Padel rules, explained simply
Everything you need for your first match: the court, scoring, the serve, and what the walls are actually for.
Padel is the easiest racket sport to start — and the hardest to stop. Here's everything you need before your first match, from the glass walls to the golden point.
The court in 60 seconds
A padel court is 20 × 10 metres, enclosed by glass walls and metal mesh. The net splits it in the middle; a service line runs 3 metres from each back wall, and a centre line divides each service area into two boxes.
The big difference to tennis: the walls are part of the game. The ball may bounce off them — that's what makes rallies long, fun, and easy to keep going.
Reusable court diagram — also for technique & tactics guides.
Scoring — you already know it
Padel scores exactly like tennis: 15 – 30 – 40 – game. Six games win a set, matches are best of three. At 40–40 most clubs play a single deciding golden point — the receiving pair picks the side.
Some clubs play a classic advantage instead of the golden point — ask before you start.
The serve is underhand
Bounce the ball behind your service line and hit it at or below waist height, diagonally into the opposite service box. You get two attempts, like tennis.
After bouncing in the box, the ball may hit the glass — that's a good serve. If it hits the mesh after the bounce, it's a fault.
Walls & rebounds
The ball must bounce on the floor before it touches your walls — then you can play it off the glass like a rebound. Hitting your opponents' wall on the fly (without the floor bounce) loses the point.
That one rule creates padel's signature moment: letting a fast ball fly past you, taking it off the back glass, and putting it back in play.
Let the fast ball fly past you — the back glass gives you a second chance. That's the moment padel clicks.
Quick questions
No — padel is the glass-court game on 20 × 10 m. Pickleball uses a perforated plastic ball on an open court, and paddle tennis is a different (mostly US) sport again.
Yes — that's the point. The short racket, underhand serve and walls make rallies easy from day one. Most beginners have fun in their very first hour.
Not at first — nearly every venue rents rackets for a few euros. Buy your own once you know you'll keep playing; our gear guide covers what to look for.
Almost always — the court is sized for 2 vs 2. Some venues have narrower single courts, but doubles is the standard game.