Simplifying Padel Match Organisation
A tool designed for padel centres as much as for players
Padel has always been in GL2A's DNA. As players ourselves and through contact with centre managers, we quickly identified the major pain points in this sector:
- On the players' side, organisation mainly relied on chat groups or personal networks. While these work, they quickly show their limits: too many untargeted messages and the recurring difficulty of finding exactly 4 players available at the same time and at a similar level.
- On the centres' side, filling time slots remains a constant challenge, with no efficient tools for managing player loyalty.
Faced with these realities, we developed Padup — a white-label cross-platform mobile app designed for private centres, built to meet the needs of both parties.
- For players: they post a match, filter by their available slots and level, and others can join in seconds. The app promotes balanced matches through a precise rating system, sends targeted notifications based on playing preferences, and provides game statistics. Connected to the centre's booking system, the app allows everything to be managed in a few clicks: from matchmaking to court booking, including an integrated player chat.
- For centres: Padup makes it easier to fill time slots, build player loyalty through a smooth experience, and build a customer database for targeted marketing campaigns.
- On the players' side, organisation mainly relied on chat groups or personal networks. While these work, they quickly show their limits: too many untargeted messages and the recurring difficulty of finding exactly 4 players available at the same time and at a similar level.
- On the centres' side, filling time slots remains a constant challenge, with no efficient tools for managing player loyalty.
Faced with these realities, we developed Padup — a white-label cross-platform mobile app designed for private centres, built to meet the needs of both parties.
- For players: they post a match, filter by their available slots and level, and others can join in seconds. The app promotes balanced matches through a precise rating system, sends targeted notifications based on playing preferences, and provides game statistics. Connected to the centre's booking system, the app allows everything to be managed in a few clicks: from matchmaking to court booking, including an integrated player chat.
- For centres: Padup makes it easier to fill time slots, build player loyalty through a smooth experience, and build a customer database for targeted marketing campaigns.
Challenges to address
Hard to align availabilities
Finding exactly 4 players free at the same time requires a lot of back-and-forth
Mixed skill levels
Without a reliable benchmark, matches can be unbalanced and less enjoyable
Filling time slots for centres
Centres need a tool to make it easier to fill slots and build player loyalty
An app purpose-built for padel matchmaking
Main features
- Match posting with time slot, location, and remaining spots
- Joining matches and booking courts in one click
- Targeted notifications based on playing preferences (level, schedule, location)
- Game statistics and match history for players
- Level validation possible by a coach
- Dynamic level progression based on an Elo rating system
Technologies used
ExpoReact NativeDjango Rest FrameworkFigma
Development process
Phase 1
Market research and needs scoping
Phase 2
Cross-platform development
Phase 3
User testing and iterations
Discover the interface
Player network
Quick match creation
Match history
Game statistics