Padel Rules Explained: A Comprehensive Guide for New Players

Padel is a fast-paced and exciting sport that has been gaining popularity around the world. If you’re new to the game, it’s important to understand the rules so you can play with confidence. In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about padel rules.

Court Dimensions

The padel court is smaller than a tennis court, measuring 20 meters by 10 meters. The court is divided in half by a net, which is 88 centimeters high at the center and 92 centimeters high at the posts. The court also has walls, which players can use to bounce the ball off of.

Scoring

Padel is typically played in sets, with each set consisting of six games. The first player or team to win six games wins the set. If the score is tied at 5-5, the set continues until one player or team wins by two games. If the score reaches 6-6, a tiebreaker is played to determine the winner of the set.

Serving

The serve in padel is underhand and must be hit below the waist. The server must stand behind the baseline and serve diagonally across the court. The serve must land in the opposite service box, and the receiver must let the ball bounce before returning it.

Returning the Ball

After the serve, the ball must bounce once on the receiver’s side before being returned. Once the ball has bounced, players can hit it off the walls or directly over the net. The ball can only bounce once on each side of the court before being returned.

Let Calls

If the ball hits the net on a serve and lands in the correct service box, it is called a let and the serve is replayed. If the ball hits the net during a rally and lands in the correct court, the point continues.

Faults

There are several ways to lose a point in padel. If the ball lands outside the court, hits the wall without bouncing, or goes over the net and lands out of bounds, it is considered a fault. Players can also lose a point if they hit the ball out of bounds or into the net.