Padel rules
Padel rules for beginners
Padel takes about five minutes to learn and years to get bored of. Here is everything you need before your first match.
If you have ever played tennis, you already know most of padel. The scoring is identical, the ball is similar, and the point is still to make the other pair miss. The differences are the walls, the serve and the size of the court — and they change everything about how the game feels.
The basics
- Padel is played only in doubles: two against two.
- The court is 20 metres by 10, enclosed by glass walls and metal fencing.
- Rackets are solid with holes, no strings, and there is a wrist strap you must use.
- The net divides the court exactly as in tennis.
The serve
This is the biggest difference from tennis. The serve is underarm, and it must be hit at or below waist height after bouncing the ball on the ground once.
You serve from behind the service line, diagonally, into the opponent's service box — same as tennis. You get two attempts. More detail in the guide to the padel serve.
The walls: the fun part
The ball must bounce on the floor once before it hits a wall. After that bounce, the ball can come off any wall and the point continues.
- Your own walls are your friend. Let a hard shot pass you, take it off the back glass and hit it back.
- You may not hit the ball into your own wall first. It has to go over the net directly.
- A ball that hits the wall before the floor on your opponent's side is out.
- You can play the ball outside the court and return it, if there is a gap and you are brave.
When is the ball out?
The ball is out when it bounces outside the lines, when it hits the metal fencing on the opponent's side before bouncing on the floor, or when it hits any wall on the opponent's side before the floor. If it bounces in and then hits a wall, it is still in play.
Scoring
Exactly like tennis: 15, 30, 40, game. Six games win a set, with a tiebreak at 6-6. Matches are usually best of three sets. Full detail in how padel scoring works.
Three etiquette rules nobody writes down
- The pair that receives calls the lines on their own side. If you are not sure, the ball was in.
- Say the score out loud before every serve. It prevents 90% of arguments.
- If a ball rolls onto your court from next door, stop the point and replay it.
Frequently asked questions
Can you play padel in singles?
There are singles padel courts, but they are rare. Padel is designed as a doubles game and almost every court and tournament assumes four players.
Can the ball hit the wall on the serve?
Yes, after bouncing in the service box. But if it then hits the metal fencing before the receiver plays it, the serve is a fault.
Is the padel ball the same as a tennis ball?
It looks the same but has slightly lower pressure, which makes it bounce a little less. You can play with tennis balls, but a padel ball behaves better off the glass.
How long does a padel match take?
About 60 to 90 minutes for best of three sets. Social formats with a single short set run 35 to 45 minutes.