The Rules of Padel

Here are the main rules of padel, which are based on a combination of tennis rules, but with some specific differences:

1. The Court

  • The padel court is rectangular, measuring 10 meters wide and 20 meters long. It is surrounded by glass walls and metal grids.
  • It is divided in half by a net that is 88 cm high at the center and 92 cm at the sides.
  • The walls are part of the game, so the ball can bounce off them.

2. The Racket and Ball

  • The padel racket, called a paddle, is solid, without strings, and has a perforated surface.
  • The ball is similar to a tennis ball, but slightly less pressurized.

3. The Team

  • It is mainly played in doubles (two versus two), although there are singles matches.
  • There are no fixed roles; both players on a team can freely attack or defend.

4. The Serve

  • The serve is made behind the baseline, with an underhand stroke.
  • The player must bounce the ball on the ground before hitting it.
  • The ball must bounce in the opponent’s service box and can only hit the walls after the first bounce.

5. The Scoring System

  • The scoring follows tennis rules: 15, 30, 40, and game.
  • A match is played best of three sets.
  • To win a set, a team must win 6 games with a margin of at least 2 games. In case of 6-6, a tie-break to 7 points is played.

6. The Bounce of the Ball

  • The ball must bounce only once in the opponent’s court before being hit.
  • After the bounce, the ball can hit the walls or metal grids, and players can hit it either on the volley or after it has bounced, depending on the game situation.

7. The Walls

  • Players can use the glass and metal walls in their court to bounce the ball, as long as it does not touch the ground first in their court.
  • If the ball bounces in the opponent’s court and then hits the walls, it is still in play.

8. Ball Hits

  • Each team can hit the ball only once to send it into the opponent’s court. Hitting the ball twice consecutively is prohibited.
  • If the ball touches the ground twice in a team’s court, the point is awarded to the opponents.

9. Fouls and Violations

  • It is considered a foul if the ball bounces twice before being hit.
  • If the ball hits the metal grids directly (without bouncing in the court first), the point goes to the opponent.
  • Touching the net with the body or racket during play results in the loss of the point.

10. Side Change

  • Players change sides of the court when the total number of games played in a set is odd (for example, after the first, third, fifth game, etc.).
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