Padel rules you need before your first game
The rules that actually matter on a padel court: the serve, the scoring, wall play, and how a match is won.
- Always doubles, four players on a 10x20m glass court
- Tennis scoring: 15, 30, 40, game, best of three sets
- Underhand serve, bounced once, hit below the waist
- Back and side walls are in play, out is over the fence
The serve, done right
Padel serve rules are stricter than the rest of the game, so learn them first. You stand behind the service line, bounce the ball once, and hit it underhand at or below waist height into the diagonal box. The serve has to clear the net and land in the box without touching the side wall first, and you get two attempts, same as tennis. If it clips the net and still lands in, you replay it as a let. It sounds fussy, but after a few serves it becomes automatic.
Scoring you already know
The padel scoring rules come straight from tennis, so most people never need them explained twice. You count 15, 30, 40, then game, with deuce and advantage when a game is level. Six games wins a set and matches are usually best of three. One quirk worth knowing is the golden point, a single sudden-death point played at deuce instead of advantages. It is one of the few padel rules that changes from club to club, so check the format before you start.
Walls, lets and what is out
The walls are the part of padel that surprises tennis players most. A ball off the back or side glass is still live, so you turn and play it after the rebound. What you cannot do is let it bounce twice or hit the metal fencing on the full before it bounces. The ball is only out when it leaves the court over the glass or strikes the fencing before landing. These are the rules that settle most close calls, and they are simpler than they sound.
HELP
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the basic rules in padel?
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Padel is doubles, played on an enclosed 10x20m court. You serve underhand after one bounce, score like tennis, and the ball stays live off the back and side walls. It is out when it leaves the court or hits the fencing on the full. Those are the core rules of padel and they cover nearly every point.
How does scoring work in padel?
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Padel scoring rules follow tennis exactly: 15, 30, 40, game, with deuce and advantage when it is close. Six games takes a set and most matches are best of three. Some formats use a golden point at deuce, where a single point decides the game instead of playing advantages.
What are the padel serve rules?
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You serve underhand, bouncing the ball once behind the service line and striking it at or below your waist into the diagonal box. The serve cannot touch the side wall before bouncing in the box, and you get two attempts. A serve that clips the net and lands in is a let, so you replay it.
Are padel rules the same as padel tennis rules?
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Yes. Padel and padel tennis are the same sport, so the padel tennis rules and padel rules are identical. The padel tennis name is just used in some countries to tell it apart from lawn tennis. Same court, same serve, same scoring.
Where can I find the official padel rules?
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The official padel rules are published by the International Padel Federation, the FIP, and national bodies follow them for tournaments. For a casual game you do not need the full rulebook. The serve, the scoring and the walls cover almost everything you will run into.
What makes the ball out in padel?
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The ball is out if it leaves the court over the glass, hits the metal fencing on the full before bouncing, or bounces twice on your side. A ball that lands in and then flies off any wall is still yours to chase, not out. That one distinction settles most on-court arguments.