How to Play Padel: Rules, Scoring & Tips for Beginners

Padel is one of the most enjoyable sports you can start as an adult. Unlike tennis, you don't need months of lessons before you can have a proper rally. Unlike squash, the court is bright, open, and social. And unlike almost anything else, the wall-play mechanic turns what would be losing balls into extended, exciting rallies.

Here's everything you need to know to start playing — rules, scoring, serving, positioning, and the tips that will help you improve fastest.

The Court

A padel court is 20 metres long and 10 metres wide — roughly a third the size of a tennis doubles court. It's always enclosed: glass walls at the back and sides, metal mesh above. The court is divided in half by a net (88cm at the centre, 92cm at the sides), and each half is divided into a service box by a service line.

Padel is always played as doubles — four players, two on each side. There's no singles format in official play, which is a big part of why it's such a social sport.

Serving

The padel serve is underarm — very different from tennis. Here's how it works:

• The server must stand behind the service line (the central line on their side of the court), either in the right or left service box.
• The ball must be bounced on the floor first, then struck at or below waist height.
• The serve must land in the diagonal service box on the other side of the net.
• After bouncing in the service box, the ball is allowed to hit the back wall — this is still a valid serve.
• If the serve hits the side wall before or instead of the back wall, it's a fault.
• Two faults in a row = double fault = point to the receivers.

Scoring

Padel uses the same scoring as tennis: 15, 30, 40, game. A game is won when one side reaches 40 and their opponents are behind, or wins a deuce (40-40) situation. Sets are won at 6 games, with a tiebreak at 6-6. Matches are best of 3 sets.

One difference from traditional tennis: many padel formats use the 'golden point' at deuce, where a single rally decides the game. The receiving team chooses which side of the court they'd like the serve from.

How Points Are Won

• The ball bounces twice on your side = you lose the point.
• The ball hits the net = you lose the point.
• The ball goes out of bounds before bouncing on your side = you lose the point.
• You hit the ball into the wall on your own side before it goes over the net = you lose the point.
• After bouncing on your side, the ball CAN hit your own walls — and you can still play it.
• You can play the ball off the opponent's back or side wall on your side of the net.

The Wall Rules (Most Important for Beginners)

This is where padel gets interesting. After the ball bounces on the floor on your side, it can hit any wall and remain in play. This means:

• A ball that bounces and then hits the back wall is still playable — you must return it before it bounces a second time.
• You can deliberately play balls off the back or side walls as an offensive or defensive tactic.
• The lob over the net that lands, hits the back wall, and angles away is one of padel's signature plays — and one of the hardest to deal with.

Basic Positioning

In padel, the net position is dominant — like doubles tennis. The team at the net controls the point. Most points are won and lost at the net, through volleys and smashes, not from the baseline.

As a beginner, your main goal should be getting to the net whenever possible and working with your partner to hold that position. When you're pushed back to the baseline, your job is to defend and look for a lob that gives you time to advance.

6 Tips That Will Help You Improve Fastest

1. 1.Play more, think less. Padel rewards instinct. The more sessions you play, the more your reading of the ball off the walls improves automatically.
2. 2.Use the lob early. A high lob over your opponents when you're under pressure is one of the most effective shots in beginner padel — and many new players underuse it.
3. 3.Stay low at the net. Bend your knees, keep your racket up, and be ready to volley at face height or below.
4. 4.Communicate with your partner. Call 'mine' or 'yours' for anything in the middle. Most beginner mistakes come from miscommunication, not poor technique.
5. 5.Don't over-swing. Padel rewards compact strokes. Huge backswings and full-power shots lead to errors in the confined space of the court.
6. 6.Get the right racket. A forgiving, lightweight carbon fibre racket helps beginners develop consistent technique faster than a stiff power racket.

Getting Started

Most padel venues offer beginner sessions and racket hire. If you want your own racket, you don't need to spend a lot — a quality carbon fibre beginner racket like the IANONI PR8100 at £39.99 is all you need to get started and stay competitive for your first year or more of regular play.

Book a court with three others, focus on keeping the ball in play, and let the enjoyment of the game do the rest. You'll be back for a second session before the first one's over.