Find padel players: fill the fourth spot

Padel is played on a 10x20 metre glass-walled court by two teams of two. The rules are simple and even a first game produces fun rallies, which is why it is spreading so fast. But a match needs not one but three other players, and how close the four are in level decides whether the game is any fun. Evening courts fill up early, and one late cancellation sinks the whole match. Most padel games fall through for want of a player, not for want of a court.

When you sign up for Racket Crush you pick the sports you play and, through a short survey, a level for each: Beginner, Improving, Intermediate, Advanced or Expert. Your level shows on your profile and you can change it whenever you like; it does not move on its own with match results, so choosing honestly is the first step to a good match. On the Discover screen, players near you appear as cards with the sports they play. Swipe right to send a request; if the other player picks you too, you match and can start messaging inside the app. Once padel is on your profile, you see other players who play padel.

If the court and time are set, you can publish a match: choose the sport and the level you are looking for, set the format to doubles (2v2), then add the court, day and time. Leave it open and nearby padel players apply; you decide who joins. You can also invite players you know directly. You pick the court from the app's list when you open a match, and padel courts are still being added to that list. If your court is not listed yet, you can set up the game by messaging the players you match with on Discover.

In doubles, if one of the four is clearly at a different level, every ball goes either to them or away from them and the match turns one-sided. That is why stating the level you are looking for matters when you publish a match. On Racket Crush you choose your own level; if you are used to the 0–7 scale of apps such as Playtomic, roughly 1–2 corresponds to Beginner and Improving, 2.5–3.5 to Intermediate and 4 and above to Advanced.

When the game is over one side enters the score and the other confirms it or rejects it with a reason, so your match history is made of results everyone accepted. Keep messaging the players you enjoyed and build a regular four from there. You can also keep tennis and padel scores from your wrist with the Racket Crush Apple Watch app.