Padel is a racket sport usually played as doubles on an enclosed 20m x 10m court with glass walls and metal mesh. It uses tennis-style scoring, but the point starts with an underarm serve after one bounce, and the walls stay in play once the ball has bounced. That combination is what makes padel feel familiar to tennis players but tactically different once the rally begins.
What is padel?
If you are new to the sport, the quickest way to understand it is this: padel is a social, fast-moving game built around doubles, compact court space and wall rebounds. The LTA describes it as a mix of tennis and squash, and that is a useful mental shortcut for beginners. You score it like tennis, but you can use the back glass after the bounce to keep rallies alive.
It’s been around since 1969. Usually played in doubles, it’s great with friends and family. Much like other racket sports you use forehand or backhand to lob, smash, volley or spin your way to glory. The technique is very similar to tennis, but with less power and more control.
The standard court is fully enclosed. Under the FIP rules, the court is 20 metres long and 10 metres wide, and the net is 10 metres long, 0.88m high in the centre and 0.92m at the ends. Those dimensions are part of why padel feels more accessible than tennis for many beginners: the court is smaller, the serve is simpler, and rallies are easier to start.
What equipment do you need?
At the simplest level, you need a padel racket, padel balls, a partner and a court. LTA beginner guidance notes that a padel racket is shorter and thicker than a tennis racket, and that padel balls are slightly less pressurised than tennis balls, which helps keep the game a little slower and easier to control.
Under the official FIP padel rules, the racket can be no longer than 45.5 cm, no wider than 26 cm, and no thicker than 38 mm. The racket must also have a non-elastic wrist cord attached to the handle, and using that cord is mandatory.
How do you start a point in padel?
Every point starts with a serve. The serve must be underarm, and the server must bounce the ball once before striking it. At contact, the ball must be hit at or below waist height, and the server must have at least one foot on the ground behind the service line.
The serve must travel diagonally into the opponent’s service box. If you serve from the right side, the ball goes to the receiver’s left service box; on the next point, you serve from the left side to the receiver’s right box. Like tennis, you get two serves. If you fault twice in a row, you lose the point.
There is one serve detail beginners often miss: if the serve lands in the correct box and then hits the back glass, the point stays live. If it lands in and then hits the side mesh/fence first, the serve is out. If the ball clips the net and still lands correctly, that is a let, and the serve is replayed.
How does a rally work?
Once the serve is in, the rally is live. To keep the ball in play, your shot must go over the net and into the opponents’ side. In general, the ball must bounce before it hits the opponents’ wall or mesh. If it hits their wall or cage without bouncing first, the shot is out.
On your own side, you are allowed to let the ball bounce once and then come off the back glass or cage before you return it. That is one of the defining skills in padel. The walls are not just obstacles; they are part of the game. You only get one bounce on your side, though. If the ball bounces twice before you hit it, you lose the point.
You can also play more advanced returns. Under the FIP rules, a return is still correct if the ball hits the wall on your side first and then bounces into the opponents’ court. That is why padel rewards control and angles rather than just power.
How do you score in padel?
Most padel matches use the same scoring system as tennis. Points within a game go 15, 30, 40, game. If both pairs reach 40-40, that is deuce. One side then needs to win two consecutive points to take the game.
A set is usually won by the first pair to reach six games with a two-game lead. If the set reaches 6-6, a tie-break is normally played. A tie-break is won by the first pair to reach seven points with a two-point lead. Most matches are played as best of three sets.
If you play socially or in some competitions, you may also come across alternative formats. The current FIP rules allow formats such as golden point, mini-set, and super tie-break if they are announced in advance for that event. For a beginner, though, standard tennis-style scoring is still the main version to learn first.
Standard advantage scoring
The standard system follows tennis scoring:
| Points won | Score |
| 0 | Love |
| 1 | 15 |
| 2 | 30 |
| 3 | 40 |
| 4 | Game, provided there is a two-point margin |
At 40–40, the score is deuce. The next point gives one pair advantage. If that pair wins the following point, it wins the game. If it loses the point, the score returns to deuce.
A set is normally won by the first pair to reach six games with a two-game lead. If the score reaches 6–6, a tie-break is played. The tie-break is won by the first pair to reach seven points with a two-point margin. A standard match is best of three sets.
