Padel rules become much easier once you understand a few basics.
Padel is normally played two against two on an enclosed court. The serve is underhand and must be hit after bouncing the ball. During a rally, the ball can bounce once on your side before you return it, and the glass walls can keep the point alive.
You can volley during normal play, but you cannot volley the return of serve.
Padel Rules in 30 Seconds
| Rule | Simple Version |
|---|---|
| Serve | Bounce the ball first and serve underhand, diagonally |
| Serve Return | The receiver must let the serve bounce |
| During the Rally | Volley or play the ball after one bounce |
| Walls | After the ball bounces on your side, the wall can keep it in play |
| Your Return | The ball must reach your opponent's court before touching their wall or fence |
| Two Bounces | Two bounces on your side means you lose the point |
| Scoring | Usually tennis-style: 15, 30, 40, game |
If that makes sense, you already understand enough to start playing. The details below cover the situations that usually cause confusion.
How Do You Serve in Padel?
Every point begins with an underhand serve.
The server stands behind the service line, bounces the ball on the ground, and strikes it at or below waist height while keeping at least one foot in contact with the ground.
The serve travels diagonally into the opposite service box. You begin from the right side and alternate sides after each point.
You get two attempts, similar to tennis.
A serve is a fault if it lands outside the correct service box or, after bouncing correctly, touches the metal fence before its second bounce.
Can a Padel Serve Hit the Glass?
Yes.
If your serve lands legally in the service box and then hits the glass wall, the ball remains playable.
If it lands legally and then hits the metal fence before its second bounce, it is a fault.
That distinction is important:
Glass is legal. The metal fence is not.
Can You Volley a Serve in Padel?
No.
The receiver must allow the serve to bounce inside the service box before returning it.
Once the serve has been returned, normal volleying is allowed.
What Happens if the Serve Hits the Net?
If the serve touches the net and then lands legally in the correct service box without hitting the metal fence before its second bounce, the serve is replayed.
On a first serve, you repeat the first serve. On a second serve, you repeat the second serve.
How Do the Walls Work in Padel?
This is the rule that makes padel feel completely different from tennis.
The easiest way to remember it is:
On your opponent's side: ground first. On your side: the wall can help you after the bounce.
When your opponent hits the ball to you, it can bounce once on the court and then rebound off the glass or metal enclosure.
You can return it at any point before it bounces on the ground a second time.
That means a deep shot getting behind you does not necessarily mean you lost the point. Often, the correct play is to let it reach the back glass and hit it after the rebound.
Can You Hit the Ball Into Your Own Wall?
Yes, your own glass wall, specifically.
You can intentionally hit the ball off your own glass and send it over the net into your opponent's court.
However, hitting your return into your own metal fence is not legal.
Can Your Shot Hit the Opponent's Wall First?
No.
Your shot must either be volleyed by an opponent or bounce in their court before touching their wall or fence.
If your ball flies directly into their glass or fence without first landing on the court, you lose the point.
Again, the beginner version is simple:
Ground first, then wall.
How Does Padel Scoring Work?
Padel uses familiar tennis-style point scoring:
15, 30, 40, game.
Under traditional advantage scoring, 40–40 is deuce. One team must then win two consecutive points to win the game.
A standard set is won by the first team to six games with a two-game margin, with a tiebreak normally played at 6–6. Matches are generally best of three sets.
Current padel rules also recognize different ways of handling deuce, including Advantage, Star Point, and Golden Point formats.
For a recreational game, the practical advice is simple:
Ask which scoring format your club or group is using before you start.
When Do You Lose the Point in Padel?
For recreational players, these are the situations that matter most:
- The ball bounces twice on your side before you return it.
- Your return goes into the net.
- Your shot hits the opponent's wall or fence before bouncing in their court.
- The ball touches you, your partner, or anything you're wearing instead of your racket.
- You or your racket touch the net while the ball is in play.
- You hit the ball twice.
- Both partners hit the ball.
- You hit the ball before it has crossed the net to your side.
- Your safety cord breaks or you drop your racket during the point.
Padel Rules That Surprise Beginners
Some of the most interesting parts of padel do not become obvious until you have played a few games.
You Can Go Outside the Court
On courts specifically designed and approved for out-of-court play, a player can leave through the opening to retrieve a ball that has left the enclosure.
Not every padel court allows this. The court needs the proper access openings and safety area outside the enclosure.
A Smash Out of the Court Is Not Always Over
A hard smash can bounce in your opponent's court and leave the enclosure.
On a normal recreational court where out-of-court play is not permitted, that will usually end the point.
But on an authorized out-of-court court, your opponent may be able to run through the opening and return the ball before the play is dead.
The Ball Can Come Back Over the Net
If your shot bounces in your opponent's court and spin or the wall sends it back over the net to your side, your opponent is allowed to reach over the net and play the ball.
They just cannot touch the net, the net posts, or your court while doing it.
The Wrist Strap Is Mandatory
Every regulation padel racket has a safety cord attached to the handle, and players are required to wear it around the wrist.
The strap helps prevent the racket from becoming dangerous if it slips out of your hand during a swing.
Padel Court and Equipment Rules
A regulation padel court measures 20 meters long by 10 meters wide and is divided by a net.
The net is 88 centimeters high at the center and rises to 92 centimeters at the ends.
Padel rackets are solid and stringless, with a perforated hitting surface and a mandatory safety cord.
Padel balls look very similar to tennis balls but have their own specifications for size, weight, bounce, and internal pressure.
The Most Important Rule for Your First Padel Game
This is not an official rule, but it may help you more than anything else on this page:
You don't have to hit everything hard.
Because the walls keep so many balls in play, extra pace can simply give the other team another opportunity to attack.
New players, especially tennis players, often improve faster once they stop trying to finish every point immediately.
Give yourself time to learn the glass. Let deep balls travel behind you. Use lobs. Move with your partner. And don't worry if your first few games feel strange.
The walls are supposed to change the way you think about the point.
Ready to Play?
If you've never played padel before, consider renting a racket for your first session rather than trying to choose equipment before you've hit a ball.
Once you've played a few games, you'll have a much better sense of the weight, shape, and feel you prefer.
If you're in Boca Raton, stop by MatchSet and compare padel rackets in person. We carry rackets, balls, bags, grips, accessories, and court shoes and can help you find equipment that fits your game.
Frequently Asked Questions About Padel Rules
Can You Volley in Padel?
Yes.
You can volley during normal rallies. The major exception is the return of serve, which must bounce before the receiver hits it.
Can a Padel Serve Hit the Glass?
Yes.
If the serve first lands in the correct service box, it may rebound from the glass.
If it touches the metal fence before its second bounce, the serve is a fault.
Can the Ball Hit the Fence in Padel?
During a normal rally, yes, after the ball has first bounced legally in the court.
The serve is different. A served ball that bounces correctly and then hits the metal fence before its second bounce is a fault.
Can You Hit the Ball Off Your Own Glass in Padel?
Yes.
You may play a return off your own glass as long as it then reaches your opponent's court legally.
You cannot use your own metal fence the same way.
How Many Times Can the Ball Bounce in Padel?
Once.
You must return the ball before its second bounce.
Do You Get Two Serves in Padel?
Yes.
If the first serve is a fault, the server receives a second attempt. Two consecutive service faults lose the point.
Is Padel Scoring the Same as Tennis?
Traditional padel uses familiar tennis-style scoring, but different deuce formats may be used depending on the competition or club.
Is Padel Played Singles or Doubles?
Standard padel is played doubles, with two players on each team.
Some facilities have smaller singles courts, but doubles is the traditional and competitive format.