British Padel
British Padel, often called the British Padel Federation, was the national governing body for padel in Great Britain before the LTA stepped in. Founded in 2011 by players who had been competing internationally since 1992, it formally allied with the LTA in May 2019 to create today’s LTA Padel.
What is British Padel?
British Padel was the national governing body for the sport in Great Britain. It grew out of a 1992 group of British expats who began entering international competitions, before formalising as a federation in 2011. The body ran early domestic tournaments, rankings and player development before partnering with the LTA.
When did the LTA take over?
British Padel formally allied with the Lawn Tennis Association in May 2019, creating the joint structure now known as LTA Padel. The LTA was then confirmed as the recognised National Governing Body for padel in 2020 by Sport England, Sport Scotland and Sport Wales, bringing the sport under one organisation.
Why the rename to LTA Padel?
Putting padel inside the LTA gave it access to funding, venues, coach education and Sport England recognition that a small standalone federation could not match. The rename to LTA Padel signalled one unified governance route for clubs, coaches and competitive players, replacing the previous British Padel branding entirely.
Quick reference: if you see “British Padel” or “BPF” in older articles, it refers to the pre-2019 body. The current governing organisation is LTA Padel.
Common misconceptions
The body’s name is British Padel (sometimes the British Padel Federation or BPF), not “Padel Federation Britain” or “PFB” - that phrasing does not appear in primary sources. It also did not disappear in 2019; it merged into the LTA structure rather than closing down, and its rankings fed into the early LTA Padel system.
