Padel Rules Made Simple: Scoring, Serving and Walls

Padel rules in one minute

If you've been invited to your first social game and want to walk on court without slowing anyone down, these are the padel rules that matter most:

Quick answer

Padel is almost always doubles: four players, two per side.

You serve underhand and diagonally, after bouncing the ball once.

The ball must hit the floor before it touches any wall or fence.

The ball may bounce only once on your side.

Scoring is the same as tennis: 15, 30, 40, game.

The official padel rules come from the International Padel Federation (FIP), the sport's world governing body. Clubs build on that foundation. Virgin Active Padel Club, for example, has its own rules for padel page alongside its clubs around the country.

A note from me: you don't need to memorise a rulebook to enjoy your first game. Many beginners pick up the basics quickly, especially when someone explains them in the order they come up on court. That’s how this guide works.

The court and the basics

A padel court is 20 m long and 10 m wide. It's enclosed by glass walls at the back and partly along the sides, with wire mesh making up the rest. A net divides the court in half. Each half has a service line and a centre line, which together mark out two service boxes.

The playing surface is artificial turf, usually sanded.

Padel is almost always played as doubles. Partners each cover one side of the court. Coaches often suggest a simple starting position:

Server's partner: up at the net.
Returner's partner: level with the returner, near the back.

One small rule catches beginners out. You must wear the wrist strap on your racket. It stops a racket from flying across a glass box.

How to serve: step by step

Stand behind the service line. Both feet stay behind it, and at least one foot must be on the ground. You can't walk, run or jump into the serve.
Bounce the ball once in your own half, behind the service line.
Strike at or below waist height. This is the rule most often broken by tennis players.
Aim diagonally into your opponent's service box. Lines count as in.

You get two attempts, a first and a second serve, just like in tennis.

It's a fault if the serve:

misses the service box
lands in the box and then hits the side or back wire mesh before the receiver plays it
hits your partner
misses the ball completely when you swing

If the serve lands in the box and then hits the glass, it stays in play. Glass is fine, but mesh is a fault.

What if the serve hits the net? Some guides say a net-cord serve is always a fault. That isn't right. If the ball clips the net and lands in the correct box, it's a let, and you replay that serve. A let also applies if the receiver wasn't ready.

Who serves first? At the start of each set, the serving pair decides which partner serves. The receiving pair decides who receives on which side. That order holds for the whole set. Serve then rotates across the four players, one game each.

Returning and rallying

Once the serve is returned, the rally opens up:

The ball may bounce only once on your side.
You may volley at any point after the return.
Your shot can go straight over the net or reach it via your own glass.

Can you touch the net? No. You lose the point if your racket, body or clothing touches the net or posts during a rally. You may only reach over the net if the ball has bounced on your side and spun or blown back over.

What if the ball hits a player? If it hits a player or their clothing before bouncing, the point goes to the team that hit it.

Using the walls: the one test that solves most questions

Most wall confusion disappears once you ask one question: did it bounce on the floor first?

The ball must hit the floor on the receiving side before it touches any wall or mesh. If it hits the glass or fence first, it's out.

After that bounce, you can play the ball off your back or side glass, even if it hits more than one wall. A ball coming off the mesh is also playable after the bounce, but it tends to drop or skid unpredictably, so give yourself room.

Can you hit the ball off your own wall? Yes, off your own glass. Hitting into your own back or side glass to get the ball over the net is legal, and a useful escape shot. Hitting it into your own wire mesh or fence is not.

If the ball lands on top of the fence or gets stuck in the mesh after a legal bounce, the player who hit it wins the point.

What happens	Call
Ball bounces, then hits back glass	Play on
Ball hits side glass before the floor	Out
Ball bounces, hits side glass, then back glass	Play on
You hit the ball into your own back glass and it carries over the net	Legal
You hit the ball into your own mesh	Your point lost
Ball bounces, then sticks in the mesh	Point to the hitter

Playing outside the court

Can you run outside the court to play the ball? Some courts have open exits. On these, you may run out and return a ball that's been smashed out, as long as it hasn't bounced twice.

