How to Play Padel: Rules Explained
PADEL
Padel can seem a little confusing at first, especially when you see the glass walls and enclosed court. But from my own experience, the basics are actually quite straightforward to pick up. And if you’ve never played a racket sport before, don’t worry, you can still get the hang of padel surprisingly quickly. If you have played tennis, the scoring will already feel familiar, while the biggest adjustments are the underarm serve and knowing when and how you can play the ball off the walls.
Once you figure out how the walls work and get used to the pace of the game, padel becomes much more intuitive, and that’s when I really started enjoying it. If you want to learn more about one of the fastest-growing sports, check out my Padel Guide. And if you’re thinking about buying a padel racket, my Padel Racket Guide covers everything you need to know, with options for every level.
Here's how to play padel, rule by rule.
Padel Basics
Padel is played almost exclusively in doubles, two players per side
The court is 20m x 10m, fully enclosed by glass and mesh walls
Scoring is identical to tennis: 15, 30, 40, game, with sets won at six games
The serve is always underhand, hit at or below waist height
After the ball bounces once on the ground, it can rebound off the walls and stay in play
A double hit, reaching over the net to play a ball, or letting the ball bounce twice all lose the point
Court, Players, and Equipment
Padel is played on an enclosed court measuring 20 by 10 metres, surrounded by glass walls and metal fencing. It's almost always doubles, two players per side, which means coordination with your partner matters as much as your individual shots. Each player uses a solid, perforated paddle (no strings, unlike a tennis racket) and a ball that looks like a tennis ball but is smaller and less pressurized.
How to Serve in Padel
Serve Technique
The serve is where padel differs most obviously from tennis. To serve legally:
Stand behind the service line, with both feet within the boundaries between the centre line and the side wall
Drop the ball and let it bounce once on the ground; you never toss it up and hit it out of the air
Strike the ball underhand, at or below waist height
Hit the ball diagonally, so it lands in the opponent's service box on the other side of the court, the same as a tennis serve
You get two attempts, just like in tennis; if the first serve is a fault, you get a second try
Common Serve Faults
Hitting the ball above waist height
The ball landing outside the correct service box
The served ball hitting the wire mesh or fencing directly, rather than the glass, after bouncing in the box
Stepping on or over the service line while serving
One thing that trips up beginners: if the served ball bounces correctly inside the service box and then hits the back glass wall, that's still a good serve, and the receiver has to play it. It's only a fault if the ball touches the mesh fencing instead of the glass, or misses the box entirely.
Scoring in Padel
Standard Scoring
Padel uses the exact same point system as tennis: 15, 30, 40, and game. A team needs to win six games to take a set, with at least a two-game lead, and matches are usually played as the best of three sets.
Deuce and the Golden Point
If a game reaches 40-40, that's deuce. In classic scoring, a team needs to win two points in a row from there: the first point gives you advantage, and the second wins the game. Many clubs and casual matches instead use the golden point rule, where the next point at deuce simply decides the game outright, no advantage needed. It's worth checking which version is being used before a casual match, since it changes how you play out close games.
Tie-Break at 6-6
If a set reaches six games apiece, it goes to a tie-break. The first team to reach seven points, with a two-point lead, wins the set. If the score stays close, the tie-break continues until one team gets that two-point margin.
Wall Play: The Rule That Makes Padel Different
This is the part that actually separates padel from tennis, and it's simpler than it looks once you see it in practice.
Floor First, Then Wall
The ball must bounce on the floor on your side before it touches a wall. Once it's bounced, it's allowed to rebound off the glass or mesh walls, and the opposing team can still play it as long as it hasn't bounced twice on the ground. Playing the ball directly into a wall without a floor bounce first is a fault.
Hitting the Ball Out Through the Fence Gap
One of padel's more unusual rules: if a ball is flying out of reach toward a gap in the fencing (rather than a solid wall), you're allowed to chase it and hit it back through that gap, known as salida por la puerta. It's one of the more entertaining moments in the sport, and it's completely legal as long as the ball hasn't bounced twice yet.
When a Wall Shot Is a Fault
If the ball touches a wall before bouncing on the floor at all, that's a fault and the point goes to the other side. Likewise, if the ball bounces twice on the ground (with or without touching a wall in between), the point is over.
Faults and Other Rules to Know
Double hit: hitting the ball twice in a row with the same swing, on purpose or by accident, loses the point
Reaching over the net: you can't make contact with the ball while it's still on your opponent's side; your paddle can only cross the net on the follow-through, after you've already struck the ball
Touching the net: if you or your paddle touches the net during a point, that's a fault
Ball hitting you: if the ball hits you or your clothing before you've played it, the point goes to the other team
Basic Strategy for Beginners
Most beginner points are lost, not won, so the simplest strategy early on is consistency: get the ball back over the net and keep the rally going rather than going for winners. Once you're comfortable rallying, positioning becomes the next skill to focus on. In padel, both players on a team generally move together, staying roughly level with each other rather than one player stuck at the net and the other on the baseline the way you might see in tennis doubles.
Common Beginner Mistakes
Trying to smash every ball off the wall instead of playing a controlled shot
Standing too far back, out of habit from tennis, instead of working toward the net
Forgetting that the serve must stay below waist height, since it feels unnatural if you've played tennis before
Not communicating with your partner on balls down the middle, leading to both players going for the same shot, or neither
FAQs
Can you serve overhand in padel? No. All padel serves must be underhand, struck at or below waist height. An overhand serve is a fault regardless of where it lands.
What happens if the ball hits the wall before bouncing? It's a fault, and the point goes to the other team. The ball has to bounce on the floor on your side before it's allowed to touch a wall.
Is padel always doubles? Yes, in practice. Padel is designed around doubles play, and singles padel is uncommon even in casual settings.
What is the golden point in padel? It's a scoring variation used at deuce (40-40) where the next point decides the game outright, instead of needing to win two points in a row through advantage. It's common in club play and some professional formats, though not universal.
Can the ball bounce off more than one wall? Yes. Once the ball has bounced on the ground, it can rebound off multiple walls in sequence, as long as it hasn't touched the ground a second time before being returned.
Do you need padel experience to start playing? No. Most beginners pick up the core rules within their first session, especially if they've played tennis or another racket sport before, since the scoring and general shape of the game are familiar.
How does tie break work in padel? A tie-break is played when the score reaches 6–6 in games. The first team to reach 7 points with a two-point lead wins the tie-break and the set. If the score reaches 6–6 in the tie-break, play continues until one team leads by two points. The serving order also changes during the tie-break, with the first server playing one point before each team takes turns serving two points.
Final Thoughts
Padel's rules are genuinely beginner-friendly once you get past the visual complexity of the glass walls. The scoring is borrowed straight from tennis, the serve is deliberately gentle, and the wall play, once you understand the floor-first rule, adds strategy rather than confusion. The fastest way to actually learn it is still to get on court and play a few points; the rules make a lot more sense in motion than they do on a page.
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