Star Point
Star Point is one of the game-scoring options included in the current FIP rules.
The game begins with normal advantage scoring. If neither pair converts either of the first two advantage opportunities, the score reaches a third deuce and one deciding Star Point is played. The receiving pair chooses whether to receive on the right or left, but the players cannot change their established receiving positions. The winner of the Star Point wins the game.
Golden Point
Under Golden Point scoring, one deciding point is played immediately at the first deuce. The receiving pair chooses the receiving side, and the winner of that point wins the game.
Other match formats
The FIP rules also permit formats including:
- Four-game mini-sets.
- A seven-point match tie-break replacing the final set.
- A ten-point super tie-break replacing the final set.
Club leagues and competitions may use different formats, so players should confirm the scoring system before starting.
When do you lose the point?
A pair loses the point if:
- The ball bounces twice before being returned.
- A player, racket, clothing or carried item touches the net while the ball is live.
- A player strikes the ball before it has crossed the net.
- The ball touches a player, their clothing or their equipment other than the racket after the opponents have played it.
- A player makes a separate or deliberate double hit.
- Both partners strike the ball during the same return.
- A player throws the racket at the ball.
- The ball is played into the player’s own floor or metal fence.
- A player drops the racket or breaks the racket’s safety cord.
- The server commits two consecutive faults.
The racket exception is important: the ball is supposed to touch the racket. Contact with the player’s body, clothing or another item is what loses the point.
How do serving and receiving orders work?
Before each set, every pair decides its serving order. One player serves for an entire game, after which service passes to the opposing pair. The established order cannot normally be changed until the next set.
The receiving pair also establishes its receiving order at the beginning of the set. The partners then alternate returns during each receiving game, and that order remains fixed throughout the set or tie-break.
Players change ends after the first, third and every subsequent odd-numbered game. During a tie-break, they change ends after every six points.
What is a let?
A let means that the serve or point is replayed.
The most common example is a serve that touches the net and still lands correctly without hitting the metal fence before its second bounce. A point may also be replayed if an unrelated object enters the court, the ball splits or an unexpected interruption affects play.
Deliberate interference is different: the opponent is awarded the point. An initial involuntary interference generally results in a let, although a repeated involuntary interference by the same pair can lead to the loss of the point.
“Padel is perfect for beginners because the first session feels like playing, not practising. You can rally quickly, improve every game and enjoy the social side before you have mastered the tactics.”
Padel Holidays
The key rules beginners need to know
You lose the point if the ball bounces twice on your side before you return it. You also lose the point if you hit the ball before it has crossed the net, if you double-hit it, or if both teammates hit it one after the other during the same return.
You also lose the point if you, your racket or anything you are wearing or carrying touches the net while the ball is live. The same applies if the ball hits you, your partner or your equipment after the opponents have played it.
If you hit a shot and it lands on your side again, hits your own fence or floor, or goes straight into the opponents’ wall or fence without bouncing in their court first, the point is over. In padel, the order of bounce and wall contact matters a lot.
What happens after the serve?
The receiver must allow the serve to bounce in the correct service box and return it before its second bounce. A serve cannot be volleyed.
Once the return has been made, either team may volley the ball before it bounces. Each team is allowed only one strike before returning the ball over the net.
This return-of-serve rule is one of the most common sources of confusion for new players:
The serve must bounce. Later rally shots do not have to.
When is a serve in or out?
A serve is live if it:
- Lands in the diagonally opposite service box; and
- Does not touch the metal fence before its second bounce.
If the serve lands correctly and then hits the back or side wall, play continues. If it lands correctly but then touches the metal fence before its second bounce, it is a service fault.
If the serve touches the net and then lands correctly without touching the metal fence before its second bounce, it is a net serve and is replayed as a let.
A let on the first serve restores both service attempts. A let on the second serve repeats only the second serve.
Serving order, receiving order and changing ends
At the start of a set, each pair decides who serves first, and that service order stays the same for the whole set. The receiving pair also chooses who receives first, and that receiving order stays fixed for the set as well. Within a game, players alternate sides for serving and receiving as the score changes.
Players change ends after the 1st, 3rd and every subsequent odd game. In a tie-break, players change ends after every six points.
What is a let in padel?
