the overall group ranking.
4. Greater difference in games in the overall group ranking.
5. Official draw conducted by the organizing committee.
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Chapter III: Logistics, Alignments and Walkover (WO) Regulation
3.1. Line-Up Exchange
• Delivery Deadline: The captains of both teams must exchange their final lineups strictly ten (10) minutes before the time set for the start of the day.
• Authorized Channels: The alignment of the three pairs can be recorded in two valid ways:
1. Paper Format: Handing the official tournament form in handwritten or printed form to the opposing captain or the field supervisor.
2. Digital Via: Sharing the information in writing (using clear text or the image of the official format) through the WhatsApp chat of the day's group or directly to the opposing Captain.
• Definitive Character: Once the lineup has been sent or exchanged ten minutes before the match, it becomes strictly secret, definitive and unchangeable for the three pairs.
• Penalty for Noncompliance or Improper Alignment: If a Captain includes a player who belongs to a higher category than permitted (Section 1.2), or lines up a player who is not registered on the official roster of the club, the match of that specific pair will be declared lost by immediate WO (mitigated score of 6-4 / 6-4).
3.2. Regulation of Team-Mitigated Work Outs
To prevent forfeits from altering the standings and harming the responsible teams, two Walk Over figures will be applied under the league's unified scoreboard:
3.2.1. Partial WO (One Pair does not appear)
• Effect on the Series: If a team shows up for the day but is missing one of its three pairs, the other two matches will be played normally on the court.
• Corrective Score: The match of the absent pair will automatically be recorded with the mitigated score of 6-4 / 6-4 in favor of the punctual team. The offending team receives zero points in that individual match, but the team as an institution remains eligible to win the overall series if it wins on the other two courts.
3.2.2. WO General (The Entire Team does not attend)
• Record Penalty: If a team does not show up for the series or fails to gather the minimum number of pairs to compete, they will lose the series by walkover.
• Point Allocation: The winning team will be awarded the maximum score of five (5) points in the overall standings (equivalent to winning the series 3-0). The absent and offending team will receive zero (0) points in the standings.
• Single Corrective Score: Each of the three individual matches of the day will be administratively charged with the league's unified score of 6-4 / 6-4 in favor of the winning team. This will grant them a perfect record of +3 wins and a controlled difference of +12 total games, preventing the standings from being unfairly inflated against teams that actually compete on the field.
• Expulsion for Repeat Offenses: Any team that accumulates two (2) General Walkovers during the group stage will be automatically expelled from the tournament. To protect the ranking, all of their previous points and matches (both played and pending) will be completely erased, leaving them as if they had never participated, thus preventing distortions in the group.
3.3. Management of Schedules, Location and Rescheduling
• Official Date: All matches and series of the league must be played strictly on the base date indicated in the calendar published by the organizing committee of the LIGA TOTAL PADEL [7593245-liga-master-total-padel].
• Mutual Rescheduling Policy: Changes to the date or time set in the calendar will only be allowed if the Captains of both clubs are in mutual agreement and jointly notify the organization.
• Schedule Priority in Case of Disagreement: If one of the two clubs does not agree with the proposed change, does not have schedule availability, or decides not to accept the rescheduling, the series must be played on the date and under the conditions originally assigned by the league. The club that insists on not showing up will incur the penalties of a General Walkover (WO) (Section 3.2.2).
• Home Club Notification and Upload Obligation: The club designated as the "Home" team has the sole responsibility for selecting the venue (within the facilities available in Caracas) and setting the start time of the series. It is mandatory for the Home Club Captain to upload the location and time of the game to the tournament's official WebApp at least three (3) consecutive days prior to the scheduled start time. Failure to upload this information or delay will result in administrative sanctions by the committee.
• Court and Logistics Costs: The total cost for renting the courts necessary to play the three (3) games of the series during the regular season will be borne entirely by the Home Club. Likewise, the Home Club will have the regulatory obligation to provide adequate hydration for all players on the visiting team's roster who attend the game.
3.3.1. Extraordinary Extension due to Unforeseen Circumstances and Offer Protocol
If, due to unforeseen circumstances beyond the control of either team, the match cannot be played or completed, the following protocol is activated:
• Time Limit: Clubs will have a maximum and non-extendable period of ten (10) consecutive days after the original suspended date to reschedule the series, play the matches and upload the results to the league's official WebApp.
• Priority of Proposal: In this extraordinary rescheduling process, the Home team will maintain absolute priority over the proposed dates and times to regain home-field advantage.
• Conclusive Resolution Based on Evidence After 10 Days: If, after a period of 10 consecutive days, the match has not been played on the field, the committee will evaluate the evidence to determine the points:
1. WO to the Visitor: If the Captain of the Home team demonstrates with screenshots that he offered at least three (3) different viable date and time options within the regulatory period, and the visiting team rejected them all or did not respond, a General WO will be declared against the visiting team (awarding 5 points to the Home team and 0 points to the visitor team).
