@Article{Conde-Ripoll2026,
journal="Biology of Sport",
issn="0860-021X",
year="2026",
title="Do important points change the game? Technical-tactical performance in high-level men’s padel",
abstract="In padel, match outcomes often hinge on high-pressure situations that arise during critical scoring moments. However, little is known about how technical–tactical performance varies between important and regular points. This study aimed to test whether important points (break, golden, tiebreak) differ from regular points (all others) in last-shot effectiveness, server success, and set-winner success in high-level men’s padel, and to examine shot-family distributions by point importance. Through systematic observation, data were collected	from	38 matches	(4,521 points).	Outcomes	were	winner	(W),	forced	error	(FE),	unforced	error	(UE),	serving	pair	wins	the	point	(SrvWin),	and	point	won	by	the	set-winning	pair	(SetWinPt).	Binomial	GLMMs	(logit;	random	intercept	for	match)	were	fitted;	binomial	GLMs	were	used	when	the	random-effect	variance	was	at	the	boundary.	We	contrasted	break,	golden,	and	tiebreak	points	with	regular	and	reported	odds	ratios	(OR,	95%	CI)	and	model-adjusted	probabilities.	Shot-family	distributions	for	the	last	shot	(W/FE/UE)	were	compared	with χ²	tests.	Important	versus	regular	points	showed	no	meaningful	differences	(ORs	≈	1.00);	model-adjusted	probability	gaps	were ≤ 2.3 percentage	points.	By	point	type,	omnibus	tests	were	non-significant	and	no	pairwise	contrast	versus	regular	survived	Holm	adjustment.	Shot-family	composition	did	not	differ	between	important	and	regular	points	for	W,	FE,	or	UE.	In	high-level	men’s	padel,	point	importance	did	not	systematically	affect	last-shot	effectiveness,	server	or	set-winner	success,	or	final-shot	family.	These	findings	suggest	performance	stability under pressure. Therefore, coaches may prioritize consolidating consistent execution across contexts using pressure drills to reinforce existing routines.",
author="Conde-Ripoll, Rafael
and Escudero-Tena, Adrián
and Ramón-Llin, Jesús
and Bustamante-Sánchez, Álvaro",
pages="1303--1313",
doi="10.5114/biolsport.2026.158680",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.5114/biolsport.2026.158680"
}