Padbol
Characteristics

Highest governing body	FIPA
Nicknames	Padbol
First played	2008, La Plata
Team members	Doubles
Type	Outdoor/Indoor
Venue	Padbol court

Padbol is a fusion sport created in La Plata, Argentina in 2008,^[1] combining elements of football (soccer), tennis, volleyball, and squash.^[2]

It is currently played in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Panama, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United States and Uruguay.

History

Padbol was created in 2008 by Gustavo Miguens in La Plata, Argentina. The first courts were built in 2011 in Argentina, in cities including Rojas, Punta Alta, and Buenos Aires. Then courts were added in Spain, Uruguay and Italy, and more recently in Portugal, Sweden, Mexico, Romania, and the United States. Australia, Bolivia, Iran, and France are the newest countries to adopt the sport.

In 2013 the first Padbol World Cup was held in La Plata. The champions were the Spanish pair, Ocaña and Palacios.

In 2014 the second World Cup was held in Alicante, Spain. The champions were the Spanish pair Ramón and Hernández. The third World Cup took place at Punta del Este, Uruguay, in 2016

Rules

Court

The playing area is a walled court, 10m long and 6m wide. It is divided by a net, with a height of at most 1m at each end and between 90 and 100 cm in the center. The walls should be at least 2.5m high and of equal height. There must be at least one entrance to the court, which may or may not have a door.

Areas

There are three zones : a Service Zone, Reception zone and Red Zone.

Service zone: The server must be within this zone while serving.
Reception zone: The area between the net and the service zone. Balls that land on the lines between the zones are considered to be inside this zone.
Red zone: The middle of the court, extending across its width, and 1m on each side of the net. It is colored red.

Ball

The ball shall have a uniform outer surface and shall be white or yellow. Its perimeter should be 670 mm, and it should be of polyurethane; it can weight from 380-400 grams.

Summary

Players: 4. Played in a doubles format.
Serves: Serve must be underhand. A second serve is allowed in the event a fault, as in tennis.
Score: Scoring method is the same as in tennis. Matches are best of three sets.
Ball: Like a football but smaller
Court: There are two styles of courts: indoor and outdoor
Walls: Walls or fences are part of the game. They should be constructed so that the ball bounces off of them.

Tournaments

Padbol World Cup

In March 2013 the first World Cup was held in La Plata, Argentina. Participants were sixteen couples from Argentina, Uruguay, Italy, and Spain. In the Final, Ocaña/Palacios won 6-1/6-1 against Saiz/Rodriguez.

The second Padbol World Cup was held in November 2014 in Alicante, Spain. 15 pairs participated from seven countries (Argentina, Uruguay, Mexico, Spain, Italy, Portugal, and Sweden). Ramón/Hernández won the final 6-4/7-5 against Ocaña/Palacios.

The third edition was held in Punta del Este, Uruguay, in 2016.

In 2017, a European Cup was held in Constanța, Romania.

The 2019 World Cup also took place in Romania.

World Rankings

Current rankings

^[3]

Position	Couples	Points
Best players in 2015
1	ARG Maidana/Narbaitz	1290
2	ESP Ocaña/Palacios	1130
3	ESP Almeida/Belza	1100
3	ESP Ramón/Hernández	1100
5	ARG Labayen	765
Full list at padbol.com