Core rules
The four rules that cover most questions about how padel is played.
Beginner friendly
Teams and court
Padel is usually doubles on a 20 x 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.
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.
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.
How a point flows
The rhythm of padel is simple: serve, rally, finish. These are the boundaries.
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.
Serve 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.
Scoring and match formats
Keep the score clean and agree on a format before the first serve.
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?
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