Padel rules & scoring, explained for beginners
What is padel?
Padel (sometimes written “padel tennis”) is a racket sport that blends tennis and squash. It is almost always played in doubles — two players on each side — on a court enclosed by glass and metal-mesh walls. Those walls are not just a boundary: the ball can rebound off them and stay in play, which is what gives padel its long, tactical rallies.
You use a solid, stringless perforated racket and a ball that looks like a tennis ball but is slightly less pressurised. The court is smaller and the serve is gentler than in tennis, which is a big part of why padel is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world — it is genuinely easy to start.
The court and equipment
- Court: 20 m long × 10 m wide, split by a net in the middle. It is surrounded by glass walls (typically 3 m high) and metal mesh above them.
- Net: about 0.88 m high in the centre.
- Racket: solid, no strings, with holes through the face. There is a wrist cord you must wear.
- Ball: very similar to a tennis ball, with a little less internal pressure.
How to serve in padel
The serve is the biggest difference from tennis, and it is designed to be easy:
- Stand behind the service line. Bounce the ball once on the ground first.
- Hit it underarm, making contact at or below waist height.
- The serve must go diagonally into the opponents' service box, like in tennis.
- You get two serves. After a serve, the ball may bounce off the back glass — but if it hits the side mesh (fence) on the receiver's side before bouncing, it is a fault.
Playing the walls
This is what makes padel fun. After the ball bounces once on the floor on your side, it can rebound off your glass walls and you can still play it back over the net. What you cannot do:
- Let the ball bounce twice on the floor — that loses the point.
- Hit the ball so it strikes the walls on the opponent's side before it bounces on their floor.
You may volley (hit the ball before it bounces) at any time except when receiving the serve — the serve must bounce first.
Padel scoring — the same as tennis
If you know tennis scoring you already know padel scoring. Points run 15, 30, 40, game, starting from “love” (zero):
| Points won | Called |
|---|---|
| 0 | Love |
| 1 | 15 |
| 2 | 30 |
| 3 | 40 |
| 4 (with a 2-point lead) | Game |
At 40–40 it is deuce. The side that wins the next point has the advantage; win the one after and you take the game. Many clubs and tournaments instead use the golden point: at 40–40 a single deciding point is played, and the receiving team chooses which side receives it.
Win six games (by two clear games) to take a set. At 6–6 you play a tie-break (first to 7 points, win by two). A match is best of three sets.
Quick fouls to know
- The ball bounces twice on your side.
- You hit the ball into the net, or out of the court over the walls.
- The ball touches you or your partner.
- You volley the return of serve.
- The ball hits the opponents' wall or mesh before bouncing on their floor.
Frequently asked questions
Is padel the same as tennis?
No. Padel uses the same scoring as tennis, but it is played on a smaller enclosed court where the glass walls are in play, the serve is underarm, and it is almost always doubles.
How do you score in padel?
Points go 15, 30, 40, game; six games (by two) win a set; a match is best of three sets. At 40–40 you play deuce/advantage, or a single golden point in many competitions.
Can the ball bounce off the walls in padel?
Yes. After the ball bounces once on the floor on your side it can rebound off your glass walls and you can still return it. It must hit the floor before the wall.
Is the padel serve overarm or underarm?
Underarm. You bounce the ball, then hit it below waist height diagonally into the opponents' service box, with two serves allowed.