2. WO to Home: If, on the other hand, the Home team does not offer the three minimum game alternatives, does not manage the reservation of the court or shows apathy to solve the unforeseen event, a General WO will be declared against the Home team (awarding 5 points to the visitor and 0 points to the Home team).
• Court Court Time: At the club, the clock will run independently for each game turn. There will be a strict fifteen (15) minute court time. If a pair does not enter the assigned court after being called, a partial walkover (WO) will be declared for that match (6-4 / 6-4), and the Captain present must report it immediately on the official WebApp.
• Scheduling (Final Phase): From the quarter-final stage onwards, the organizing committee will centralize the management of all matches. It will select and notify the specific venue and time of the matches directly to ensure equal conditions.
• Game Results Report: The Captain of the winning team of the series must enter the final results into the official WebApp of the league within a period of no more than twenty-four (24) hours after the end of the day.
3.4. The court and breaks
• Warm-up: Before starting each individual match, a maximum warm-up time of five (5) minutes will be allowed on the court.
• Permitted breaks: The authorized break times during the game 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.
3.5. 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 for the competition.
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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 rivals, teammates, the public and organizing staff.
• Governance: Decisions made by the organizing committee after evaluating any incident will be final.
4.2. Non-appearance
The non-appearance of a team to a series without prior notice or without a compelling justification validated by the organizing committee, will result in the immediate loss of the match, the application of the corresponding economic sanctions and the strict assignment of zero (0) points in the table.
4.3. Disciplinary and Incomplete Walk Over (WO)
A walkover will be considered and the game or series will be forfeited by the team that incurs any of the following situations:
• Voluntary withdrawal: A couple who decides to abandon or withdraw once the match has started on the court, for any reason not fully justified to the organizing committee, will incur a Partial WO.
• Disqualification due to sanctions: If a team is expelled from the league due to accumulated misconduct or serious failures, all of its remaining matches on the schedule will be processed under the figure of General WO.
⚠️ Exception for Disabling Injury on the Court: If a player suffers a genuine medical injury during their match that prevents them from continuing, a penalty walk (WO) of 0 points will not be applied to that pair. The match on that court will be stopped, the affected pair will be awarded one (1) individual point for having competed, but the score will be administratively completed in favor of the opposing team to determine the point in the series without affecting the overall statistics.
4.4. Consequences and Record of WO
• Scoring: The offending team that loses by walkover will receive zero (0) points in the standings. The opposing team will receive five (5) points for winning the series.
• Single Corrective Score: Every game resolved by way of WO (Partial or General) will be recorded with the mitigated score of 6-4 / 6-4 in favor of the winners, protecting the average of games of the group.
4.5. Notification of Non-Appearance and Economic Sanction
• Responsibility for Court Payments: The cost of courts during the regular season is the responsibility of the self-managed teams. If a team incurs a general or partial forfeit after the courts have been reserved by the home team, the offending team will be financially obligated to reimburse 100% of the total cost of the lost courts within a maximum of 48 consecutive hours. Failure to pay will result in the team's immediate suspension from the tournament.
• Costs in the Final Phase: The organizing committee of the LIGA TOTAL PADEL will cover 100% of the court rental costs only and exclusively from the Quarter-Final round onwards.
4.6. Control of the Public and the Bars
• Responsibility of the Duo: Each team is directly responsible for the behavior of its supporters, family, friends and companions present at the club facilities.
• Sanctions for Public Interference: If the attending public shouts insults at the rivals, boos in an unsportsmanlike manner or disturbs the peace of the match, the observers will apply the scale of warnings to the team, and may even decree the loss of the match of the duo in play by Disciplinary WO (6-4 / 6-4) against the team linked to the supporters.
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Chapter V: Awards
5.1. Awards by Category and Classification
Official awards will be given to the teams that achieve the highest rankings (Champions and Runners-up) in each of the fixed categories contested in the tournament. The type of incentive (official trophies, sports equipment from sponsors, or cash prizes in USD) will be detailed in an official attached table that will be published before the start of the regular season.
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 teams. The organizers reserve the right to adjust the prize amounts if a particular category does not reach the minimum number of teams required to make the event financially viable.
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Chapter VI: Final Provisions
6.1. Extraordinary Update and Modification
This set of rules may be modified, expanded or updated exclusively by the organizing committee if exceptional, logistical or force majeure situations arise that are not explicitly contemplated in this document.
6.2. On Obligation and Ignorance
Formal registration for the tournament implies full acceptance of these clauses. Under no circumstances may a player, captain, or team claim ignorance of these regulations to avoid fulfilling their obligations, sanctions, or sporting and financial responsibilities.
6.3. Classification and History System
The mathematical processing of the data from the standings table, game differences, sets and the team ranking system will be managed and calculated exclusively by the official WebApp of the LIGA TOTAL PADEL.
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