Basic Padel Rules: Your Complete Guide to Mastering the Game

Padel has rapidly grown from a niche sport into a global sensation, captivating players with its dynamic blend of tennis and squash. While its similarities to other racket sports make it approachable, understanding the unique rules of padel is crucial for both enjoyment and competitive success. This complete guide will walk you through everything you need to know, from the basic court setup to advanced rally dynamics, ensuring you step onto the court with confidence.

The Padel Court: Your Arena

Before diving into the rules, let’s briefly visualize the playing field. A padel court is smaller than a tennis court, typically measuring 20 meters long by 10 meters wide, enclosed by walls – usually a combination of glass at the back and part of the sides, and wire mesh (or solid walls) for the rest. A net divides the court in half, similar to tennis. The walls are an integral part of the game, influencing strategy and shot selection in ways unique to padel.

Scoring: Familiar Yet Distinct

Padel adopts a scoring system identical to tennis, making it instantly familiar to many racket sport enthusiasts. Matches are typically played as the best of three sets, with each set won by the first team to reach six games, with a two-game advantage.

• Points: 15, 30, 40, Game.
• Deuce: If both teams reach 40 points, the score is ‘deuce’. To win the game from deuce, a team must win two consecutive points (advantage, then game).
• Game: A game is won when a team scores at least four points and has a two-point lead over their opponents.
• Set: A set is won when a team wins six games with at least a two-game lead. If the score reaches 6-5, play continues until 7-5. If it reaches 6-6, a tie-break (first to 7 points with a two-point lead) is usually played.
• Match: A match is typically the best of three sets.

Mastering the Serve: The Game’s Foundation

The serve in padel is one of its most distinctive features, differing significantly from tennis. It’s an underhand serve, making it less power-focused and more about placement and strategy.

1. Underhand Action: The server must hit the ball below waist level. The racket head must also be below the wrist at the moment of impact.
2. Ball Bounce: Before serving, the server must bounce the ball once on their side of the court, behind the service line.
3. Diagonal Serve: The serve must be directed diagonally into the opponent’s service box. The ball must land within the lines of the service box or on the lines themselves.
4. One Bounce Rule: The ball must bounce once on the opponent’s side within the service box. After this first bounce, it can hit the side walls or the back glass wall, but cannot hit the mesh fence before a second bounce.
5. No Direct Wall Contact: Crucially, the served ball cannot hit the opponent’s glass wall directly without first bouncing on the court. If it does, it’s a fault.
6. Two Serves: Like tennis, each server gets two attempts to make a valid serve. If the first is a fault, they get a second serve.

Serve Faults

A serve is considered a fault if:

• The ball is hit above waist level.
• The ball does not bounce on the server’s side before being hit.
• The ball lands outside the opponent’s service box.
• The ball hits the net and does not land correctly in the service box.
• The ball hits the net and then hits the opponent’s mesh fence (without bouncing first).
• The ball hits the opponent’s glass wall directly without bouncing on the court first.
• The server steps on or over the service line before hitting the ball.

Serve Let

A ‘let’ occurs during a serve if the ball hits the net but then lands correctly within the opponent’s service box. In this case, the serve is replayed without penalty.

Ball in Play: The Rally Dynamics

Once the serve is successfully delivered, the rally begins, and this is where padel’s unique charm truly shines. The interaction with the walls adds a fascinating strategic layer.

Key Rules for Rally Play:

1. One Bounce on Opponent’s Side: For a shot to be valid, the ball must always bounce once on the opponent’s side of the court before it makes contact with any of their walls (glass or mesh). If it hits the wall directly without bouncing first, it’s a fault, and the point goes to the opponent.
2. Using Your Own Walls: After the ball has bounced on your side of the court, you are allowed to let it hit your own glass or mesh walls before returning it over the net. This is a fundamental defensive and strategic element, allowing players to retrieve difficult shots.
3. Double Bounce: If the ball bounces twice on your side of the court before you hit it, you lose the point. You must return the ball after its first bounce and before its second bounce.
4. Volleys: Players are allowed to hit the ball directly (a volley) before it bounces on their side, provided the ball has already crossed the net to their side. However, players cannot hit the ball before it crosses the net to their side (invading the opponent’s court).
5. Net Play During Rally: If the ball hits the net during a rally and successfully goes over to the opponent’s side, play continues. The net is only a fault on a serve if it doesn’t land correctly.
6. Hitting Opponent/Equipment: If the ball hits an opponent or their racket (not in the act of hitting the ball), or any part of their clothing or equipment, the point is lost by the player who hit the ball.
7. Ball Out of Court: Padel has a thrilling rule regarding balls that leave the court. If a ball bounces correctly on the opponent’s side and then exits the court (e.g., over the side walls or back glass), players are permitted to leave the court through the side doors to hit the ball back into play, provided it hasn’t bounced a second time outside the court. This leads to spectacular retrieves!
8. Double Hit: A player cannot hit the ball twice in succession. This results in a loss of point.

Common Faults and Infractions

Beyond the serve, several actions during a rally will result in losing a point:

• The ball bounces twice on your side of the court.
• Hitting the ball directly onto the opponent’s wall without it bouncing first on their court.
• The ball hits your own mesh fence (not glass) before crossing the net.
• A player or their racket touches the net or the opponent’s court while the ball is in play.
• Hitting the ball out of the court before it crosses the net (e.g., into your own mesh or glass before it goes over).
• Hitting the ball over the entire court structure (e.g., over the back glass wall) without it first bouncing within the court and then exiting.
• A player hits the ball before it crosses the net to their side.
• A player hits the ball twice.

Strategic Considerations Within the Rules

The unique rules of padel profoundly influence strategy. The ability to use the walls for defense and to set up attacking shots, combined with the underhand serve and the enclosed court, encourages a game of precision, teamwork, and tactical positioning rather than raw power. Understanding when to volley, when to let the ball hit your own wall, and how to use the angles of the opponent’s walls are all critical skills built upon a solid grasp of the rules.

Conclusion

Padel’s blend of familiar scoring and unique wall-play rules creates an fascinating and accessible racket sport. By understanding these fundamental rules – from the distinctive underhand serve to the dynamic use of the glass walls – you’re not just learning how to play, but how to truly understand and enjoy the game. Practice these rules, watch experienced players, and you’ll quickly find yourself mastering the court and enjoying the strategic depth padel has to offer. Now, grab your racket and get ready to play!

Related reading

• How Padel Scoring Works: A Complete Beginner’s Guide
• Mastering the Basic Padel Stance: Essential Positioning and Movement for Beginners
• Best Padel Rackets for Beginners 2026: How to Choose Your First Racket