The Court
A padel court measures 20 metres long by 10 metres wide. It's divided by a net (slightly lower than a tennis net) and enclosed by a combination of glass walls and metallic mesh fencing.
The back wall is 3 metres of glass, topped by 1 metre of mesh up to 4 metres total. Side walls have a 3-metre glass section near the back that transitions to mesh towards the net. The mesh sections at the front are 3 metres high.
Key difference from tennis: The walls are in play. After the ball bounces on your side of the court, it can hit any wall and you can still return it. This is the defining feature of padel.
The Serve
The serve must be hit underhand. The server bounces the ball on the ground and hits it at or below waist height. No overhead serving is allowed.
Serve Rules
- Server stands behind the service line, to the right or left of the centre line
- Ball must bounce on the ground before being hit
- Ball must be struck at or below waist height
- Serve goes diagonally to the opposite service box
- Ball must bounce in the service box before hitting any wall
- After bouncing in the box, if it hits the side mesh (not glass), it's a fault
- Two serves allowed (first and second serve, like tennis)
Common mistake: Many beginners try to serve too hard. In padel, accuracy and placement matter more than power on the serve. Aim for consistency.
General Play
After the serve, the ball must bounce once on the receiving side before being returned. After that, volleys (hitting before the bounce) are allowed. The ball can only bounce once on each side before being returned.
Basic Sequence
- Server serves diagonally into the opposite service box
- Receiver lets the ball bounce once, then returns it
- From the third shot onwards, volleys are allowed
- The ball must cross the net and land in the opponent's side (or bounce then hit their wall)
- Players can leave the court through the side openings to retrieve a ball (yes, really)
Wall Play
This is what makes padel unique. After the ball bounces on your side, it can hit the back wall or side walls and still be returned.
Wall Rules
- The ball must bounce on the ground on your side before hitting a wall — you can then play it off the wall
- If the ball hits a wall on your side before bouncing on the ground, the point goes to your opponents (except on the serve return)
- You can return a ball that has bounced then hit multiple walls (ground → back wall → side wall is still playable)
- The ball can be hit over the back wall or mesh if it goes high enough — opponents can leave the court to retrieve it
Pro tip: Learning to read the ball off the back wall is the single most important skill development in padel. It takes time, but it transforms your game.
Faults & Lets
Faults
- Serve doesn't land in the correct service box
- Ball hits the mesh (not glass) on the serve after bouncing in the box
- Server's feet touch or cross the service line before contact
- Ball bounces twice on your side before you return it
- Ball hits the net and doesn't cross, or goes out of the court boundaries
- Player touches the net
- Ball hits a player before bouncing
Lets
- Serve hits the net cord but lands in the correct service box — replay the serve
- Ball from an adjacent court enters the playing area — replay the point
- Any external interference that disrupts play
Winning a Point
You win a point when:
- The ball bounces twice on the opponent's side
- The opponent hits the ball into the net
- The opponent hits the ball outside the court boundaries (over the back fence or out the sides)
- The opponent hits a wall on their own side before the ball crosses the net
- The ball hits an opponent before bouncing (in most cases)
- An opponent touches the net during play