Terms and conditions

Welcome to Douro Bats Padel, the official padel platform of Associação Desportiva Douro Bats (ADDB), a non-profit sports association founded in 2021 and based in Portugal. These terms and conditions govern your use of the platform and your participation in the padel activities, games, competitions and ranking organised by ADDB.

By accessing or using this platform, you agree to be bound by these terms as well as by the Statutes and General Regulations of ADDB. If you do not agree with any part of these terms, do not use the platform or take part in our padel activities.

Douro Bats Padel is an invitation-only platform, used by ADDB members and by players from other associations invited to competitions we organise. Accounts are created through an invitation sent by an administrator of the padel section. By creating an account, you are responsible for:

• Maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials
• All activities that occur under your account
• Providing accurate and up-to-date information
• Keeping your ADDB membership status in good standing, where applicable, to access competitive features
• Notifying us immediately of any unauthorised use of your account

When taking part in games, competitions, leagues or friendly matches organised by the ADDB padel section, you agree to:

• Abide by the rules of each competition and by ADDB's General Regulations
• Respect other players, partners, opponents, referees and club staff
• Arrive on time for scheduled matches and communicate any absence
• Accept the decisions of the organisers and referees
• Play fairly and uphold the inclusive spirit of ADDB

Failure to comply with these requirements may result in disqualification, suspension from future games or, in serious cases, revocation of access to the platform in accordance with ADDB's disciplinary rules.

Our internal ranking system is designed to fairly reflect the performance of ADDB padel players. The ranking is calculated based on match results and participation in the competitions we organise. ADDB reserves the right to:

• Adjust or recompute the ranking algorithm to improve fairness
• Review ratings and the ranking in cases of suspected manipulation, collusion or unsporting behaviour
• Reset or archive the ranking at the beginning of each season

ADDB is an inclusive association and expects all players on this platform to contribute to a welcoming, respectful and safe environment. Users must not:

• Engage in harassment, bullying or discriminatory behaviour of any kind
• Use offensive, abusive or inappropriate language
• Attempt to manipulate ratings, match results or draws
• Share account credentials with others
• Interfere with the platform's operation or security
• Violate any applicable Portuguese or European law

There are no sign-up fees on this platform and no payments are taken online. Signing up for a game costs nothing. What you pay for is the court, on these terms:

• ADDB books the courts at the club in the association's name, and the amount is settled at the club at the end of each game, divided between the players who took part.
• While sign-ups are open you may cancel your sign-up at no cost. Your place passes automatically to the first player on the waitlist.
• Once sign-ups close, the draw is made from the list of signed-up players and the courts are booked. From that point a cancellation or a no-show counts as a sanction, whatever the reason. You can drop out on the game's page until the start: your place is offered to the waitlist and, if nobody there takes it, you can invite a replacement among the players who aren't signed up, who must accept the invitation before the start. Whoever accepts a place takes on the same duties: dropping out later is a late drop-out too. If nobody takes your place, you pay the full court booking within 7 days of the game: the other players shouldn't pay for a fault that isn't theirs. Not paying in time can lead to suspension from the padel section.
• Should a competition ever carry an entry fee, it is announced with the competition itself and settled directly with ADDB. It is never collected through the platform.

If you cannot play, drop out on the game's page as early as you can. The earlier you do, the more likely it is that someone from the waitlist, or a replacement you invite, takes your place and you owe nothing.

The Douro Bats name, logo, visual identity and all content on this platform, including text, graphics and software, are the property of Associação Desportiva Douro Bats or its licensors and are protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws.

Padel is a physical sport and participation involves inherent risks. Players take part at their own risk and are responsible for their own health, physical condition and safety. To the extent permitted by law, ADDB is not liable for injuries, losses or damages that may occur during training, games or matches organised through the platform.

ADDB may update these terms whenever needed to reflect changes in the platform, in our regulations or in applicable law. Updates become effective as soon as they are published on this page. Continued use of the platform after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.

For any questions about these terms and conditions, contact Associação Desportiva Douro Bats at dourobats@gmail.com.