Padel rules, explained simply

Padel borrows its scoring from tennis but its court from something else entirely — four walls, two cages, and a service box that's smaller than you'd expect. The rules are simple enough to pick up in a session; the edge cases take longer. This is a clean reference: what you need to play, what casual players routinely get wrong, and the calls that decide close matches.

Table of contents

The court
Scoring
The serve
Walls in play
Out of play
Volleys and smashes
Common edge cases
Key takeaways
Questions

Padel court — 20 m × 10 m, net at centre

The court

A padel court is 20 m long, 10 m wide, divided by a net roughly the same height as tennis. All four sides are enclosed — two end walls (solid glass or concrete) and two side walls that transition into metal mesh. The service box is 6.95 m from the net and split by a centre line.

Scoring

Identical to tennis: 15, 30, 40, game. Deuce at 40–40. Advantage to the winning side, or back to deuce if the other wins the next point. Six games wins a set; you need two sets to win a match. Most recreational play uses 'Golden Point' at deuce — next point wins the game.

The serve

Serves are underhand. You bounce the ball once behind the service line, then strike it at or below waist height into the opponent's diagonal service box. Two chances per point. The serve must bounce in the service box before hitting any wall. If the serve clips the net and lands in, it's a let — replay the point.

Walls in play

After the ball crosses the net, it can hit any wall and still be in play. The defining rule: it must bounce on the ground first, then can bounce off walls freely. You can play a ball off your own back wall after it has crossed the net, travelled past you, and bounced behind you — a huge part of advanced padel.

Out of play

A ball hits your own court's wall or ceiling before crossing the net? Lost point. A ball hits any object outside the court (light, net post, ceiling)? Lost point. A volley that goes straight into a wall without bouncing first (from your side, after receiving a hit)? Lost point.

Volleys and smashes

Any ball is volleyable after it crosses the net, except the serve — the return of serve must bounce first. Smashes can be hit directly out of the court ('por tres' — through the opening at the top corner) and the point is still yours if it clears cleanly.

Common edge cases

The ball clips the net during a rally and lands in: play on. The ball hits the net post and bounces in: out. The ball brushes your clothing or racket during a swing: lost point. The ball passes your ear between bounces: in play as long as it eventually bounces inside your court. Double-hits on the same swing: lost point. A coach shouting from the side: allowed in recreational play, restricted in tournament play.

Key takeaways

Scoring is tennis scoring. 15, 30, 40, game.
Serves are underhand, below waist, and must bounce in the diagonal service box.
Walls are in play after the ball bounces on the ground once.
A ball hitting your side's wall before crossing the net loses the point.
Volleys are legal except on serve returns.

Questions

Is padel scored like tennis?

Yes. 15, 30, 40, game. Deuce at 40–40. Sets are first to six games. Many recreational matches use Golden Point (first point after deuce wins the game).

Can you volley the serve in padel?

No. The return of serve must bounce once before being struck. Every subsequent shot in the rally can be volleyed.

Can the ball hit the wall before the ground?

Only after it has crossed the net. On your side, the ball must bounce on the ground first — then it can hit any wall. A ball that hits your wall before bouncing is a lost point.

What's 'por tres' in padel?

A smash hit hard enough to bounce on the opponent's side and fly out of the court through the gap between the fence and the glass. Legal — and the point is yours.

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