Sooner or later every newcomer in Tashkent hears the question that makes you slightly uneasy on court: "So, what's your level?" One person says "a two," another says "three-plus," and you stand there with your racket having no idea where those numbers come from or what they mean. The good news: there's a clear system behind them — an international scale from 1.0 to 7.0 — and you can understand it in a single evening. In this guide we'll walk the whole scale from bottom to top, learn to assess yourself honestly, and see why your level directly decides which Americano you'll be signed up for, and whether your games feel like a joy or a chore.
Why a level matters at all
Padel is a social sport, and its whole point is four players of roughly equal strength trading long, stubborn rallies. Put a beginner across the net from someone clearly stronger and nobody has fun: one is bored, the other is frustrated, and the rallies end before they begin. So your level isn't about ego or self-esteem. It's simply the language players use to agree on a fair game.
The number answers three practical questions. First, who you should play with: a partner and opponents near your level mean long rallies and progress, not a blowout. Second, which tournament to enter: almost every amateur Americano in Tashkent splits players by level, and we'll come back to that. Third, how fast you're improving: once you know your starting point, progress stops being a feeling and becomes measurable.
And one thing to grasp right away: your padel level is not the same as your tennis or general sporting background. You can move beautifully, have a strong arm, and still be a "one" in padel, because the walls, doubles tactics, and shots like the bandeja are separate skills. We'll come back to that trap.
The 1.0–7.0 scale: the big map
The international padel scale runs from 1.0 (you've just picked up a racket) to 7.0 (a player on the world professional tour). Most amateurs spend their whole padel life between 1.0 and 4.0, and that's completely normal — only a handful who train systematically climb past 5.0. Different apps (Playtomic and Lunda Padel, both used in Tashkent) calibrate the rating slightly differently and show it to one decimal place, but the big map is the same everywhere.
| Range | Who this is | What already works |
|---|
| 1.0–2.0 | Beginner | Learning to hit the ball, knows the basic rules, rallies are short |
| 2.0–3.0 | Advanced beginner | Sustains a simple rally, started playing off the back wall |
| 3.0–4.0 | Confident amateur | Steady play, deliberate moves to the net, first bandejas |
| 4.0–5.0 | Advanced | Controls the net, plays off the walls, tactically sharp |
| 5.0–6.0 | Strong player | Full shot arsenal, few unforced errors, real tournament record |
| 6.0–7.0 | Professional | National and international competition level |
This table is a map of the terrain, not a verdict. Next we'll break down each range so you can honestly place yourself on it.
What you can do at each level
1.0–2.0: first steps
You've recently stepped on court. Your main job is simply to make contact with the middle of the racket and get the ball back to your opponent. The serve is shaky, double faults happen often, and you still see the back wall as a nuisance rather than an ally. This is a normal, honest start that everyone began from. At this level a group lesson or a beginner clinic is ideal — you'll be taught the basic movements right away.
2.0–3.0: you're actually playing
Rallies are longer now: you hold 4–6 shots, you've started to understand where to stand, and for the first time you've deliberately played a ball after it bounced off the back wall. The serve is fairly reliable, a net volley has appeared even if it's not always controlled. You're the most common type of player on Tashkent's amateur courts, and most level 1–2 and 2–3 Americanos are built exactly for you.
3.0–4.0: the confident amateur
You hold long rallies consistently and consciously choose when to attack the net and when to defend from the back. You have a purposeful lob, you're attempting the bandeja, you read the back wall without panic, and you're starting to think as a pair rather than alone. At this level the difference between players is already in tactics and consistency, not in how hard anyone hits.
4.0–5.0: advanced
You control the net, play confidently off both the back and side glass, own the bandeja and víbora, keep the ball alive from tough positions, and rarely miss without a reason. You're a welcome partner in any pair and a genuine contender for prizes at level 3+ amateur tournaments. Beyond here, improvement comes only through systematic training.
5.0 and up: strong players and pros
These are players with a full arsenal, polished tactics, and minimal unforced errors — the ones you see in open-tournament finals. Level 6.0–7.0 means national teams and the professional tour. For the vast majority of amateurs that's a level to admire rather than a realistic target, and there's nothing wrong with that.
How to find your level: a step-by-step check
Self-assessment in padel is a skill, and at first almost everyone overrates themselves. To land on an honest number, run through this short checklist, judging yourself as strictly as you can.
- Measure your rally length. How many shots in a row do you genuinely keep in play against an equal opponent? Two or three is 1.0–2.0; five or six is already 2.0–3.0; long, stubborn rallies are 3.0 and up.
- Check your serve. How often do you double-fault? If it's every second or third game, you're closer to beginner; if your serve is almost always in play, you're at a confident level.
- Ask yourself about the back wall. Can you calmly return a ball off the back wall on purpose, not in panic? Playing the wall is the watershed between 2.0 and 3.0.
- Assess your positioning. Do you know when to move up to the net and when to drop back, and do you move as a pair in sync with your partner? Conscious positioning is a sign of 3.0+.
- Recall your matches. Who beat you comfortably, and who did you beat comfortably? Your level sits roughly halfway between those two markers.
- Round down. If you're torn between two ranges, pick the lower one. A level set half a step too low fixes itself in a couple of games, but one set too high ruins the match for all four players on court.
This check takes five minutes and gives a far more honest picture than "well, probably a three." And once you've settled on a range, there's one more, more accurate way to verify it — an outside opinion.
The fastest way is to ask a coach
You can argue with yourself for weeks over decimal places, or you can get an answer in a single session from someone who's seen hundreds of players. A coach watches not your occasional good shots but your consistency, movement, and tactical thinking — exactly what you can't judge in yourself.
