The rules of padel
Padel is the fastest-growing racket sport in the UK. The rules are simple - but the walls, the serve and the golden point trip a lot of newcomers up. Here's everything you need to know, with short video explainers.
Based on the International Padel Federation (FIP) Rules of Padel, effective 1 January 2026.
Padel in 3 minutes
The quickest visual overview of court, serve, wall play and scoring.
Video: Padel Tampere
01 · The basics
The court
Dimensions
- 20 m long × 10 m wide interior
- Net: 0.88 m at the centre, 0.92 m at the posts
- Service line: 6.95 m from the net on each side
- Minimum clear height: 6 m
- Surface: porous concrete, synthetic or artificial grass
Walls & mesh
- End walls: 3 m solid (glass or wall) + 1 m mesh on top
- Side walls: a mix of solid panels and metallic mesh, up to 4 m
- The ball can be played off any wall or the mesh - it's all part of the court
- Access gates with a safety zone allow legal out-of-court play
02 · Keeping score
Scoring
Scoring is identical to tennis. Points run 15 → 30 → 40 → game. First to 6 games wins a set (with a 2-game lead, or a tiebreak at 6–6). Matches are best of 3 sets.
Deuce
At 40–40 you need two points in a row - Advantage then Game.
Golden point
Many clubs and the pro tour use a sudden-death point at deuce. The receiving pair chooses which side receives.
Tiebreak
Played at 6–6 - first to 7 points with a 2-point lead. Change ends every 6 points.
03 · Starting the point
The serve
- Stand behind the service line, between the centre line and the side wall.
- Bounce the ball on the ground inside your service box.
- Hit it underarm, at or below waist height.
- Serve diagonally into the opponent's service box.
- You get two serves. A net cord that lands in is a let - replay the serve.
A serve that bounces in the box and then hits the metallic fence before a second bounce is a fault. A serve that bounces in the box and then hits the glass back wall is fine - play on.
Video: EverythingPadel
04 · Receiving
The return
- You must let the serve bounce before hitting it - no volleys off the serve.
- You can return after the ball bounces off the back wall, if you prefer.
- Receiving sides (left / right) are chosen at the start of each set and can't be changed mid-set.
- If the ball hits you or your racket before bouncing, the server wins the point.
05 · What makes padel padel
Wall play
The walls are the heart of padel. After the ball bounces on the ground in your half, it can rebound off any wall or mesh - you just have to return it before it bounces a second time on the floor.
✓ Allowed
- Letting the ball rebound off your back wall and returning it
- Using your own wall to send the ball back over the net (after it bounced on the floor first)
- Chasing a ball out through the gate and returning it - if the court has a safety zone
✗ Not allowed
- Hitting the ball directly into the opponent's wall without it bouncing on their floor first
- Volleying the ball into your own wall before sending it over
Video: Sunset Padel
06 · Faults
When a point is lost
A pair loses the point when:
- • The ball bounces twice on their side
- • They double-fault on serve
- • They hit the ball into their own wall, mesh or floor before it crosses the net
- • Their return hits the opponent's wall without bouncing on the floor first
- • A player, racket or clothing touches the net or the opponent's court
- • Both partners hit the ball in the same shot
- • A player hits the ball before it has crossed the net
- • The ball touches a player or their kit after they've played it
07 · The net
Net rules
- • Net height: 0.88 m centre, 0.92 m at the posts.
- • During a rally, a ball that clips the net and lands in is in play - keep going.
- • On serve, a net-cord ball that lands in the correct box is a let - replay it.
- • Touching the net, posts or cable while the ball is in play instantly loses the point.
- • You may never reach over the net to hit a ball that's still on the opponent's side.
08 · Coming from tennis?
Padel vs tennis
| Feature | Padel | Tennis |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Doubles only | Singles or doubles |
| Court | 10 × 20 m, walls all round | Larger, open |
| Serve | Underarm, bounce first, at/below waist | Overhead, ball toss |
| Racket | Solid, perforated, no strings | Strung frame |
| Walls | In play after the bounce | None |
| Scoring | 15-30-40-game (+ optional golden point) | Same base, advantage standard |
Video: P1 Padel
09 · On-court conduct
Etiquette & safety
- • Always use the wrist strap on your racket - rackets fly, walls hurt.
- • Call your shots with your partner - especially balls down the middle.
- • Don't deliberately distract the opponent during their shot (it's an automatic point loss).
- • Hand balls back politely; don't whack them across other courts.
- • Coaching is allowed only during permitted breaks in match play.