What Is LTA Padel Grade 4?
LTA Padel Grade 4 is the County Tour — the second tier of the UK competition structure and the natural step up from Grade 5 for club players who have built a working LTA Padel Ranking. It sits between the open-entry local events at Grade 5 and the regional competitive circuit at Grade 3, and in 2026 it represents where the majority of regularly competing UK club players spend most of their season.
If Grade 5 is about experiencing competition for the first time, Grade 4 is where you start competing properly. Entry is no longer first come, first served — your ranking determines whether you get in. The standard is more consistent. And the draw is structured around players who have already demonstrated they can compete at club tournament level.
How Grade 4 Entry and Acceptance Works
The most significant difference between Grade 4 and Grade 5 is acceptance. At Grade 5, anyone with an LTA Advantage membership can enter and places go to whoever registers first. At Grade 4, acceptance into the main draw is based entirely on LTA Padel Rankings.
When the entry window closes, the draw is filled in combined pair ranking order — strongest pair first, down through the field until the draw is full. If more pairs enter than the draw can accommodate, the lowest-ranked pairs don’t get in and are placed on a reserve list. Players without any ranking can still enter, but they’ll be placed in the draw after all ranked pairs and are at higher risk of not being accepted if the event is oversubscribed.
Seeding within the draw follows the same ranking-based order. There’s no luck involved in where you’re placed — it’s a direct reflection of your combined pair ranking at the time the draw is made.
What Standard of Player Turns Up at Grade 4?
Grade 4 draws a meaningfully different field to Grade 5. Because acceptance is ranking-based, you won’t encounter pairs who have never competed before. Everyone in the draw has at least some tournament results behind them, and the seeded pairs will typically be experienced club competitors who have been playing the circuit for a season or more.
In Playtomic terms, most Grade 4 players sit roughly in the 3.5 to 4.5 range, though this varies by region. In areas where padel infrastructure is well established — London, the South East, major northern cities — Grade 4 draws can be surprisingly competitive. In areas where the sport is newer and the ranking pool is smaller, the standard is more accessible.
The key practical difference you’ll feel: matches at Grade 4 are more consistent. Players are more familiar with match tactics, court positioning, and reading the game under pressure. If you’ve been winning matches comfortably at Grade 5, Grade 4 will feel like a step up — because it is.
The Draw Format at Grade 4
Like Grade 5, Grade 4 events use a compass draw format with 8 to 16 pairs, guaranteeing every pair at least three matches regardless of results. The format is the same — win your first match and continue through the main bracket, lose and you’re redirected into a consolation bracket. You still get a full day of competition.
The compass draw format at Grade 4 means you’ll typically face pairs at your level after the first round even if you lose — the structure self-corrects to produce competitive matches throughout the day, which is both fairer and more useful for development than a straight knockout.
How to Qualify for Grade 4 From Grade 5
You don’t need to qualify in any formal sense — there’s no promotion or qualification round between Grade 5 and Grade 4. What you need is an LTA Padel Ranking, built from results at Grade 5 events.
Once you have a ranking — calculated from your best six results in any rolling 52-week period — you’re eligible to enter Grade 4 events. Whether you’re accepted depends on how your combined pair ranking sits relative to the other pairs entering that specific event. A well-established ranking from a solid Grade 5 season will get you into most Grade 4 draws without difficulty.
The practical path: play Grade 5 events consistently through a season, build your best-six-results ranking, then start entering Grade 4 events alongside your Grade 5 competition. Many players run both simultaneously during their first full season — Grade 5 for volume and ranking building, Grade 4 to test themselves at the next level.
What You Need on the Day
Everything that applies at Grade 5 applies at Grade 4. Your racket must be FIP-legal, the organiser provides balls, court shoes are mandatory. Standard sportswear for dress code.
One difference: because the field is stronger, the margin for equipment errors is smaller. A racket that’s too demanding for your current level — high balance, stiff carbon face — will be more exposed in Grade 4 matches where opponents make you pay for mistimed shots more consistently. If you’re moving up from Grade 5 and considering a racket upgrade at the same time, it’s worth making sure the equipment matches where your game actually is rather than where you’d like it to be. The Racket Intelligence analysis will give you an honest match based on how you play rather than what looks impressive.
For specific recommendations at the level most Grade 4 players are at: best intermediate padel rackets 2026. Players at the more competitive end of Grade 4 may want to look at best advanced padel rackets 2026.
Where Grade 4 Fits in the Full Picture
Grade 4 is the middle of the UK competition structure — above the entry-level local tour and below the regional and national circuit. For most club players who compete regularly, it’s where the majority of their season happens. Grade 3 is the next step: regional standard, harder to get into, and a meaningful jump in quality.
For a complete overview of all five grades and how they connect, see LTA Padel grades explained. If you’re still working up to Grade 4 from your first events, the LTA Padel Grade 5 guide covers how to build your ranking from scratch. And for the full detail on how ranking points are calculated and how the 52-week window works, see LTA Padel Rankings explained.
