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Settle it
The ball hit the mesh. Somebody's foot was on the line. The lob touched the light. 64 padel rules situations with a one-line verdict, written for four people standing at the net arguing. Search it, show them the screen, play on.
The serve
Can you volley the return of serve?No: the serve must bounce before you return it
The receiver must let the serve bounce. Volleying the return of serve loses the point.
Golden point, and you are serving. What is the plan?Your most reliable serve, and go in behind it
At golden point there is no advantage: a single point decides the game, and the receiving pair choose which of them takes it.
Your foot touches the service line as you serve. Fault?Fault: your feet must stay behind the line until you have hit
At the moment of striking the serve the server must have both feet behind the service line, at least one foot on the ground, and must not touch or cross the line.
Can you serve without bouncing the ball first?No: the ball must bounce on the floor before you strike it
The server must bounce the ball on the floor behind the service line and strike it at or below waist level, underarm, with at least one foot on the ground.
Your serve contact is at chest height. Legal?No: contact must be at or below waist height
The ball must be struck at or below the server's waist height. A serve struck above the waist is a fault.
Your serve clips the net and lands in the box. What now?Let. You replay that serve
A serve that touches the net and lands in the correct service box is a let and is replayed. If it touches the net and then the mesh, or lands outside the box, it is a fault.
The serve bounces in the box, then hits the metal mesh. Good or fault?Fault: glass after the bounce is fine, mesh is not
A serve that bounces in the service box and then touches the side glass is valid. If it touches the metal mesh after the bounce, it is a fault.
You have missed the first serve. How many more do you get?One more serve; a second fault is the point
The server has two serves. If both are faults, the point is lost.
Your serve lands in the box straight ahead, not the diagonal one. Good?Fault. It must land in the diagonal box
The serve must be hit into the service box diagonally opposite the server. A serve landing in any other area is a fault.
Your partner is not receiving. Can they volley the serve?No, only the receiver returns it, after the bounce
Only the receiver may return the serve, and must let it bounce first. If the receiver's partner touches the serve, the point is lost.
Your pair served game one. Who serves game three?Your partner: the order alternates and is fixed for the set
The pair chooses who serves first in each set. Thereafter the partners alternate service games, and the order may only be changed at the start of a new set.
You realise mid-game that the wrong partner has been serving. What happens?Swap to the right server now; the points stand
If a partner serves out of turn, the correct server takes over as soon as the error is discovered. All points played before the discovery stand.
Let on the second serve. First or second serve again?A second serve: the let only replays that one serve
A let on a serve replays that serve only. A let called during the rally replays the whole point with two serves.
Your serve hits the receiver's partner before it bounces. Point?Yours. It touched an opponent before bouncing
If the serve touches the receiver or the receiver's partner before bouncing, the serving pair wins the point.
Foot fault on the second serve. What happens?Double fault. The point goes to the receivers
A foot fault is a fault. A foot fault on the second serve results in a double fault and loss of the point.
You serve before the receiver is ready and they miss it. Whose point?Replay it. The receiver was not ready and did not attempt a return
The server must not serve until the receiver is ready. If the receiver is not ready and makes no attempt to return the serve, the serve is replayed.
In play
The ball bounced then hit your own back glass. Still in play?In play: hit it back before it bounces a second time
After the ball bounces once on your side it may hit any of your walls and remain in play. What you may not do is hit your own wall before the ball has gone over the net.
The smash sent the ball out through the side opening. Chase it?Run out through the opening and play it back over the net
Where the court has openings, a player may leave the court to play the ball, provided it has not bounced twice and the return crosses the net back into play.
Your shot clips the net and drops over. What happens?Play on: a net cord in a rally is normal
A ball touching the net during a rally stays in play. A serve that clips the net and lands in the correct box is a let and is replayed.
Your shot hits their fence before it bounces. What is the call?Their point: the ball must bounce in court first
A ball that touches a wall, the mesh or any fixture on the opponents’ side before bouncing on their floor is out. After the bounce, every wall is in play.
The ball hits your leg. Whose point?Theirs: a ball that touches a player ends the point
The point is lost if the ball touches a player or anything they wear or carry, other than the racket.
