Padel Rules for Beginners

Padel is played in pairs on an enclosed court (20m × 10m) with glass walls and a net. You use the walls — the ball can bounce off them and stay in play. Scoring is the same as tennis: 15, 30, 40, deuce, advantage. The first pair to win two sets (each to 6 games, tie-break at 6–6) takes the match.

Serve underarm, diagonally, from behind the service line. The ball must bounce once in your box, then clear the net into the opponent's diagonal box. You get two serves. If the ball clips the net and still lands in the correct box, it's a let — replay the serve. The returner can hit the ball before it bounces.

After the serve, the ball may bounce once on the floor before you hit it. It can then hit the glass wall on your side before you return it. You cannot play a ball off the wire fencing on your side before returning it. If the ball comes back off the opponent's wall, you can play it off your own wall too.

Two players cover the court together — usually one left, one right. Communication is everything: call every ball. The pair that controls the net has the advantage, so look for chances to move forward after a good serve or return.

You lose the point if: the ball bounces twice on your side, you hit it into the wire fence on your side before it crosses the net, you or your partner touch the net, or the ball lands out of court without touching the opponent's glass. A ball that hits the opponent's back wall directly without bouncing is out.

Have fun and respect your opponents. Padel is a social game — call your own shots honestly, applaud good play, and keep the energy positive. The best players aren't the loudest; they're the most consistent.