Padel Levels Explained: Playtomic Levels and Rating Systems
Every padel scene we have played in uses some version of the same question before you are allowed on court: what level are you? Say the wrong number and you either get steamrolled by four players who have been competing for years, or you spend an hour babysitting a rally against someone who has never held a racket.
Nobody explains clearly where you stand, so most players guess. Here are padel levels explained in plain English. This guide covers the two systems you meet most as a traveling player: the numeric level in booking apps like Playtomic, and the bronze, silver, gold style groups that clubs and WhatsApp groups run on top of it. I play at silver level right now, working toward gold.
If you have not nailed down the actual rules yet, start with our guide to how padel scoring works before worrying about levels. It is hard to judge your own level if you are still counting golden points on your fingers.
Quick answer
Playtomic rates players from 0 to 7 and adjusts your level after every competitive match, while many clubs and WhatsApp groups simply use bronze, silver and gold. Those tiers are relative to the club, so ask before you assume your level somewhere new.
Next steps
Why levels matter more in padel than in a lot of other sports
Padel is almost always doubles, on a small enclosed court, and rallies depend on your partner reading the game like you do. A big level gap, within a team or between teams, makes the match less fun for everyone. That is why clubs, apps and WhatsApp groups sort players by level before a game even starts.
The Playtomic level system
Playtomic, one of the most widely used padel booking apps in Europe, runs a numeric level system that most players in Spain, Portugal, Italy and increasingly elsewhere have at least heard of, even if they book courts a different way.
The scale runs from 0 to 7. These are Playtomic's own labels for the bands, from its help center (September 2026):
| Level | Playtomic's label | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1.0 | Initiation | No or very little experience in racket sports |
| 1.0 to 1.49 | Beginner | New players still learning the basics |
| 1.5 to 2.4 | Initiation Intermediate | Getting more familiar with the game, not yet skilled |
| 2.5 to 3.4 | Intermediate | More developed skills and a basic understanding of tactics |
| 3.5 to 4.4 | Intermediate High | More confident, using better strategies |
| 4.5 to 5.4 | Intermediate Advanced | Knows how to switch between attack and defense |
| Above 5.4 | Competition | Players who take part in tournaments |
- Your starting level comes from a short questionnaire, so it is an estimate, not a test result.
- After every competitive match, Playtomic recalculates your level based on the result, your opponents' and partner's levels, and your reliability score (how established your level is). New players see big jumps, experienced players small changes. Casual matches do not count.
- Numbers can be off: with only a few matches logged, a player can sit well above or below their real level. Treat anyone's Playtomic level as a rough guide until you have played with them.
Other rating systems you will run into
Playtomic is not the only numeric system. MATCHi (popular in Sweden and the Nordics), Padel Mates (a Swedish booking and matchmaking app) and national federation rankings all follow roughly the same logic: low numbers for beginners, higher for competitive players. The scales differ, so a "4" on one platform is not automatically a "4" on another. Treat each number as local to its platform.
Club and WhatsApp level groups: bronze, silver, gold
This is the system that matters most day-to-day if you are traveling and trying to get an actual game, and it rarely gets written about anywhere.
Individual clubs, and the informal WhatsApp groups many of them run, often sort players into simple tiers instead of a numeric scale. Bronze, silver, and gold is one common version, though the exact names and number of tiers vary by club. The logic is straightforward:
Bronze tends to cover newer players and those still building consistency
Silver covers solid, regular club players who can sustain a competitive rally and understand court positioning
Gold covers the strongest players at that specific club, often the ones who play in local leagues or tournaments
The key point: these tiers are relative to that club, not an absolute standard. A gold player at a small local club is not necessarily the standard of a gold player at a club known for competitive players, and a silver at one club will not always match a silver elsewhere.
The upside of this system for a traveling player is that it is fast. A club WhatsApp group that sorts new members into a level group means you get placed with players around your standard almost immediately, without needing to compare numeric ratings across apps or countries. We cover exactly how we use this to find games in a new city in our guide to finding padel players anywhere you travel.
Key takeaways
- A Playtomic level starts as an estimate from a short questionnaire.
- Only competitive matches move your Playtomic level, so log the games you want to count.
- Bronze, silver and gold only mean something within that specific club.
How to actually raise your level
Play regularly, not occasionally. Padel skill is built through repetition of specific movements, the volley at the net, reading rebounds off the glass, positioning with a partner. Once a week builds slowly. Two or three times a week builds noticeably faster.
Play with people slightly better than you. It is uncomfortable at first and your win rate drops, but it forces you to adapt faster than playing against people at or below your own level.
Get honest feedback, not polite feedback. Ask a stronger player what is actually holding your game back, not just "how was that." Most club players are happy to tell you if you ask directly.
Log matches if your app supports it. On Playtomic, only competitive matches move your level, so log the games you want to count. It also gives you your own record of how you are actually doing against different opponents.
Ask before you assume your level at a new club. Levels are relative to the group. Showing up and stating a numeric level from an app, or a tier from a different club, is a starting point for a conversation, not a fixed fact the new group has to accept.
Quick comparison: numeric versus tier systems
| Numeric (Playtomic, MATCHi, etc.) | Club tiers (bronze/silver/gold) | |
|---|---|---|
| Scale | 0 to 7 on Playtomic | Usually 2 to 4 named tiers |
| Set by | Starting questionnaire, then adjusted by match results | Usually decided informally by the club or group admin |
| Comparable across clubs/countries | Loosely, treat with caution | Not really, it's local to that group |
| Best for | Booking a match with strangers through an app | Getting placed with the right players fast at one specific club |
FAQ
What Playtomic level should a total beginner put on their profile?
Under 1.0 if you have never played a racket sport, around 1.0 to 1.5 if you have some tennis or squash background. On Playtomic, the starting questionnaire sets that first number for you, and your competitive matches adjust it from there.
Is a Playtomic level the same everywhere?
Not exactly. It is a useful shorthand within the app and among players who use it regularly, but a level on one platform, a ranking from a national federation, and a club's own bronze/silver/gold group are three different systems that do not translate perfectly into one another.
How do I know what level I am if I have never used a booking app?
Ask a coach or an experienced club player to watch you play a set and give you a rough estimate. Most clubs are used to doing this for new members and would rather place you correctly the first time than have you guess.
Can your level go down as well as up?
Yes. If you stop playing for a long stretch, or a club reassesses its groups, it is completely normal to be placed in a lower tier than you were before. It is not a judgment, it is just where your game is right now.
Do I need a high level to enjoy playing padel while traveling?
No. Most cities with an active padel scene have room for every level, and the tier or level system exists specifically so beginners and experienced players can both find a match that is actually fun instead of one-sided.
Are bronze, silver and gold used at every club?
No, the exact names and number of tiers vary a lot by club and by country. Some use numbers similar to Playtomic's scale, some use letters, some just use plain language like "beginner," "intermediate," "advanced." Ask the group admin when you join a new WhatsApp group what system they use.
Which Playtomic level counts as a beginner?
On Playtomic's bands, under 1.0 is "Initiation", 1.0 to 1.49 "Beginner" and 1.5 to 2.4 "Initiation Intermediate". New? See the best padel rackets for beginners and padel shoes for travelers.
Keep exploring the padel series
Gear you'll need
Whatever level group you end up in, the two things worth getting right early are your racket and your shoes. Check our guides to the best padel rackets for beginners and travel and the best padel shoes for travelers before you show up to your first level-group session.
One Comment