Your racket brushes the net after a winning volley. Does the point stand?Theirs: touching the net during the point loses it
A player loses the point by touching the net, the posts or the opponents' side of the court with any part of the body, clothing or racket while the ball is in play.
Your lob hits the roof. What happens?Theirs: a ball that touches the roof or lights is out
A ball that touches the roof, the lights or any element above the court is out of play and the point is lost.
The ball lands on the line. In or out?In. The lines are part of the court
The lines are part of the areas they mark. A ball touching a line is in.
Your racket slips out of your hand and still hits the ball over. Point?Their point: the racket left your hand
The ball must be struck with the racket held in the hand. The racket must be attached to the wrist by its strap.
The ball hits your frame and then the strings on one swing. Legal?Point lost. You hit the ball twice
The ball may be hit only once by one player on each side. A double hit or both partners touching the ball on the same shot loses the point.
You and your partner both hit the same ball. Whose point?Theirs: one racket per shot
Only one player may strike the ball on each shot. If both partners touch the ball, the point is lost.
Their drive flies out through the side opening, no bounce. Whose point?Yours: a ball that leaves the court before bouncing is out
A ball that goes out of the court through an opening before bouncing on the opponents' floor is out.
A ball from the next court rolls in mid-point. What now?The point is replayed as a let
If the point is interrupted by something outside the players' control, such as a ball from another court, a let is called and the point is replayed.
Can you hit the ball before it crosses the net?No: the ball must cross the net before you play it
The ball must be struck after it has crossed the net. The only exception is a ball that bounces on your side and returns over the net on its own, which may be played by reaching over without touching the net.
Their drop shot bounces on your side and spins back over. Can you go after it?Reach over and play it, without touching the net
A ball that bounces on a player's side and returns over the net on its own may be played by reaching over the net, provided the player does not touch the net, the posts or the opponents' court.
Their ball bounces on your side and hits your metal mesh. Still in play?In play, after the bounce, glass and mesh are both fair
During a rally, after the ball has bounced once on a player's side, it may touch the glass or the mesh on that side and remains in play until its second bounce.
Your shot goes round the outside of the net post and lands in. Point?Yes: outside the post at any height, if it lands in
The ball may pass outside the net post, below or above net height, provided it lands in the opponents' court.
Can you swap receiving sides mid-set?Yes, but only at the start of a new set
The receiving pair choose their sides at the start of each set. The order may only be changed at the beginning of a new set.
The ball splits during a rally. What happens?Let: replay the point with a new ball
If the ball breaks during a point, the point is replayed. A ball that has only lost pressure is not considered broken.
Your smash hits your partner's back. Whose point?Theirs. It touched a player on your side
The point is lost if the ball touches a player of the pair, including a shot struck by their own partner.
Your drive hits the top of the net post and drops in. Good?Yes: in a rally the net and its posts are in play
In play, a ball that touches the net, the cord or the posts and then lands in the opponents' court is good.
Your smash bounces on their side and flies out over the back glass. Point?Yours: bounce in, then out, is a winner
A ball that bounces in the opponents' court and then goes out of the court wins the point for the hitter, unless the opponents legally return it from outside.
Their smash bounces and exits through the opening. Can you run out after it?Go out through the opening and return it before it bounces again
On courts with side openings, a ball that has bounced once on a pair's side and left the court may be played from outside and returned into play before it bounces again.
The ball sits on top of the net and drops back on your side. Whose point?Theirs: the ball did not cross the net
In play, a ball that touches the net and falls back onto the hitter's side loses the point for the hitter. There is no let.
Your racket crosses the net on the follow-through of a volley. Legal?Yes, if contact was on your side and you touched nothing
The racket may pass over the net on the follow-through after the ball has been struck on the player's own side, provided the net and posts are not touched.
The ball hits a lamp mounted on the wall. In play?Out. The point is lost
A ball that touches any structure other than the walls, the mesh and the floor, such as lights or posts, is out and the point is lost.
Your lob hits their back glass before it bounces. Point?Theirs: floor first, then walls
A ball that touches the opponents' walls or mesh before bouncing on their floor is out.
Their lob is flying long. You volley it anyway. Whose point?In play: by hitting it, you accepted the ball
A ball that is struck before it bounces is in play regardless of where it would otherwise have landed.
