The rules of padel, explained

Match format

A padel match is played by two pairs. The standard format is the best of three sets, and a set is won by the first pair to reach six games with a margin of two. At six games all, a tie-break decides the set, played to seven points with a margin of two.

Club and social play is more flexible. Timed matches, single sets and Americano formats — where players rotate partners and count total points — are all common ways to fit a match into a court booking.

Scoring a game

Points within a game are counted exactly as in tennis: 15, 30, 40 and game. At 40 all the score is deuce, and from there a pair must win two points in a row — advantage, then game.

• Golden point punto de oro Many competitions, and most professional tournaments, replace advantage with a single deciding point at deuce. The receiving pair chooses which of them takes it, and the winner of that one point wins the game.
• Serving order Pairs alternate serving games, and within a pair the two players alternate service games in a fixed order for the set.
• Changing ends Pairs change ends after the first game of a set and then after every two games, as in tennis.

Golden point is a competition setting rather than a universal rule. Agree it before you start, and confirm the format with the organiser in a league or tournament.

The serve

Every point starts with an underarm serve. The server stands behind the service line, between the centre line and the side wall, bounces the ball on the ground once, and strikes it. This is the rule that makes padel so approachable: there is no overhead service action to learn.

1. Contact must be at or below waist height, and the ball must be struck after it has bounced on the floor.
2. At least one foot must stay on the ground behind the service line at the moment of contact, and you may not touch or cross the line before striking the ball.
3. The serve must land in the service box diagonally opposite. Serving alternates sides after each point, as in tennis.
4. You get two attempts. A serve that misses the box is a fault; two faults lose the point.
5. A serve that clips the net and still lands in the correct box is a let, and is replayed.
6. The receiver must let the serve bounce. A returned serve taken out of the air loses the point.

One rule surprises almost every newcomer. After bouncing correctly in the service box, a serve may touch the glass side wall and remain good — the receiver simply has to play it off the glass. But if it hits the metal mesh fencing after the bounce, the serve is a fault.

How the walls work

The walls are the heart of padel, and one principle covers almost every situation: the ball must bounce on the floor of your side before it touches any of your walls.

• Your own walls, after the bounce Once the ball has bounced on your floor, it can rebound off your back glass, your side glass, or both, and you can still play it. This is normal defensive padel, not a lucky escape.
• Your own walls, before your shot You may not play the ball into your own wall first and then over the net, except as the deliberate advanced shot described below. A ball that hits your wall before bouncing on your floor is the opponents’ point.
• Their walls, after their bounce Your shot may bounce on their floor and then hit their glass. That is a good shot and they may play it back.
• Their walls, before their bounce If your shot flies directly into their wall or fence without bouncing on their floor first, it is out and they win the point.
• The fence and posts on your side The mesh, the posts and any fittings on your own side count as your side. A ball that has bounced may come off them and still be played, subject to local court rules.

How you lose a point

A pair loses the point when any of the following happens.

• The ball bounces twice on their side of the net.
• They fail to return the ball over the net, or the return lands outside the opponents’ court.
• The ball they hit strikes the opponents’ wall or fence before bouncing on the opponents’ floor.
• The ball hits a player, their clothing or anything they are carrying, other than the racket, before bouncing.
• A player touches the net, the posts or the opponents’ side of the court while the ball is in play.
• A player hits the ball twice, or catches and carries it on the racket face.
• A player strikes the ball before it has crossed to their side of the net.
• The server serves two faults in a row.

A ball that hits the top of the net and drops into the correct court during a rally is simply in play. Only on the serve does a net cord cause a let.

Playing the ball outside the court

If a ball bounces correctly on your side and then flies out of the enclosure, the point is not automatically over. On courts with side openings, you may run out through the gap and play the ball back into the court, as long as it has not bounced twice and you return it over the net.

It is a spectacular, high-risk part of the game and one of the reasons padel is so watchable. Many club courts are fully enclosed with no openings, in which case the ball leaving the court simply ends the point.

Lets, hindrance and common disputes

• Let The point is replayed. Typical causes are a net-cord serve that lands in, a ball rolling onto the court from elsewhere, or any interruption outside the players’ control.
• Hindrance If a player deliberately distracts an opponent, the point goes to the opponents. If the distraction is accidental, the point is normally replayed.
• Bounce disputes Padel is usually played without officials. The pair on whose side the ball bounced makes the call, and any genuine doubt is replayed.
• Racket loss If a player loses their racket and it lands in play, the point continues only if the ball has already finished. This is one reason the wrist strap is mandatory.

Rules of padel are set internationally by the International Padel Federation, but leagues, clubs and social groups vary the details. When it matters, confirm the format and the local rules with the organiser before you start.

Etiquette and safety

• Always use the wrist strap. A padel racket released at speed in an enclosed court is dangerous.
• Call the score out loud before each serve. It prevents most arguments.
• Give a let rather than argue a bounce you did not clearly see.
• Warn your partner when you take a ball down the middle — a quick "mine" avoids collisions and rackets to the face.
• Wait for a point to finish before walking behind a neighbouring court.

Frequently asked questions