What You Need Before You Enter
Entering an LTA padel tournament in the UK in 2026 comes down to two things you need to sort before you touch the competitions portal: an LTA Advantage membership and a partner to enter with.
LTA Advantage is the LTA’s free membership platform. Signing up gives you an LTA membership number, which is the identifier used across all LTA competition systems. Go to the LTA website, create an account, and your membership number appears in your account details. It takes about two minutes and costs nothing.
Your partner also needs their own LTA Advantage membership number. LTA padel competition is doubles only — there is no singles format at any grade. Both players in a pair must be registered independently, and both numbers are required when completing the entry. If you don’t have a partner yet, see the section below on finding one before you proceed.
How to Find a Tournament
All LTA-sanctioned padel competitions are listed on the LTA competitions portal. Filter by sport (padel), grade, region, and entry status. The most useful filter for players new to competition is “Entry Open” — this shows only events currently accepting entries, saving you time scrolling past events that have already closed or haven’t opened yet.
To find events near you, filter by postcode or county. Grade 5 and Grade 4 events run on most weekends throughout the spring and summer season at local and regional venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.
One critical timing point: Grade 5 entries are first come, first served and fill within hours of opening. If you find a Grade 5 event you want to enter, don’t wait. Set a reminder for the entry open date and get in as soon as it goes live. Grade 4 and above use ranking-based acceptance, so timing matters less — your ranking position determines whether you get in, not when you click.
The Entry Process Step by Step
Once you’ve found an event that’s open for entries:
1. Log in to LTA Advantage. Make sure you’re signed in and have your membership number to hand.
2. Open the event listing on the competitions portal. Check the grade, venue, date, and draw format before proceeding.
3. Select the category you want to enter. Most Grade 5 events offer Men’s Open, Women’s Open, and Mixed doubles. Some also offer age-group categories. Pick the right one for your pair.
4. Enter both players’ details. You’ll need your partner’s LTA membership number. Depending on how the organiser has set up the event, your partner may also need to confirm the entry from their own account — check the event listing.
5. Complete the entry and pay any entry fee. Entry fees vary by organiser. Grade 5 events typically cost £15–£25 per player.
6. Wait for confirmation. At Grade 5 you’ll be confirmed accepted or placed on the reserve list immediately. At Grade 4 and above, acceptance is ranking-based and confirmed once the entry window closes and the draw is seeded.
Finding a Partner
LTA padel competitions require you to enter as a pair — you cannot enter solo and be paired up on the day. If you don’t already have someone in mind, a few routes work well in practice.
Your own club is the most obvious starting point. Most padel clubs have a WhatsApp group or noticeboard where players look for tournament partners. Some individual event listings on the competitions portal include a partner-wanted section — check the event page directly. Local padel Facebook groups and community boards are also active for this across most UK cities.
One thing worth factoring in: your combined ranking as a pair determines seeding and acceptance at Grade 4 and above. If you have a ranking and your partner doesn’t, or vice versa, that affects where you sit in the draw. At Grade 5 seeding is still ranking-based even though entry is first come, first served — being unseeded at your first event is completely normal.
Which Grade Should You Enter?
If this is your first competition, Grade 5 is the right answer. No ranking required, guaranteed three matches, compass draw format, local venue. Full breakdown of what to expect: LTA Padel Grade 5 explained.
If you already have a working LTA Padel Ranking, Grade 4 is the natural step up — ranking-based acceptance means a more consistent standard than the open-entry Grade 5 draw.
For a complete overview of all five grades and how the structure works from local to national level, see LTA Padel grades explained.
What to Expect on the Day
Arrive with time to warm up — typically 15 to 30 minutes before your first match. Check the event listing for the reporting time.
Balls are provided by the organiser at all grades, so you don’t need to bring your own. Court shoes are mandatory — running shoes are not permitted on padel courts and you may be asked to change or be withdrawn from the event if you show up in them. Standard sportswear is fine for dress code at Grade 5.
Scoring at Grade 5 is best of three sets with standard padel scoring. Some events use the Golden Point rule — a single deciding point instead of deuce — to keep the day running on time. The organiser will confirm this at the briefing.
If you’re still working out what racket to bring, the Racket Intelligence analysis will match you to the right option based on how you play. For recommendations by level: best beginner padel rackets 2026 and best intermediate padel rackets 2026.
After Your First Tournament
Every result in an LTA-sanctioned event earns ranking points, even at Grade 5. Those points build your LTA Padel Ranking over time — calculated from your best six results in any rolling 52-week period. Once you have a working ranking, Grade 4 ranking-based acceptance opens up. For a full explanation of how the ranking system works, see LTA Padel Rankings explained.
