If you follow padel on TV or social media, you will have heard “Premier Padel”, “FIP Tour” and “amateur tournament” as if they were the same thing. They are not: each is a different step of competitive padel, with different players, organisers and points; the only thing they share is the kit, the same you will find in our padel rackets category.
Here we explain it using the official websites of Premier Padel and the International Padel Federation (FIP), checked in October 2026, and what we see at the counter of our shop. In the UK, amateur competition runs through the LTA.
Premier Padel, FIP Tour and amateur, in short
- Premier Padel: the top-level professional circuit, organised by the FIP; its categories are Major, P1 and P2, plus a season-ending Finals event.
- FIP Tour: the FIP’s international circuit with four categories: Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze. It is a separate circuit from Premier Padel.
- Amateur: tournaments run by clubs, leagues and federations for non-professional players; this is where you can enter.
- Who each one is for: the first two are for watching; the third is the one you play.
Premier Padel is the professional elite, the FIP Tour is the FIP’s international circuit by category, and amateur tournaments are the club and federation events open to you.
The difference in a table↑ menu
Three different levels: Premier Padel at the top, the FIP Tour as the FIP’s international circuit, and amateur tournaments as club and federation padel.
| Circuit | Organiser | Categories | Who plays |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premier Padel | The FIP; founded by QSI (Qatar Sports Investments), the FIP and the PPA | Major, P1, P2 and Finals | Elite professional players |
| FIP Tour | The FIP | Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze | Competitive players from many countries |
| Amateur tournaments | Clubs, leagues and federations | Each organiser sets its own (levels, ages, mixed) | Any enthusiast |
Sources: premierpadel.com, padelfip.com (official FIP note, 09/2023: founded by QSI, FIP and PPA, launched in 2022; official FIP note, 10/2024: the Finals bring together the top 16 of each ranking) and Wikipedia, “Premier Padel”. Categories change from one season to the next: check them on the official website.
What is Premier Padel↑ menu
Premier Padel is the professional padel circuit organised by the FIP, launched in 2022 by QSI, the FIP and the PPA, with its first season that same year.
What is the FIP Tour↑ menu
The FIP Tour is the FIP’s international circuit, separate from Premier Padel, with four categories: Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze.
On the FIP website it appears as the “Cupra FIP Tour”, and its 2026 calendar mixes events from all four categories in cities across different countries. The older names (Star, Rise, Promotion) are archived, so guides from a couple of years ago may use other names.
The official homepage does not explain how each category scores or who can enter: for that, check the rules on padelfip.com before you sign up.
Amateur tournaments↑ menu
Amateur tournaments are run by clubs, leagues and federations for non-professional players: they are the ones you can play.
The shop’s insight↑ menu
Tienda Padelpoint insight: in our shop in La Nucía (Alicante), after every big tournament, the thing customers ask us most at the counter is which racket the champion uses. Our answer is always the same: choose your racket by your level, your weight and how it feels, not by what the circuit uses. To see them and compare, you will find them all in our padel rackets category, and our guide How to choose your padel racket explains step by step what to look at; on WhatsApp we will advise you according to your game.
Our customers ask↑ menu
FAQ↑ menu
What is Premier Padel?
It is the professional padel circuit organised by the FIP, launched in 2022, with Major, P1 and P2 categories and a season-ending Finals event.
What is the FIP Tour?
It is the FIP’s international circuit, separate from Premier Padel, with the categories Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze.
What is the difference between Premier Padel and the FIP Tour?
Premier Padel is the elite professional circuit, with Major, P1 and P2 categories; the FIP Tour is another FIP circuit, with Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze categories.
Can an amateur play in Premier Padel?
It is a professional circuit; an amateur plays amateur tournaments at their club, league or federation.
How many points does a Major award?
According to the official FIP 2026 points table, 2,000 FIP ranking points; a P1 awards 1,000 and a P2, 600.
Which racket do I need for my first amateur tournament?
The one that fits your level and your weight, not the champion’s: at Tienda Padelpoint we explain it in the guide “How to choose your padel racket” and advise you on WhatsApp.
Glossary↑ menu
- FIP
- is the International Padel Federation, the sport’s world governing body.
- PPA
- is the professional players’ association that supports Premier Padel.
- Major
- is the highest category in Premier Padel.
- P1 and P2
- are the next two Premier Padel categories, below the Major.
- FIP ranking
- is the world ranking of players by points.
- Racket
- is the padel racket, with a solid, perforated face; in Spanish it is called “pala”, and in South America “paleta”.
Our verdict↑ menu
Watch Premier Padel to enjoy and learn, use the FIP Tour to understand international padel, and play amateur tournaments to compete yourself.
And if you are about to start competing, look after your kit from day one: we explain how in How to clean a padel racket without damaging the surface.
We ship to the United Kingdom from our shop in Spain; as the UK is outside the EU, the order may carry import duties. Costs and delivery times are on our shipping page; exchanges and returns follow our returns, exchanges and warranty policy.
Sources consulted in October 2026: Premier Padel, FIP and Wikipedia. Points and categories may change from one season to the next.
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