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Padel rules, explained simply

Everything you need to play your first padel match: scoring, serving, the walls and the golden point. It takes about five minutes to learn — and a lifetime to master.

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Padel rules infographic: scoring, serve, walls and the Americano tournament format

The basics

  • Padel is always played in doubles — two players per side, four on court.
  • The court is 20 × 10 metres, enclosed by glass walls at the back and a mesh fence at the sides.
  • You score with a padel racket (solid, with holes — no strings) and low-pressure tennis balls.
  • The walls are part of the game: the ball may bounce off them and stay in play.

Scoring

  • Scoring works exactly like tennis: 15, 30, 40, then game.
  • At 40-40 (deuce), the golden point rule decides the game — the next point wins it.
  • A set is won by the first pair to reach 6 games with a 2-game lead (6-4). At 6-6 a tiebreak is played to 7 points.
  • Matches are usually best of 3 sets.

The serve

  • The serve is played underarm — the ball must be hit below waist level.
  • The server bounces the ball once behind the service line and hits it diagonally into the opponent's service box.
  • The ball must bounce in the box; it may then hit the glass wall, but hitting the mesh fence before bouncing is a fault.
  • Each server gets two attempts, alternating serves between the two sides of the court after each game.

Ball in play

  • After the serve, the ball must bounce on the opponent's floor before it can be returned.
  • Players may let the ball bounce off their own glass wall after one bounce and return it — this is the most spectacular shot in padel.
  • A point is lost if the ball bounces twice on your side, if you hit it into your own wall first, or if it touches the mesh on your side before crossing.
  • Players may reach over the net with the racket after hitting the ball, but never touch the net itself.

Tournament formats you'll see in the UK

  • Americano — fixed teams of 2, rotating partners every round, points scoring (e.g. first to 32).
  • Mexicano — rotating partners with knockout-style pairings, winners play winners.
  • Box league — small groups where every pair plays every other pair, standings per box.
  • Round robin / team events — full schedules where every team meets every team.

Ready to put the rules to work?

Join an Americano, a box league or a club night near you — live scores and partner rotations are handled automatically.

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