Padel rules for beginners: the complete guide

What padel is and why half of Europe plays it

Padel is a racket sport for two pairs, played on an enclosed court with glass walls. It looks like a cross between tennis and squash, but it's faster to learn than tennis and more social than squash. Four people always have more fun than two. That's why padel attracts people who never managed a real serve in tennis - and they love it.

In Central Europe, padel is exploding. New clubs open every month. If you want to start, you can learn the rules in an afternoon. Here they are.

Scoring: identical to tennis

If you've ever played or watched tennis, you're set. Padel uses the same score.

• Game: 0, 15, 30, 40, game. At 40-40 (deuce), some players use a "golden point" decider, others go to two clear points - agree before you start.
• Set: first to six games with a two-game lead. At 6-6 you play a tiebreak to seven points.
• Match: typically best of two sets. Casual play is often a single set or a 60- or 90-minute time block.

In the Ace app you log the score in seconds and your level updates automatically. No need to remember who owes whom what.

Serving: underarm, into the diagonal box

First difference from tennis. In padel you serve underarm. No tossing the ball overhead, no power serves.

1. Stand behind the baseline in the service area.
2. Bounce the ball once on the floor.
3. Hit it from waist height or below (literally below your belly button - that's the rule).
4. The ball must land in the diagonal service box on the opponent's side, between the service line and the net.

You get two attempts, like in tennis. Miss both and it's a double fault - point goes to the opponent.

Walls: your friend, not the opponent's

This is what makes padel padel.

When your opponent hits a ball that bounces in your half and then flies into the glass or wire wall behind you, you can play it back AFTER the rebound. The wall is yours. But there's one critical rule:

The ball must hit the floor before it hits the wall.

If your opponent smacks the ball straight into your wall without it bouncing first, you win the point. The opponent cannot "play the wall" as an attack. The wall belongs to the defender, not the attacker.

Lines and zones

A padel court is 20 × 10 metres, divided in half by the net.

• Service line 3 metres from the net - boundary for valid serves.
• Centre line - splits the service box into left and right.
• Baseline and the side and back walls.

Outside of serving, the court is essentially one open zone. You play just like tennis, except the walls give you a second chance.

Net, net cord, and faults

The net is 88 cm in the middle and 92 cm at the posts. If a ball clips the cord during a rally and lands in, it's good. If it stays in the net, it's a fault.

Common faults that lose points:

• Double hit: one player can't hit the ball twice.
• Ball touching the body: even by accident. Point to the opponent.
• Crossing centre court: your half is yours. The net is the boundary.
• Reaching over the net to volley: hand can cross the net only after the strike, not before.

The trick everyone loves: leaving the court

If your opponent lobs the ball over the wall and out (it happens on long lobs), you can sprint out the side door and play it back onto the court. If you pull it off, it's one of the best feelings in padel. And it's totally legal.

It only works on courts with open doors. Most modern clubs have them. Try it on a practice lob and see if your club allows it.

Etiquette: what you don't do on a padel court

Padel is a social sport. Rules aren't only about play.

• Call the score out loud before every game.
• If you're unsure about a line call, replay the point. It's not worth an argument.
• Pick up your own balls. Don't expect someone else to do it.
• Shake hands after the match, even if you lost 0-6.

What's next

Now you know the rules. What else do you need? Find four players around your level, find a court, and play.

Ace helps with that. The app connects you with players near you, shows you your level (the more you play, the more accurate it gets), and logs every match for you. Rules are best learned from a partner who's already played a few dozen matches.