Padel rulebook

Padel rules, made simple.

The essentials of scoring, serving, and wall play in one place. Perfect for new players, casual games, and quick refreshers before you step on court.

Set up a match in BallBuddy See the app in action

Quick snapshot

Court: 20 × 10 m, enclosed
Players: 2 vs 2
Serve: Underhand, below the waist
Bounce: One bounce, then walls

Point ladder

0
15
30
40
Game

Golden point at deuce in many social games.

The rules in detail

Four topics that cover most questions on court.

Teams and court

Padel is usually doubles on a 20 × 10 m enclosed court. Glass and mesh walls are in play after the bounce.

Serve

Serve underhand after a bounce, below waist height, into the diagonal service box. Two serves allowed and the return must let it bounce.

Faults

Two faults in a row means the point goes to the receiver.

Serve lands outside the diagonal service box.
Ball is struck above waist height or without a bounce.
Serve touches the net and lands out of the service box.
After bouncing, the serve hits the back wall or fence before the return.

Lets and replays

If a let is called, replay the serve without penalty.

Serve touches the net and lands in the correct service box.
External interference stops the rally before the return.

Rally and walls

After the bounce, the ball can rebound off any wall or mesh. Players can also use their own wall to set up a return.

How a point flows

1
Start with a legal serve
Server stands behind the line, bounces the ball, and serves underhand into the opposite service box.
2
Rally after one bounce
The return of serve must bounce first. After that, volleys are allowed and the walls can be used on either side.
3
Point ends when play breaks
A point ends if the ball bounces twice, goes out, hits the net or fence before crossing, or hits a player.

Scoring

Same as tennis: 0, 15, 30, 40. Games to 6 with a two-game margin, tie-break at 6-6. Some social play uses a golden point at deuce.

Point ladder: 0, 15, 30, 40, game. At deuce, win by two unless a golden point is agreed.
Games and sets: First to 6 games, win by two. Matches are commonly best of 3 sets.
Tie-break: At 6-6, play a tie-break to 7 points, win by 2.

Common formats

Choose a format that fits your time and intensity.

Best of 3 sets for competitive matches.
One set to 6 for quick games or training sessions.
Golden point at deuce if you want shorter games.

Ready to play by the rules?

Track matches, scoring, and players in BallBuddy so every game starts on the same page.

Create your first match See the app in action

Padel rulebook

Padel rules, made simple.

The essentials of scoring, serving, and wall play in one place. Perfect for new players, casual games, and quick refreshers before you step on court.

Set up a match in BallBuddy See the app in action

Quick snapshot

Court: 20 × 10 m, enclosed
Players: 2 vs 2
Serve: Underhand, below the waist
Bounce: One bounce, then walls

Point ladder

0
15
30
40
Game

Golden point at deuce in many social games.

The rules in detail

Four topics that cover most questions on court.

Teams and court

Padel is usually doubles on a 20 × 10 m enclosed court. Glass and mesh walls are in play after the bounce.

Serve

Serve underhand after a bounce, below waist height, into the diagonal service box. Two serves allowed and the return must let it bounce.

Faults

Two faults in a row means the point goes to the receiver.

Serve lands outside the diagonal service box.
Ball is struck above waist height or without a bounce.
Serve touches the net and lands out of the service box.
After bouncing, the serve hits the back wall or fence before the return.

Lets and replays

If a let is called, replay the serve without penalty.

Serve touches the net and lands in the correct service box.
External interference stops the rally before the return.

Rally and walls

After the bounce, the ball can rebound off any wall or mesh. Players can also use their own wall to set up a return.

How a point flows

1
Start with a legal serve
Server stands behind the line, bounces the ball, and serves underhand into the opposite service box.
2
Rally after one bounce
The return of serve must bounce first. After that, volleys are allowed and the walls can be used on either side.
3
Point ends when play breaks
A point ends if the ball bounces twice, goes out, hits the net or fence before crossing, or hits a player.

Scoring

Same as tennis: 0, 15, 30, 40. Games to 6 with a two-game margin, tie-break at 6-6. Some social play uses a golden point at deuce.

Point ladder: 0, 15, 30, 40, game. At deuce, win by two unless a golden point is agreed.
Games and sets: First to 6 games, win by two. Matches are commonly best of 3 sets.
Tie-break: At 6-6, play a tie-break to 7 points, win by 2.

Common formats

Choose a format that fits your time and intensity.

Best of 3 sets for competitive matches.
One set to 6 for quick games or training sessions.
Golden point at deuce if you want shorter games.

Ready to play by the rules?

Track matches, scoring, and players in BallBuddy so every game starts on the same page.

Create your first match See the app in action

Padel rules, made simple.

Quick snapshot

Point ladder

The rules in detail

The rules in detail

Teams and courtTeams and court

ServeServe

Faults

Lets and replays

Rally and wallsRally and walls

How a point flows

ScoringScoring

Common formats

Ready to play by the rules?

Padel rules, made simple.

Quick snapshot

Point ladder

The rules in detail

The rules in detail

Teams and courtTeams and court

ServeServe

Faults

Lets and replays

Rally and wallsRally and walls

How a point flows

ScoringScoring

Common formats

Ready to play by the rules?

Teams and court

Serve

Rally and walls

Scoring

Teams and court

Serve

Rally and walls

Scoring