Padel rules explained for beginners

The official rules come from the International Padel Federation (FIP), the world governing body. Its current rulebook applies from 1 January 2026. Everything below is drawn from that document, written the way you would explain it to a mate before their first hit.

What are the basic rules of padel?

These are the rules you need for a social game:

1. Two pairs. Padel is a doubles game. Each pair stays on its own side of the net.
2. Underarm serve. The server bounces the ball behind the service line and hits it at or below waist height, diagonally into the opposite service box.
3. One bounce, then the walls. The ball has to bounce on the ground on the other side first. After that bounce it can hit the glass or the mesh and stay in play.
4. You can use your own walls. You may hit the ball into your own back or side wall so it rebounds over the net, as long as it then lands in your opponents' court.
5. Volleys are allowed. Except on the return of serve, you can hit the ball before it bounces.
6. Tennis scoring. 15, 30, 40, game. Six games wins a set, with a tie-break at 6-all. Most matches are best of three sets.

That is enough to get through a first booking. The rest of this page covers the detail that settles arguments.

How big is a padel court?

The court is 20 m long and 10 m wide, measured inside the walls. The net sits across the middle and is 0.88 m high in the centre, rising to 0.92 m at the posts. Service lines run parallel to the net, 6.95 m from it on each side, and a centre service line splits that area into two service boxes.

The court is fully enclosed. The back walls are 4 m high in total: 3 m of glass or solid wall with 1 m of metal mesh on top. The side walls are glass or solid near each end and mesh fence through the middle. My court dimensions guide has every measurement.

How do you serve in padel?

The serve is underarm. The FIP rules say the server must:

• stand behind the service line, between the centre line and the side wall, without touching either line
• bounce the ball on the ground first, behind the service line
• hit the ball at or below waist height, with at least one foot touching the ground
• send it diagonally over the net so it bounces inside the opposite service box

The first serve of each game goes from the right side of the court. You get two attempts, the same as tennis. After the serve bounces in the box it may hit the glass, but if it hits the mesh fence before bouncing a second time it is a fault. A serve that clips the net and lands in the box is replayed, unless it then hits the fence. More detail, including the waist-height rule, is in my padel serve guide.

When can the ball hit the walls?

This is the rule that makes padel different from tennis. The FIP rule is simple: if the ball bounces in the opponents' court and then hits any wall or the fence, it is still in play, and they can return it before it bounces a second time.

For the player returning the ball, that gives two choices:

• Play it before it reaches the wall, as a volley or after one bounce.
• Let it come off the glass, then hit it on the rebound before it lands a second time.

You can also hit the ball into your own glass walls to get it back over the net. That is legal as long as the ball crosses the net and bounces in the opponents' court. What you cannot do is send the ball straight into the opponents' walls or fence without it bouncing on their ground first, or hit it into the mesh fence on your own side. Both lose the point. My guide to playing off the walls explains the shots.

What loses you the point?

Under FIP Rule 13 you lose the point if:

• the ball bounces twice on your side before you return it
• you hit the ball and it goes straight into the opponents' walls, fence or anything else without bouncing in their court first
• your shot hits the mesh fence on your own side, or bounces on your own side of the court
• you, your racket or your clothing touch the net or posts while the ball is in play
• you hit the ball before it has crossed the net to your side
• you hit the ball twice, or both you and your partner hit it
• the ball touches you or your partner (other than the racket)
• you serve two faults in a row
• your wrist cord breaks or you drop the racket during the point

The last one surprises people. Every padel racket has a wrist cord, and the rules make wearing it compulsory.

What counts as a good return?

Rule 14 lists the returns that keep a point alive. The main ones:

• The ball crosses the net and bounces in the opponents' court, then hits their wall or fence.
• The ball hits your own wall first, then crosses the net and bounces on their side.
• The ball clips the net or post and still lands in their court.
• The ball lands right in the corner where their wall meets the floor.
• The ball bounces on their side and then flies out of the court, over the wall, or into the roof or lights.

That last case is a winner for you unless the court allows out-of-court play and your opponents can run out and retrieve it.

Can you run outside the court?

Only on courts built for it. The FIP rules allow out-of-court play when there are open gaps in the side walls and a clear safety area outside the court, at least 3 m wide and 4 m long with nothing in the way. Many club courts do not have that space, so out-of-court play is off. Ask the venue, or agree before you start.

How does the scoring work?

Padel uses tennis scoring. A game goes 15, 30, 40, game. A set is first to six games with a two-game lead, and a tie-break decides the set at 6-all. A match is usually best of three sets.

The FIP rulebook gives three ways to play deuce: traditional advantage, the "golden point" (one deciding point at 40-40), and the newer "Star Point". The full breakdown is on my padel scoring page.

When do you change ends?

Players swap ends after the first, third and every odd game of each set, the same as tennis. In a tie-break you swap after every six points.

Is there a singles version of padel?

The FIP rules are written for doubles: pairs of players on each side, with one serving and the player diagonally opposite receiving. You can rally one against one on a normal court for practice, but a standard padel match is always four players. If you only have two players, a coaching session or a drill session with the ball machine is usually a better use of the booking.

What equipment rules matter?

• Racket. No strings. A solid, perforated face, no longer than 45.5 cm in total and no thicker than 38 mm. The wrist cord is compulsory.
• Ball. A padel ball, not a tennis ball. It looks similar but is made to its own specification. See my ball guide.
• Clothing and shoes. Sports clothing and sports shoes. Swimwear is specifically banned in competition.

What about etiquette?

The FIP rules include a conduct section for tournaments, and the same habits apply at your local club:

• Do not throw or smash your racket into the glass or the fence.
• Do not hit the ball hard at players on the other side when it is out of play.
• Wait between points for everyone to be ready.
• Call your own faults honestly. Social games have no umpire.

Next steps

If you are new, read the beginner's guide next, then the glossary so the club regulars' lingo makes sense. When you are ready to play, the where to play section lists venues in each Australian capital.