An experienced coach needs only an hour of hitting to see the real picture. A new player almost always either overrates their level because of one pretty shot, or underrates it because of a couple of errors — but from the outside the main thing is clear: how someone moves under pressure and whether they keep the ball alive once they're tired. In our experience it's worth pinning down your starting point at the very beginning: that way progress becomes visible within a month.
If you want an honest assessment — and to fix your weak spots at the same time — an hour with one of the PlaySport coaches pays off faster than months of self-guesswork. The coach will also tell you exactly which tournament you're ready to enter.
Levels and tournaments in Tashkent
This is where the number turns from abstraction into practice. Almost every amateur Americano in Tashkent is split by level, precisely so that players of similar strength end up on court together. Most often you'll see three entry brackets:
- Level 1.0–2.0 — tournaments for beginners and improvers. This is where you go for your first tournament experience, and losing here is no disgrace.
- Level 2.0–3.0 — the biggest category: stubborn rallies and a real fight for places.
- Level 3.0+ — for confident, advanced players, often with a prize fund.
So an honest level is, quite literally, your ticket to the right tournament. Enter above your bracket and you'll spend the evening as a target; below it and you'll be bored and won't improve. Which tournaments are running in Tashkent right now, and which bracket to aim for, are easy to see in the events calendar — it updates daily. And if tournaments still feel intimidating, start with our guide on how to get through your first tournament without the extra stress.
Padel vs tennis: why experience doesn't equal level
A special case is players who came to padel from tennis or another serious sport. They're often convinced their "tennis four" transfers straight to the court and sign up for a tournament above their real level. In practice a strong arm without an understanding of the walls and doubles tactics loses to a tidy "three" who knows where to stand.
That's because padel isn't "small tennis." Playing off the glass, the underarm serve, the narrow court, and constant coordination with a partner are all separate skills that take months to build. Former tennis players usually do climb quickly thanks to their movement and reactions, but in the first weeks it's more honest to judge yourself strictly. We covered these differences in detail in our padel vs tennis article — recommended if you're crossing over from a racket sport.
How to climb the scale
The good news: the first half-steps in padel come quickly — sometimes within a month of regular play. After that each step gets harder, but the logic of progress is simple and the same at any level.
- Play more, and with people slightly stronger. The fastest growth comes against an opponent half a step above you: they make you stretch without crushing you.
- Take targeted lessons. One hour with a coach every couple of weeks removes the rough mistakes that otherwise get "baked in" over months of solo play.
- Master the wall and the serve. These are the two skills that move a beginner from 2.0 to 3.0 the most. We covered the typical early errors in detail in our first-month mistakes guide.
- Don't chase the number. Level rises as a consequence of playing, not as a goal. Focus on consistency and the rating will follow.
And remember that the number is a tool, not a diagnosis. It exists to help you find the right opponents and the right tournaments, not to make you anxious over decimals. If you want to speed things up at this stage, pick a convenient court close to home and play regularly — that beats any theory. And if you're still choosing gear to match your level, take a look at our breakdown of how to choose your first racket.
Level vs in-app rating: what's the difference
Beginners often confuse two similar words — "level" and "rating" — but they aren't the same thing. Level is the broad bracket (1–2, 2–3, 3+) you place yourself in to find games and tournaments. Rating is the precise, one-decimal number (say, 2.43) the app calculates for you, automatically recomputing it after every match you play.
In Tashkent you'll most often run into Playtomic and Lunda Padel: you log your results and the algorithm raises your rating for wins over stronger players and lowers it for losses. That number has two quirks worth knowing in advance. First, it needs calibration: for the first 5–10 matches it bounces around while the system zeroes in on your real level, so don't panic at the early swings. Second, the rating reflects results, not how pretty your game looks: you can hit cleanly but lose tactically, and the number will be lower than your strokes suggest.
The practical takeaway is simple: to enter a tournament and find partners, knowing your bracket is enough; a precise in-app rating is a nice bonus and a handy way to watch progress over time. Don't make the number an end in itself — it'll catch up once your game does.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does level 3.0 mean in padel?
It's a confident amateur: you hold long rallies consistently, move to the net deliberately, play off the back wall, and attempt the bandeja. At 3.0 the gap between players is decided by tactics and consistency rather than power. Most of Tashkent's popular Americanos are the 2–3 and 3+ brackets.
How do I find my level if I'm just starting?
If you've only recently stepped on court and your rallies are still short, your level is 1.0–2.0 — a perfectly normal starting point. The most accurate way to confirm it is an hour with a coach, who'll assess your game from the outside in a single session. On your own, go by your rally length and serve consistency.
I play tennis — what's my padel level?
Probably lower than you think. Tennis experience helps with movement and reactions, but the walls, the underarm serve, and doubles tactics are separate skills. In the first weeks it's more honest to judge yourself strictly and not enter a tournament above your real level, even with a strong arm.
Which tournament in Tashkent should I enter?
Go by your honest range: beginners in the 1–2 bracket, playing amateurs in 2–3, confident players in 3+. It's best to enter your own bracket or half a step below — never above. Check current tournaments and their levels in the PlaySport events calendar.
How quickly does your padel level rise?
The first half-steps (say, from 1.5 to 2.0) come within a month or so of regular play. After that each step gets harder and demands work on the wall, the serve, and tactics. Targeted lessons with a coach speed things up noticeably more than frequent play alone.
Where can I see my padel rating?
The decimal amateur rating is kept by dedicated apps — for example Playtomic and Lunda Padel, both used in Tashkent — which recalculate your level from your match and tournament results. But the most honest first assessment is still a coach's opinion on court.
