Padel is the fastest-growing sport in Britain, and it is famously easy to pick up. If you can rally a few shots, you can play padel within minutes. Still, knowing the padel rules properly makes the game far more enjoyable and helps you avoid silly mistakes. This guide covers the basic padel rules, from the scoring system and the serve to how the glass walls come into play.
How padel is played
Padel is played on an enclosed court, almost always as doubles, with two players on each team and four players in total. A game looks a little like tennis, but the ball can rebound off the surrounding glass and mesh walls, which keeps rallies alive and makes long rallies the norm rather than the exception.
You use a solid, stringless padel bat, which usually weighs between 350 and 390 grams, and a ball that is very similar to a tennis ball but with slightly less pressure. If you need gear, a beginner-friendly option like the Adidas RX Series Light is a great place to start, and you can browse our full range of padel rackets before you step on court.
The padel court
A padel court measures 20 metres by 10 metres, divided by a net. Each side has a service box and a service line 6.95 metres from the net, plus back glass walls and side walls made of glass and mesh. The net stands 88 cm high in the middle. Understanding the court is the first step to understanding the rules of padel.
The padel scoring system
Padel uses the same scoring system as tennis. Every point moves the score from 15 to 30 to 40, and the first team to four points wins the game, provided they lead by two points. If both teams reach 40-40, it is deuce.
Games, sets and matches
You need six games to win a set, again with a margin of two games. Most matches are played as the best of three sets. If a set reaches six games each, a tie break decides it, with the first team to seven points (by two) taking the set.
The golden point
Many competitions replace the traditional deuce with a golden point. At 40-40, a single deciding point is played, and the receiving team chooses which side of the court will receive the serve. It makes the first game of every tight contest genuinely tense.
How to serve in padel
The serve must be underarm. You bounce the ball once behind the service line on your own side, then hit the ball at or below waist height. Unlike tennis, there is no powerful overhead serve in padel, so mastering the underarm serve is essential.
You must serve diagonally, so the ball travels into the opponent's court and lands in the opponent's service box on the other side of the net. The initial serve is always taken from the right.
What makes a valid serve
For a valid serve, the ball has to land in the correct service box. After the bounce, it may touch the back glass and still count. However, if the ball touches the side mesh walls after bouncing, the serve is a fault.
As in tennis, the server has two attempts to make a valid serve, so you get a first serve and a second serve. A common fault is hitting the ball above waist height. A serve that clips the net and lands in the correct service box is replayed as a let.
Playing off the walls in padel
The walls are what make padel special. Once the ball has bounced on the ground on your side, you can let it rebound off your own glass walls, side walls or the back wall and still play your shot back over the net.
What you cannot do is hit the ball into your own wall first and then over the net. The ball must clear the net directly after you hit it, although it can then strike the opponent's walls. After a legal bounce, a valid ball can even hit multiple walls in succession and stay in play.
The double bounce rule in padel
The ball is only allowed to bounce once on the ground before you return it. If the ball bounces twice on your side, your opponents win the point. This double bounce rule is at the heart of every rally.
When is the ball out in padel?
A shot is out if the ball exits the court or hits the mesh walls or glass on the opponent's side on the full, before it has bounced on their ground. In other words, the ball must bounce first; it cannot fly straight into the opposing player's walls.
How a padel point is won or lost
You win the point when the opponent hits the ball out, lets it bounce twice, or fails to return it over the net. You lose the point if the ball touches your body, if you hit the net with your bat, since touching the net loses the point, or if the ball bounces twice on your own side.
Changing sides and padel serving order
Teams change sides of the court after every odd game to keep conditions fair. In doubles, each player serves in turn, and the serving team takes the first service and keeps the same server for a whole service game before it passes to the opponents.
Padel rules versus tennis rules
Padel and tennis share a scoring system, but the differences are clear. Padel is played as doubles on a smaller, enclosed court, the serve is underarm, and the walls are in play. These twists are exactly why so many tennis players are switching to padel.
Common questions about padel rules
Can the ball hit your own wall before you return it? Yes, after it has bounced on the ground. Can you volley the serve? No, the receiver must let the serve bounce first. Can the ball bounce on your side and then go out over the wall? If it clears the court after a legal bounce, the striker wins the point.
Padel rules for beginners
If you are new to padel, focus on three things: let the ball bounce before you use the walls, keep your serve underarm and diagonal, and talk to your partner. Most beginners lose points by rushing the ball rather than by breaking any obscure rule.
Because the walls keep the ball in play, patience wins. Long rallies reward the team that stays calm, moves together and waits for the right ball to attack at the net.
How long does a padel match last?
A best-of-three-sets match usually lasts between 60 and 90 minutes, depending on how close the games are. The golden point speeds things up, since a tight game is settled by a single point rather than a long run of deuce.
Padel's rise in the UK
Padel is booming in Britain. Court numbers grew from under 40 in 2016 to more than 700 by 2024, and player numbers jumped from 129,000 in 2023 to over 400,000 in 2024, with around one million expected in 2026. Globally the sport now passes 58 million players across more than 100 FIP federations.
Final thoughts
The basic padel rules are simple: serve underarm and diagonally, keep the ball in play using the walls, and remember the double bounce. Learn them once and you will spend far more time enjoying long rallies. Ready to play? Pick up a padel racket and get on court.
Frequently asked questions
How does padel scoring work? Padel uses the same scoring system as tennis. Every point moves the score from 15 to 30 to 40, and the first team to four points wins the game, provided they lead by two points. If both teams reach 40-40, it is deuce.
How do you serve in padel? The serve must be underarm. You bounce the ball once behind the service line on your own side, then hit the ball at or below waist height. You must serve diagonally into the opponent's service box on the other side of the net, and the initial serve is always taken from the right.
Can you play the ball off the walls in padel? Yes. Once the ball has bounced on the ground on your side, you can let it rebound off your own glass walls, side walls or the back wall and still play your shot back over the net. What you cannot do is hit the ball into your own wall first and then over the net.
What is the double bounce rule in padel? The ball is only allowed to bounce once on the ground before you return it. If the ball bounces twice on your side, your opponents win the point.