Padel is booming. Anyone stepping onto the court for the first time quickly realizes: the rules are easier to grasp than expected — and yet the game is fun from the very first rally. This article explains all the key padel rules in a compact way: serve, walls, fencing, and scoring.
The padel court is 20 meters long and 10 meters wide, surrounded by glass walls and metal fencing. It may sound confined, but it is not: the walls are not an obstacle, but the defining element of the game. Players who use them effectively gain a significant advantage. A net divides the court into two halves in the middle. In Europe, artificial turf filled with sand has become the standard playing surface.
The serve in padel differs fundamentally from tennis. Three rules always apply:
Let on serve: If the ball touches the net but still lands correctly in the service box – without touching the side wall or metal fence – the serve is repeated (let). If it hits the fence after the net before bouncing, it is a fault.
Important after the serve: After bouncing in the opponent’s service box, the ball may hit the glass wall, but not the metal fence. If it hits the fence after your serve, it is a fault.
Two service faults result in losing the point. The serving team switches service sides after each point, while the receiving team remains in position.
According to Lindmeyer, many players overestimate the importance of the serve, treating it as a “weapon” meant to win points directly. In reality, the serve in padel is primarily “a tool to start the rally and move into a strong net position.” Instead of maximum power, control and a high first-serve percentage are key. Lindmeyer adds: “If you serve too fast, you often get a strong return and start the point under pressure at the net.”
The heart of padel: the rally. Here, simple rules apply with plenty of room for spectacular exchanges. Walls, volleys, and quick reactions make the difference.
Ball contact and ground bounce: The ball may only be touched once by a player before it is returned to the opponent’s side. You can play it as a volley directly out of the air, or let it bounce once on the ground before returning it. After the first bounce, the ball may rebound off one or more walls. As long as it does not touch the ground a second time, it can still be played. This allows for long, spectacular rallies – and is the essence of padel.
A common mistake observed by Lindmeyer among beginners: “The most frequent mistake is that beginners try to play too fast and too hard. But padel is a game of errors. Especially at the beginning, the goal should be to get the ball back into the court as often as possible, keep the rally alive, and force the opponent to make mistakes.” Players with a tennis background in particular often try to finish every ball too quickly. In padel, however, patience is often rewarded. “Those who learn to play more calmly, use the glass, and wait for the right opportunity usually make the biggest progress.”
By the way: in doubles, players do not have to take turns hitting the ball. Whoever is in the best position plays it. The rotation rule only applies to the serve, where teammates alternate between games.
This is where padel differs most from all other racket sports. Anyone who understands the wall rules understands the game.
Your own glass wall: allowed. You are allowed to play the ball off your own glass wall (back or side wall) and send it back over the net. This is a completely legal shot.
The importance of the glass wall becomes especially clear at higher levels. “The glass wall is one of the most important elements of the entire sport. Every ball that you intentionally let rebound off the glass gives you more time for your next action and often leads to better decisions,” explains Lindmeyer, who besides his playing career has worked for many years as a padel coach in both competitive and recreational sport. “That’s why I would recommend every beginner to actively include the glass wall from the very first training session.” Those who learn early to use the glass effectively develop a much faster tactical understanding of the game.
Padel coach Thomas Lönegren also sees this as key to understanding the sport: “The glass walls make padel unique and open up many tactical options. Anyone who understands how the walls can be used develops a much better feel for the game.”
Your own metal fence: fault. If the ball hits your own metal fence after your shot, you immediately lose the point. There is no distinction between back or side fence: fence is fence.
Ball into opponent’s court: wall before bounce is fault. If you hit the ball and it lands on the opponent’s side, it must first bounce on the ground. If it hits the opponent’s wall or fence before bouncing, it is a fault and the point goes to the opponent.
What immediately costs points in a rally:
Common misunderstandings:
“Can the ball hit the wall multiple times?” Answer: Yes, as often as it wants, as long as it does not bounce on the ground a second time after the first bounce.
“What happens with a net cord during a rally?” Answer: No let. The rally continues. If the ball lands in the opponent’s court, it is your point.
The scoring system in padel is the same as in tennis: 15 – 30 – 40 – game. To win a game, you need at least four points and a two-point lead.
The first team to win six games wins the set. Here, too, a two-game lead is required. At 5:5, play continues: if one team wins the next game, it becomes 6:5. If they also win the following game, the set ends 7:5. A tiebreak is only played at 6:6.
Tiebreak: The tiebreak is played to 7 points, with at least a two-point lead. The set then ends 7:6. The team that would normally serve next starts the tiebreak. After that, service alternates every two points.
A match is played in a best-of-three format: the first team to win two sets wins the match. If the score is 1:1 after two sets, a full third set may be replaced by a super tiebreak. The rules are the same, but it is played to 10 points (again, with at least a two-point lead).
At 40:40 in padel, there are now three different rule systems. Which one applies depends on the context.
Classic advantage: There is no time limit at deuce. After 40:40, the next point gives a team advantage. If they win the following point as well, they win the game. If they lose it, the score returns to deuce. This continues until one team wins two consecutive points after deuce. This system is used on the Premier Padel Tour and at international championships. In recreational play, it can make for enjoyable but potentially very long games.
Golden Point: A single point at 40:40 decides the game immediately. No advantage, no reset. The receiving team may choose which player receives the serve.
Star Point (new from 2026): The International Padel Federation introduced the Star Point as a middle ground. It avoids endless deuce games without switching immediately to the strict Golden Point.
Here is how it works: First 40:40 → normal advantage is played. If the trailing team equalizes, play continues. Second 40:40 → again, normal advantage is played. If the trailing team equalizes again, the Star Point is activated: the next rally decides the game immediately, with no further advantage phases.
Example: Team Blue wins advantage, Team Red equalizes. Team Red wins advantage, Team Blue equalizes. Now Star Point: whoever wins the next point wins the game.
In the Star Point, the receiving team may also choose the side of the serve. In mixed doubles, an additional rule applies: if a man serves, a man must return; if a woman serves, a woman must return.
National player Lindmeyer generally sees the new rule positively: “It adds extra dynamism and excitement to the game and is, in my view, a good compromise between the classic advantage system and the Golden Point.”
Lönegren is more critical: “In my opinion, padel matches are already well balanced in terms of duration and excitement. The Golden Point has already been a rule for years that prevents games from dragging on unnecessarily while still creating exciting moments. For recreational play, I think the existing rules are sufficient and well balanced.”
What does this mean for you as a recreational player? In casual play, the Star Point often has little immediate impact. Many clubs already play Golden Point or use their own house rules. It becomes relevant if your club adopts it, you play a tournament under current FIP rules, or you agree on it before the match. The practical benefit: especially with 60-minute court bookings, it prevents a single game from consuming too much time. It creates a tiebreak-like feeling within a game, with real pressure situations where serve placement and return choice suddenly become tactically important.
On the serve:
During the rally:
You now know the rules. The next step is making an impact on court. When you step onto the padel court as a team in matching outfits, you make an impression — even during warm-up. Design your padel outfit directly in the configurator: Design your own padel jerseys.
Even in the details, it’s worth taking a closer look: a headband keeps sweat out of the eyes during intense rallies and can be customized just like the jersey.
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