Competitive play needs space around the court for this. The Padel School cites a minimum of 2 m by 5 m. In a social game, with bags and benches about, beginners should usually let it go.

Padel scoring explained

Padel scoring follows tennis:

Points: 15, 30, 40, game.
At 40–40 (deuce): traditionally, you play advantage, and a pair must win two points in a row.

What is the golden point? It replaces advantage with one deciding point at deuce, and the receiving pair chooses which side receives it. Many clubs and leagues use it, so agree on it before you start.

Sets: you need six games with a two-game lead. Most matches are best of three sets. Change ends after odd-numbered games (1, 3, 5 and so on).

How does a padel tie break work? At 6–6, play a tie break counted in plain numbers. The first pair to seven points, two clear, wins the set. As Padel Nuestro's summary notes, if nobody has a two-point lead, play continues until someone does.

Who makes the calls in a social game?

There's no umpire in recreational play, so each pair calls its own side honestly. If you genuinely can't agree, play a let and replay the point. Zona de Padel's guide covers serve and return rules in more detail.

Good etiquette goes a long way:

Call the score before you serve.
Return balls to the server between points.
Acknowledge net cords with a quick hand raise.

Common beginner mistakes

Serving above the waist. It's tempting if you come from tennis.
Volleying the serve. Let it bounce.
Letting the ball bounce twice after it comes off the glass. Once it rebounds, play it before it lands again.
Panicking at the back wall. Turn, wait, and let the rebound come to you.
Touching the net on a putaway. A winning volley still loses the point if your racket brushes the net.

Quick-reference cheat sheet

Almost always doubles; wear the wrist strap.
Serve: both feet behind the line, bounce once, hit at or below the waist.
Serve diagonally; lines are in; two attempts.
Serve hits the net and lands in the box: let, replay.
Serve bounces, then hits the mesh: fault. Bounces, then hits the glass: in.
Receiver must let the serve bounce.
Floor before wall, always.
One bounce on your side; walls after the bounce are fine.
Your own glass is fine; your own mesh is not. Never touch the net.
Scoring: 15, 30, 40; agree on golden point or advantage first; tie break to seven, two clear.

Do you need to be fit to play padel?

No. The court is small, the serve is underhand, and the walls give you extra time to reach the ball. That makes padel welcoming for every level, including people who have never held a racket.

In my experience, the rules click fastest with good coaching and plenty of relaxed court time. If you'd like that in a small group, Padelist's Garden Route retreat near George pairs daily sessions with local coaches with plenty of unhurried downtime.

For now, screenshot the cheat sheet, agree on golden point before the first serve, and when in doubt, ask yourself one question: did it bounce first?

Frequently asked questions

What are the official rules of padel?

The official padel rules come from the International Padel Federation (FIP), the sport's world governing body. In short, padel is almost always doubles, you serve underhand and diagonally after one bounce, the ball must hit the floor before any wall, and scoring follows tennis.

Is padel suitable if I’m not very fit?

Yes. The court is small, the serve is underhand and the walls give you extra time to reach the ball. That makes padel welcoming for every level, including people who have never held a racket.

Does padel burn fat?

A social game gets your heart rate up and keeps you moving, and played regularly it can support fat loss alongside sensible eating and sleep. How much you burn depends on intensity, so treat it as enjoyable movement rather than a calorie target.

Can the ball bounce twice in a padel serve?

In a sense, yes: the server bounces the ball once before hitting it, and it must then bounce once in the opponent's service box. The receiver must let the serve bounce, but if it bounces a second time before being returned, the point goes to the server.

What is the golden point in padel?

The golden point replaces advantage at 40–40 with one deciding point, and the receiving pair chooses which side receives it. Many clubs and leagues use it, so agree on it before you start.