FITP has announced an investment of €1 million in the Integrated Padel Area Plans (PIA Padel) project, an initiative that will accompany the 2027 sporting season with the aim of strengthening training, broadening club participation and building increasingly solid foundations for the technical and competitive growth of the sport throughout the country (there are currently 751 FITP-recognised federated schools).
The project, proposed by the “Roberto Lombardi” Higher Training Institute, forms part of the development and decentralisation of federated activities, with particular attention to the Under 18 youth sector. The aim is to create a structured network of collaboration between FITP and sports clubs, encouraging the sharing of expertise, improving the quality of coaching and managing resources allocated to youth development more effectively.
For 2027, the creation of 40 PIA Padel Consortia is planned, a number established on the basis of data collected during 2026 regarding clubs’ participation in and commitment to federated projects.
The heart of the initiative is the integration of Federated Schools’ activities within the Consortia. Technical training camps, monitoring of athletes of national interest, individual and team promotional competitions, training pathways and opportunities for clubs to exchange ideas will come together in a coordinated programme designed to support players’ development from their first experiences on court through to the more advanced youth age groups.
A central role will be entrusted to the Higher Training Institute’s representatives, who will oversee the Consortia’s technical activities and monitor the development of the youth game. The aim is to make the link between the work carried out at individual clubs and the guidelines of the National Technical Department more effective, identifying talent more consistently and supporting its development pathway.
FITP intends to encourage participation by an ever-increasing number of clubs, stimulating the creation of new talent-development programmes and promoting a collaborative model in which local sports organisations become active protagonists in the growth of Italian padel.
The PIA Padel Cup for Under 10 talent
One of the project’s main innovations is the PIA Padel Cup Under 10, an event for Consortia representative teams. The pathway includes a qualifying phase for macro-areas and a national phase featuring 16 teams, to be held at a FITP Summer Centre.
The competition will be preceded by preparation and monitoring activities through the PIA Padel Territorial Aggregation Centres (CATs). Each Consortium will have to organise at least nine training camps for children aged between 8 and 10 with particular aptitude, helping to support their development and enabling the technical staff to monitor their progress.
Inter-Consortium training camps for athletes aged 11 to 15 are also planned, with the aim of guiding the most promising players towards regional activities. The major innovation is that, until last year, the locations of the aggregation centres were identified by the ISF in collaboration with the respective Regional Committees, whereas from 2027 they will be selected by the consortia themselves from among the clubs participating in the plan that hold the highest school classification.
The project will also involve the youngest age groups through the FITP Junior Program and team promotional championships, divided into the Red (5-8 years), Orange (9-10), Green (11-12) and Super Green (13-14) categories. Competitions will take place at several levels, from within the Consortium through to any regional, interregional, macro-area or national phases.
Benefits for clubs and new opportunities
Alongside the technical aspects, the plan provides concrete incentives for participating clubs. The measures approved include the removal of the transfer fee for Under 18 athletes within the same Consortium, subject to payment of any applicable compensation, exemption from the entry fee for the Youth Championships for teams from participating clubs and the possibility of free loans of Under 18 athletes between clubs belonging to the same PIA Padel, limited to the relevant year.
The benefits are intended to make collaboration between clubs easier, supporting team formation and participation in competitions. Entry to the youth team championships will be free for clubs participating in the project, as will entry for teams taking part in the promotional activities included in the programme.
The project will also extend to sports promotion initiatives linked to “Racchette in Classe” and “Racchette negli Oratori”, with activities also dedicated to pickleball and opportunities to involve new educational and social settings through financial contributions and teaching materials.
The PIA Padel Consortia Grand Prix
The system will be completed by the PIA Padel Consortia Grand Prix: at the end of the season, a national ranking based mainly on qualitative parameters will be drawn up, with additional financial contributions awarded according to the results achieved. Assessment criteria may include the number of participating clubs, the type of Federated Schools and the presence of athletes included on the National Technical Department’s lists.
With an allocation of more than €1 million, FITP therefore aims to turn padel’s growth into an increasingly organised and widespread project. The challenge for 2027 will be to consolidate collaboration between the Federation and clubs, broaden opportunities to access the sport and invest in the quality of training.
