Padel Rules Explained: A Complete Guide

The court and positions

A padel court measures 20 metres long by 10 metres wide, divided by a net. The court is enclosed by glass walls (at the back and partially on the sides) and metallic mesh (on the upper portions). Each side has two service boxes separated by a centre line, just like tennis.

Each team of two players stands on one side. There are no fixed positions — both players can move freely anywhere on their half — but conventional positioning places one player at the net and one at the back. The pair that controls the net usually controls the point.

Serving rules

The serve in padel is underhand. The server must bounce the ball behind the service line and strike it at or below waist height. The ball must land in the diagonally opposite service box (like tennis) and the server gets two attempts per point.

A serve is a fault if it hits the net and lands outside the service box, or if it bounces in the correct box but hits the side wall before the back wall (this catches beginners off guard). If the ball bounces in the correct box and then hits the back wall, that's a legal serve and the rally continues.

The server must keep both feet behind the service line when hitting the ball. Unlike tennis, you cannot jump or toss the ball high — it's a controlled, bounced underhand motion.

Scoring

Padel uses the same scoring as tennis: 15, 30, 40, game. At 40-40 (deuce), one team must win two consecutive points. Sets are played to six games with a tiebreak at 6-6. Matches are typically best of three sets.

The main variation you'll encounter is the 'golden point' or 'punto de oro' — in some tournaments and club play, there's no deuce. At 40-40, the receiving team chooses which side the server must serve to, and a single point decides the game. This speeds up matches and adds drama.

Wall play — the unique padel rules

Here's where padel diverges from tennis completely. After the ball bounces on your side, it can hit the back wall or side walls, and you can still play it. The ball is only dead when it bounces on the ground a second time.

This means defensive plays that would be impossible in tennis are routine in padel. A hard smash that bounces and flies toward the back wall can be retrieved by waiting for it to come off the glass — giving you time to set up your next shot.

The ball can also be played off the side glass on your own side. However, the ball cannot hit the mesh (the metallic fencing above the glass) on your side and remain in play — if it hits your mesh, the point goes to your opponents. On the opponent's side, the ball can hit the glass or mesh after bouncing, and the point continues.

Let calls and other situations

A let is called when the serve hits the net cord and lands in the correct service box — the serve is replayed. If the ball hits any permanent fixture (like a light or the ceiling) during a rally, the point goes to the team that didn't hit it.

Players are allowed to hit the ball out of the cage — over the metallic mesh or through the doorways — and back onto the court. This 'por tres' or 'out-of-court' play is one of padel's most spectacular moves and is perfectly legal, provided the ball hasn't bounced twice.

You cannot touch the net at any time during a rally. You cannot hit the ball before it crosses the net to your side. And both players on a team can attempt to hit the ball, but only one contact per team is allowed per shot.

Quick-reference summary

Serve underhand, below the waist, after a bounce. Ball must land in the diagonal service box. Walls are in play after the bounce — back wall and side glass are your friends. Scoring follows tennis conventions. Net touch loses the point. Two bounces and the point is over. Out-of-court play is legal if the ball hasn't double-bounced.

The best way to learn the rules is to play. Book a court at Padel Tropical, where our coaches walk you through every rule during your first lesson. Within 30 minutes, the rules become instinctive — and the fun takes over.