BASIC PADEL RULES

THE COURT

The court measures 20m x 10m, the walls are 4m high at the service ends and 3m on the sides.

FORMAT

All play in the sport of Padel is doubles format.

 

SCORING

The same scoring system as tennis is used (matches are best of five sets).

 

SERVING

  • All play begins with an underhand serve from the right service court into the opponent's court diagonally across.
  • The server must allow the ball to bounce once before hitting it and the ball must be hit below waist level.
  • The serve must land in the opponent's service box. If the ball bounces in the service box and strikes the side or back wall, it is a valid serve and must be played by the opposing player. If the ball lands in the service box and hits the wire fencing, it is considered a fault.
  • The server must keep at least one foot on the ground when hitting the serve. The server's feet may not touch or cross the service line while serving.
  • The server has two opportunities to complete the serve.

 

FAIR PLAY

The following are considered fair play situations in the sport of Padel:

  • The court lines are considered in play only during the initial serve. Otherwise, they are not a factor in determining the outcome of each point in the game between opposing players.
  • All players are permitted to play a ball off any of the walls on their own side of the court.

 

LOSING A POINT

The opposition wins a point when any of the following events occur:

  • The ball bounces twice in any area on your side of the court.
  • The ball strikes you or your teammate while in play.
  • The ball hits the wire fencing, posts or any other fixture before going over the net or landing on the opponent's court.

 

OUT OF BOUNDS

The ball is considered out of bounds and a point is given to the opposing players if the ball hits the wire fence or walls before bouncing on the opponent's side of the court.

 

OVERHAND STROKES

The ball can be taken out of the air by any player except on the initial serve and the return of serve.