Keeping cats from scratching

I have a cat that likes to just on the wall in my hallway. I live in an apartment and he is puting claw marks in the wall. There is part that he has torn the paint off. Is there anyway that I can get him to stop? I am thinkin about getting softpaws, but until then I need suggestions. George is only about a year and half and still very playful. Thank you for your help.

Tanya

try double-sided sticky tape where he's scratching. Most cats don't like it sticking to their paws

Thank you for the input. But what I didn't mention in my post (thought I had), is that he jumps on the wall. About three feet off the ground and slides down. Its rather annoying.

with a lemon sented cleaner or air freshener. Cats do not like citrus scents. Could you cover the area with some inexpencive panneling?
Does he have a place to scratch? Cats need to scratch to be healthy and comfortable. It helps them to stretch and loosen tight muscles.
He may also be smelling another animal in the wall or the previous tennent may have had a cat that left it's scent there.
Has he been neutered? Males like to mark their territory with scent. They have many glands to mark with, the feet, the chin, and the dreaded urine marking.
I know you will get alot of advice! Best of luck!

I'm moving this to behavior for you so you can get the help and advice you need.

Tape several large pieces of aluminum foil to the wall (up where he jumps and all the way to the floor). He will hate the sound it makes when he jumps and the way it feels on his paws. Once he stops leaping onto the wall, remove the foil a tiny bit at a time (tear off about an inch a day). Don't remove it all at once or else the cat may see this as an invitation to jump on the wall again.

Also, as Myste said, double-sided tape works wonders. Just put the tape up where he leaps instead of lower down on the wall.

Is there anything he is jumping after? A mark on the wall or something that he is checking out?

DragonLady thank you for the suggestions. He is neutered and I didn't even think about smells from other animals. He has lots of places to scratch. He does it when he is extremely playful, usually while running circles around my apartment. So I'm thinking, as lotsocats suggested, that he may think he sees something on the wall to attack. I will try some of these suggestions and see if they work. Thanks again for all your advice.

Tanya