beginner · ~4 min read
The court & what's in play
Doubles on a glass-walled cage — what's in, what's out, and the one-bounce rhythm.
Last reviewed June 2026
In one minute
Padel is doubles on a glass-walled cage about the size of a small tennis court. The ball must bounce on the floor once on your side before you hit it — including when you return serve. After a legal bounce, the walls and mesh are part of the game, not out-of-bounds. One bounce, then return it. That's the rhythm.
The court at a glance
A standard club court is 10 metres wide and 20 metres long — roughly 32 × 66 feet. A net splits it in half (88 cm at the centre, a touch lower than tennis). Each half has two service boxes marked by a line 6.95 m from the net and a centre line running through the middle.
The whole playing area sits inside a glass-and-mesh cage: solid glass back walls on both ends, glass on the first 2 metres of each side wall (from the back — that’s where corners meet), then metal mesh on the remaining side panels toward the net. After a legal bounce, glass and mesh are all in play — the walls keep the ball alive, which is why padel feels nothing like tennis once a rally starts.
At Irish clubs you will almost always play doubles on the full 10 × 20 m court. Singles courts exist in the rulebook but are rare in club play.
What to know
It's always four of you. Padel is a doubles sport. You're a pair — call the ball, don't both chase the same one. The server starts the point; the receiver stands diagonally opposite (cross-court).
Floor first, then walls. The ball must touch the ground before it hits a wall or the mesh fence. After that bounce, glass and mesh keep the rally alive on the opponent's side — they must return before the ball bounces twice on the floor.
One bounce on your side. If it bounces twice before you play it, you lose the point. That includes the return of serve: no volleying the serve — let it bounce in the service box first.
Lines are in. If any part of the ball touches the line, it's good — same as tennis.
Serve goes diagonal. Underhand, bounce the ball in your box, hit at or below waist height into the opponent's cross-court service box. If it bounces in the box and then hits the back or side glass, it's still a good serve.
Don't touch the net. Body, clothing, or racket on the net or posts during a live point — their point.
In or out? Quick reference
| Situation | Result |
|---|---|
| Bounces in court, then hits glass or mesh | In — keep playing |
| Bounces twice on your side | Out — their point |
| Hits wall or mesh without bouncing on the floor first | Out |
| Hits opponent's wall/fence before bouncing in their court | Out |
| You hit before the ball crosses the net to your side | Out |
| Serve bounces in box, then hits glass | Good serve |
| Serve bounces in box, then hits mesh before a second bounce | Fault |
You can also hit off your own back or side glass and send the ball over the net — as long as it eventually bounces in the opponent's court. That's legal, and it surprises a lot of first-timers.
Common mix-ups
- "If it hits the wall, it's out." Not after a floor bounce — that's normal padel.
- "It's mini-tennis — singles and power." Doubles, walls, placement. Hard hits often come straight back off the glass.
- "The mesh is the same as the glass." On serve, mesh after the bounce is a fault. In a rally, mesh after a bounce is in play.
- "I'll volley the serve back." Wait for the bounce in the service box.
Try this next time
- Wall watch — In a friendly rally, call "floor" when it bounces and "glass" when it hits the back wall. Builds the rhythm fast.
- Serve box drill — Serve 10 balls cross-court. Count how many bounce in the box before touching anything else.
- Two-bounce test — In a practice point, let a doubtful ball bounce twice once. You'll feel how quickly the second bounce ends the point.
What's next
Scoring works like tennis — we'll cover that in the scoring guide. For now, focus on keeping the ball in play and letting the walls help you instead of fighting them.