Rules of Padel

The object of the game

Two teams of two hit a ball over a net using a solid, stringless racket. You win a point when the ball bounces twice on your opponent's side, they hit it out, or they break a rule. The twist: the walls around the court are in play.

Court and equipment

• Court: 20 m long by 10 m wide, fully enclosed by glass and mesh walls. Net height is 0.88 m at the centre.
• Service boxes: the back of the court is divided by a centre line into two service boxes.
• Ball: looks like a tennis ball but slightly softer / lower pressure.
• Racket: solid frame with holes, no strings, maximum 45.5 cm long.
• Format: almost always doubles; singles padel exists but is rare.

Scoring

Padel uses the same scoring as tennis: 15, 30, 40, game. Win by two points, best of three sets, tie-break at 6-6.

Many clubs and tournaments use the golden point rule: at deuce (40-40) the next point wins the game outright, and the returning team chooses which side to receive on.

Serving

• The serve is underarm. You must bounce the ball on the ground behind the service line and strike it at or below waist height.
• Serve diagonally into the opposite service box. The ball must bounce in the box before it hits any wall.
• You get two attempts. If the ball lands in the box and then hits the side wall (mesh or glass), it's still in; if it hits the wire fence, it's a fault.
• A serve that clips the net and lands correctly is a let: replay the serve.

Playing the walls

This is what makes padel padel. After the ball bounces on your side of the court, it can hit your walls before you return it: you have as long as you like, provided you hit it back before it bounces a second time.

• You may let the ball bounce off your own walls and then play it back over the net.
• You must not volley the ball into your opponent's walls before it crosses the net; the ball has to bounce on their court first.
• A ball that hits your opponent's wall before bouncing on their court is out.

Winning a point

You win the point if the opposing team:

• Lets the ball bounce twice on their side.
• Hits the ball into the net or out of the court.
• Hits the wire fencing on the full (without a bounce first).
• Is touched by the ball, or touches the net with racket or body.
• Volleys the ball directly into your walls without a bounce.

The vibora, bandeja and other bits

• Bandeja: a controlled overhead used to keep the net position rather than smash.
• Vibora: an aggressive sliced overhead that skids off the glass.
• Chiquita: a soft, low shot at the opponents' feet to pull them off the net.
• Por 3 / por 4: playing the ball out of the court through the side gap: legal, and one of the sport's signature moves.