A let means the serve or point is replayed because something interrupted normal play. The most common example is a serve that touches the net and still lands correctly in the receiver’s box without touching the fence first. In that case, you replay the serve. If the let happens on a first serve, you get two serves again; if it happens on a second serve, you replay only the second serve.
Outside interruptions can also create a let. Under FIP rules, if play is disrupted by something unexpected, the point can be replayed.
Can you leave the court to play the ball?
Sometimes, yes. The LTA explains that if the ball bounces correctly and then exits through the door, a player can go outside the court and try to return it. The FIP rules add an important detail: this is only allowed on courts and in events where authorised out-of-court play is permitted.
Padel wall and fence rules at a glance
| Situation | Ruling |
| Ball bounces on your court and then hits your wall | Live—return it before the second floor bounce |
| Ball bounces on your court and then hits the metal fence during a rally | Live |
| Your shot bounces in the opponents’ court and then hits their wall | Live |
| Your shot bounces in the opponents’ court and then hits their metal fence | Live |
| Your shot hits the opponents’ wall or fence before touching their court | Out |
| A serve bounces in the correct box and then hits the wall | Live |
| A serve bounces in the correct box and then hits the metal fence | Fault |
| You strike the ball against your own wall and it lands in the opponents’ court | Legal |
| You strike the ball against your own metal fence | Point lost |
The simplest way to remember the rule is:
On the receiving side, court first and enclosure second.
Common beginner mistakes for new padel players
The first big mistake is serving like tennis. In padel, the serve is not about speed or height. It is underarm, below the waist, and more about placement than power.
The second is trying to play every ball before it reaches the glass. New players often panic when the ball gets past them, but in padel the back glass is often your friend. Letting the ball rebound can buy you time and create a much easier return.
The third is forgetting that the game is usually won with positioning and patience, not huge swings. The LTA’s guidance for tennis players moving into padel stresses that the smaller court, lower-pressure ball and rebound walls make control more valuable than raw power.
With a bit of practise you’ll get the strategy right, and be hitting that baseline like a pro.
Common beginner mistakes
- Volleying the return of serve: the receiver must let the serve bounce.
- Standing too close to the back wall: leave enough space to judge and play the rebound.
- Hitting every ball hard: extra pace can produce a larger rebound from the opponents’ wall and give them an easier return.
- Moving independently of your partner: gaps appear when one player attacks while the other remains deep.
- Avoiding the glass: allowing the ball to rebound often gives you more time and a more comfortable contact point.
Where can you play padel in the UK?
Padel courts in Britain can be found at tennis clubs, leisure centres, dedicated padel venues and some local parks. LTA Padel provides a court finder, and many venues offer racket and ball hire as well as beginner coaching sessions.
A quick padel glossary
Deuce means both teams have reached 40-40. From there, one team must win two straight points to take the game in standard scoring.
Advantage is the point won immediately after deuce. If the same pair wins the next point, they win the game; if not, the score returns to deuce.
Tie-break is the game used at 6-6 in a set in standard scoring, usually first to seven points with a two-point lead.
Let means the serve or point is replayed because of a legal interruption, most commonly a serve that clips the net and still lands correctly.
Golden point is an alternative no-advantage format allowed under FIP rules, where one deciding point is played at deuce.
FAQs
Is padel always played as doubles?
Standard padel is predominantly played as doubles, and the LTA introduces beginners to it that way. The official court and ruleset are built around four players.
Can the ball hit the wall in padel?
Yes. After the ball bounces, it can hit the wall or cage and still be playable. On your side, you can use that rebound before hitting your return. On the opponents’ side, the ball generally needs to bounce first before wall contact for the shot to stay in.
Can a serve hit the glass?
Yes. If the serve lands correctly in the service box and then hits the back glass, it is live. If it hits the side mesh/fence first, it is a fault.
Do you get two serves in padel?
Yes. If the first serve is not valid, you get a second serve. Two faults in a row lose the point.
Is scoring the same as tennis?
Mostly yes. Standard padel uses 15, 30, 40, game, with sets usually to six games and matches usually best of three sets. Some events use alternative formats such as golden point or super tie-breaks.
Can you go outside the court to return the ball?
Often yes, but only where out-of-court play is allowed. The LTA explains that players can exit through the doors after the ball bounces out, and the FIP rules note that this depends on whether out-of-court play is authorised at that court or event.