The ball hits a spare racket lying on the court. What happens?Let: an accidental hindrance; replay the point
The point is lost if the ball touches anything a player wears or carries other than the racket held in the hand. Interference from an object on the court that nobody intended is a hindrance, and the point is replayed.
Your partner pulls a muscle. Can you stop the match?Yes: a limited medical timeout, at the referee's discretion
A limited medical timeout may be granted by the referee for an injury sustained during play. Play must otherwise be continuous.
Your drop volley clips the net, bounces, and dies against their glass. Point?Yours: bounced in, never returned
During a rally a ball that touches the net and lands in the opponents' court is good and play continues.
Can you play the ball off your own back glass on purpose?Yes, off your own glass, if it then crosses and lands in
A player may hit the ball against their own glass walls so that it crosses the net and lands in the opponents' court. The ball may not be played off the player's own mesh.
The ball bounces twice before it reaches your back glass. What happened?Point lost: two bounces. It was too slow to wait for
Two bounces on the floor is the point, wherever it happens. Slow balls have to be taken before the wall.
The ball bounces on your side, then hits your leg. Still a point lost?Theirs: the ball touched you before you played it
The point is lost if the ball touches a player or anything they wear or carry, other than the racket in the hand, whether or not the ball has bounced.
The ball squeezes between the net and the post. In or out?Theirs: the ball must pass over the net or outside the post
The ball must pass over the net or outside the net post to be in play. A ball passing through or under the net, or between the net and the post, loses the point.
Scoring and the match
When do you change ends in padel?Yes, after the first game, then every two games
Players change ends after the first game and then after every odd game. In a tie-break, ends change every six points.
It is 6-6. How does the tie-break work?A tie-break: first to seven points, two clear
At six games all a tie-break is played. The first pair to seven points with a two-point lead wins the set. Service changes every two points after the first; ends change every six points.
Golden point. Who decides which side receives?The receiving pair choose who receives
At forty all a golden point is played. The receiving pair choose which player receives, and the server serves to that side.
You disagree about the score. How is it settled?Agree what you both remember, replay the disputed point
In a match without a referee, disputed points should be resolved by agreement; where a point cannot be agreed, it is replayed. The server should announce the score before each point.
You win the toss. What are your choices?Serve, receive, or end; the other pair take the rest
The winner of the toss chooses to serve, to receive, or the end from which to start. The other pair choose from the remaining options.
Advantage or golden point, which is the rule?Either. The competition decides, and the official default is golden point
At deuce the official rules apply a golden point, with the receiving pair choosing who receives. Competitions may instead specify the advantage system.
How many sets to win a padel match?A third set: matches are best of three
A match is the best of three sets. Competitions may specify a match tie-break in place of the third set.
Etiquette and disputes
You think their serve might have been long. Nobody is sure.Play it as good
In a match without a referee, each pair is responsible for calling balls on its own side of the net. A ball that cannot be called out with certainty is considered good.
How long can you take between points?A short fixed time, around twenty seconds
Play should be continuous. A short interval is allowed between points and a longer one at the change of ends; deliberate delay can be penalised by the referee.
They call "let" after losing the point. Does it stand?Your point: a let is called at once, not after
A let for hindrance must be claimed immediately. A player who continues the point after the hindrance cannot claim it afterwards.
Your partner shouts as they smash. Is that a hindrance?Yes: deliberate distraction loses the point
A deliberate action that hinders an opponent loses the point. An unintentional hindrance results in a let.
Basic court manners: what are the unwritten rules?Call the score, hand up, generous calls, balls back
Call the score, hand up on a lucky ball, generous line calls, balls back to the server. Four habits, every match.
The club has posted an Americano. What is it, and how do you win one?Rotating partners, short matches to a points total
Americano: rotating partners, short matches to a fixed points total, individual score. Every point counts, so never lose one cheaply.
Where these come from
Every verdict follows the International Padel Federation rules of play, in the form they are applied at club level without a referee. Where clubs differ: advantage or golden point, the number of balls, the medical timeout. The verdict says so. If you think one is wrong, the full position behind it explains the reasoning; read that first, then tell us.