A 6 minute read, written in October 2026

How to play padel: the rules, the walls and your first match

To play padel, two pairs hit a ball over a net on a 20 by 10 metre court enclosed by glass walls, serving underarm and scoring as in tennis. The big difference is the walls: once the ball has bounced, it can come off the glass and stay in play. So how does a point work, and where should you stand?

Padel is doubles tennis in a glass box

Padel is a racket sport played almost always as doubles, 2 against 2, on a court enclosed by walls of glass and mesh. You use a solid racket with no strings and a ball that looks like a tennis ball but is slightly softer. The rules follow tennis closely, with 2 big changes: the serve is underarm, and the walls are part of the court.

It is also one of the easiest racket sports to start. Most beginners rally within their first hour, because the serve is gentle, the court is small and the walls keep the ball in play.

The court: 20 by 10 metres, with walls in play

The court is 20 metres long and 10 metres wide, split by a net 0.88 metres high in the middle. On each side, a service line runs across the court 6.95 metres from the net, and a centre line divides the area behind it into 2 service boxes. There are no sidelines or baselines to argue about, because the walls do that job.

The back walls are 3 metres of glass with mesh above, 4 metres high in all. The side walls are glass for the first 4 metres from each end, then mesh along the middle, and many courts have an opening by the net on each side. The guide to padel court dimensions has every measurement.

The serve: underarm, after a bounce, into the diagonal box

Every point starts with an underarm serve, and the rules are strict. To serve legally:

1. stand behind the service line, between the centre line and the side wall;
2. bounce the ball on the floor behind the service line and hit it after the bounce;
3. make contact at or below waist height, with at least one foot on the ground;
4. send it diagonally into the other pair's service box, as in tennis.

The serve may hit the side glass after it bounces in the box, but if it hits the mesh, or lands outside the box, it is a fault. You get a second serve, and a serve that clips the net and lands in is played again. The receiver must let the serve bounce before hitting it.

The first serve of each game is from the right-hand side, and the server switches sides after every point. The 4 players take turns to serve, one game each, so you serve once every 4 games. The padel rules guide covers the details.

The walls: the ball bounces first, then the glass is in play

Your shot must land on the floor in the other pair's half before it touches any of their walls. Once it has bounced, it can hit their back glass, their side glass or both, and they can still play it until it bounces on the floor a second time. That is why a deep ball is rarely a winner in padel.

So instead of rushing back, you let the ball pass you, wait for it to come off the glass and hit it as it comes back towards you. You may also hit the ball into your own walls to get it back over the net, as long as it hits glass and not mesh. The wall play guide shows how to read the rebounds.

You lose the point if:

• the ball bounces twice on your side;
• your shot does not clear the net, or hits the other pair's walls or mesh before it bounces;
• the ball touches you or your partner;
• you touch the net or a post with your racket or body during the point.

Scoring: tennis scoring, with a golden point at 40-40

Padel uses tennis scoring. Points go 15, 30, 40 and game, and the first pair to 6 games with a 2-game lead wins the set. At 6-6 you play a tie-break to 7 points, again won by 2. Matches are usually the best of 3 sets, and many amateur events play a 10-point match tie-break instead of a third set.

Deuce is the main difference. In many club games, 40-40 is settled by a golden point: one point wins the game, and the receiving pair choose who returns it. Some leagues still play advantage, and the professional tour uses a newer system, the star point. Padel scoring explained covers all 3, so agree on one before you start.

The main shots: 7 to learn first

You can enjoy your first games with a handful of shots:

• the drive, your forehand after the bounce, usually from the back of the court;
• the backhand, the same shot on the other side, often played with slice;
• the volley, hit before the bounce when you are at the net;
• the lob, a high ball over the net pair that sends them back to their glass;
• the bandeja, a controlled, sliced overhead that answers a lob without giving up the net;
• the smash, the full overhead, kept for short, easy lobs;
• the bajada, an attacking shot from a ball that comes high off your own back glass.

Keep the ball low and steady rather than hitting hard, because at club level most points end with an error, not a winner. The guide to padel shots covers these and the rest, from the víbora to the chiquita.

Positions: the pair at the net usually wins the point

Partners usually stand level with each other, both at the net or both at the back. At the net, stand about 2 to 3 metres from it, ready to volley. At the back, stand 1 to 2 metres in front of the back glass, so the ball has room to come off it.

The net is the strong position, so the game is a fight to get there and stay there. The pair at the back defends with lobs to push the others back, then moves forward together. Move as if tied by a rope: when your partner goes back for a lob, you go back too, because one up and one back leaves a gap through the middle.

You and your partner also split the court: one plays the right side and one the left, usually for the whole match. Left or right in padel helps you choose.

Your first match: book, warm up, keep it simple

A court is usually booked for 60 or 90 minutes for 4 players. Bring padel shoes, or clay-court tennis shoes for the first few games, plus water and a racket, which most clubs will rent you. Someone usually brings a new tube of 3 balls.

1. Warm up for 5 to 10 minutes: volleys at the net, then groundstrokes, lobs and a few overheads.
2. Agree who plays which side, and which scoring system you are using.
3. Spin a racket to decide who serves first and which end each pair starts at.
4. Change ends after the 1st game and then every 2 games, on the odd games, as in tennis.
5. Call the balls on your own side, and replay any point that neither pair is sure about.

Once you are playing, aim through the middle between your opponents, lob when you are in trouble and move with your partner. Your first padel game goes through the day in more detail, etiquette included.

Next steps: play often, and think about each point

Once you can serve and rally, progress comes from playing regularly and understanding why points are won. Some places to go next:

• The tournament maker runs an Americano or Mexicano for a group, with rotating partners and the scores on your phone.
• The racket finder picks 3 rackets that suit how you play, for when you are ready to stop renting.