Six rules cover almost every point. Read them once, then play.
Padel is doubles on a court with walls. You and your partner share one half of the court.
Bounce the ball behind the service line and hit it at or below your waist. It must land in the service box diagonally opposite. If it then hits the glass, the serve is still good. If it hits the mesh, it is a fault.
The return of serve must bounce before you hit it. After that, you can volley.
The ball may bounce once on your side. After that bounce it can hit the glass or the mesh and you can still play it. A second bounce is their point.
Your shot must bounce on their side before it touches a wall or the mesh. If it hits their wall first, it is out.
A ball that touches the line is in. If you touch the net or the posts with your body, clothes or racket during a point, you lose the point.
Decide, then open the answer.
In. Keep playing. After a bounce, the walls are in play.
Out. Their point.
Out. Floor first, always.
Out. Wait for it to come over.
Good serve. Glass after the bounce is fine on a serve.
Fault. On a serve, mesh after the bounce is a fault.
In. Legal, and it surprises a lot of first-timers.
A padel court is 10 × 20 m, enclosed by walls and mesh. A net splits it in half.
After a legal bounce, the glass and the mesh are in play. The walls keep the ball alive, which is why a padel rally feels nothing like tennis.
| Aspect | Padel | Tennis |
|---|---|---|
| Players | Doubles in standard club play | Singles or doubles |
| Walls | In play after the bounce | Out of bounds |
| Serve | At or below waist height | Overhead |
| Court | 10 × 20 m, enclosed | Bigger, open |
| What wins | Placement. Power comes back off the glass | Power decides more often |
The biggest change from tennis: stop hitting hard and start using the walls.
Points run 15, 30, 40, game. The structure is the same as tennis. The walls change the rally, not the scoreboard.
| Points won | You call |
|---|---|
| 0 | Love |
| 1 | 15 |
| 2 | 30 |
| 3 | 40 |
| 4 | Game, if that pair is ahead |
When both pairs have won three points, the score is 40–40, called deuce. What happens next depends on the deuce format.
A set goes to the first pair with six games and a two-game lead, such as 6–4, or 7–5 after 5–5. At 6–6 you play a tie-break. A full competition match is often best of three sets. Ask which format you are playing before the first serve.
An organiser picks one for a competition. In a friendly, agree before the first serve. Ask: “Advantage, golden point, or star point?”
Tap who won each point. Pick how you play 40–40.
0–0
Games 0–0. Sets 0–0.| Us | Them | |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 0 | 0 |
| Sets | 0 | 0 |
Deciding point. The receiving pair chooses the left or right side. Receivers cannot swap positions for that point. In mixed doubles, the receiver must be the same sex as the server.
Tie-break. Points count 0, 1, 2, 3 instead of 15, 30, 40. The first pair to 7 points, winning by 2, takes the set 7–6. The player due to serve starts with one point from the right. The other pair then serves two points, first from the left. After that each pair serves two points in turn. Change ends every six points.
Who serves. Pairs alternate serving each game, and partners take turns within a pair. Decide who serves first before the set. Change ends after games 1, 3, 5, 7 and so on.
Other formats. Some events agree another format in advance. A mini set is first to four games, winning by two, with a tie-break at 4–4. At one set all, a match tie-break to 7 or a super tie-break to 10, each won by 2, replaces the third set.
At Irish clubs. There is no separate Irish scoring system. Clubs follow FIP, and the deuce option varies. As of 5 October 2026, the Irish Padel Tour uses golden point. In Northern Ireland, LTA grades 1 and 2 use star point, mandatory from 1 January 2026, as of the LTA organiser guide of 12 May 2026. Grades 3 to 5 may use it.
The foot behind the line stays between the imaginary centre line and the side wall until you hit the ball. At least one foot is on the ground at contact.
The 2021 Rome rulebook required both feet behind the line. The 2026 book does not.
Watch a high bounce: if it drifts over either line before you hit it, it is a fault, even if the serve lands in the right box.