Padel rules are simple enough that most players can learn them in 10 minutes and be playing properly within their first session. The scoring is borrowed from tennis, the wall play borrows from squash, and the serve is unlike any other racket sport. Here's everything you need before you step on court.
The Basics
- Padel is always played in doubles — 2 vs 2.
- The court is 20m × 10m, enclosed by glass walls and metal fencing.
- Balls can bounce off the walls during play — this is the central mechanic of the game.
- The scoring is identical to tennis.
The Serve
This is where padel differs most from tennis. In padel:
- The serve is underarm only. No overhead serves.
- The server bounces the ball once and hits it below waist height.
- The ball must be served diagonally into the opponent's service box (same as tennis).
- If the ball hits the wire fencing after landing in the service box, the receiver can choose to return it or let it go — if it hits the wire and bounces back in, the receiver may still play it.
- If the serve hits the net, it's a let and the serve is taken again. Two faults = point to the receiver.
Wall Play — The Core of the Game
This is what makes padel padel. During a rally:
- After the ball bounces on the court floor, it can hit any wall and still be in play — the receiving player can return it off the wall.
- The ball must bounce on the floor before hitting a wall to be playable. If it hits a wall directly off your opponent's racket without bouncing, it's your point.
- You can also hit the ball into the wall on your own side and have it travel over the net into the opponent's court — this is called a "salida por tres paredes" or a back-wall pass, and it's one of padel's most spectacular shots when used correctly.
Scoring
Identical to tennis:
- Points: 0, 15, 30, 40, game
- Deuce at 40-40, then advantage and game
- First to 6 games wins a set (must win by 2, tiebreak at 6-6)
- Matches are typically best of 3 sets
Common Faults (Things That Lose You the Point)
- Hitting the ball into the net
- Ball lands out of bounds before touching a wall
- Ball bounces twice on your side before you return it
- Ball hits the fence on your side directly (not off the floor first)
- You or your racket touch the net
- You reach across the net to hit the ball
A Few Rules That Catch New Players Out
The serve bounce: Unlike tennis, the served ball must bounce before being hit. There's no volleying the serve.
Returning off the back wall: If the ball bounces in your court and then comes off the back wall, you can still hit it — but you must hit it before it bounces a second time.
Hitting through the fence: In some situations (especially in corners), you can legally put your racket through the open wire fence to hit the ball. This is advanced and rare, but completely legal.
The rules take about a session to feel natural. Most new players forget about the double-bounce rule at first (ball bounces twice = opponent's point), but it becomes automatic quickly. The wall play is the part that takes longer to read — give it three to four sessions and it starts to feel intuitive.