Padel rules, explained without the rulebook headache

What are the basic rules of padel?

The basic rules fit in five lines. Padel is played two against two. Every point starts with an underhand serve into the diagonal service box. Each side may let the ball bounce once on its floor before hitting it, and may also play it after it rebounds off its own walls. Every shot must cross the net and land on the opponents' floor before touching their walls or fence. The pair that wins four points, under tennis-style scoring, wins the game.

The official source is the Rules of Padel published by the International Padel Federation (FIP). The version used here took effect on January 1, 2026. Rule numbers below refer to that document.

How does the serve work?

The serve (Rule 6) is underhand and simple once you have seen it. The server stands behind the service line, bounces the ball on the floor inside their own service box, and hits it at or below waist height with at least one foot on the ground. The ball travels diagonally and must bounce inside the receiver's service box; lines count as in.

You get two attempts. A serve that clips the net and lands in the box is replayed (Rule 9), unless it then touches the metal fence before its second bounce, which makes it a fault. A ball that bounces in the box and then hits the fence is also a fault (Rule 7). The receiver must let the serve bounce before returning it. Full details are in our padel serve rules guide.

When is the wall in play?

The walls are in play only after the ball has bounced on the floor (Rule 12). Once the ball has bounced on your side, it may hit your back glass, your side glass or even the mesh and you can still return it, as long as you hit it before it bounces on the floor a second time.

Your own walls can also help your shot. If you hit the ball and it strikes the glass on your own side before crossing the net, the return is still good, provided it then lands on the opponents' floor (Rule 14). What you cannot do is hit your own metal fence, or your own floor, after striking the ball (Rule 13). And your shot may never hit the opponents' walls or fence before bouncing on their floor: that is the most common way beginners lose points.

Learning to wait for the rebound is the biggest early skill in padel. Our guide to playing off the glass explains the footwork.

When do you lose a point?

Rule 13 lists the ways a pair loses a point. The ones that come up in ordinary club play are:

• the ball bounces twice on your side before you return it;
• your shot hits the opponents' walls or fence before bouncing on their floor;
• your shot hits your own metal fence or your own floor;
• the ball touches you, your partner or your clothing after you hit it, or touches any of you before your opponents' shot bounces;
• you or your racket touches the net, the posts or the opponents' side while the ball is in play;
• you hit the ball twice, or both partners hit it;
• you play the ball before it has crossed the net to your side;
• you drop your racket or break its wrist cord, or throw it at the ball;
• you serve two faults in a row.

Two situations surprise people. If the ball bounces in your opponents' court and then flies out over their wall, the point is yours unless the court allows out-of-court play. And a ball that lands exactly in the corner where floor meets wall is a good return (Rule 14).

Can you leave the court to play the ball?

Only on courts built for it. Rule 16 allows out-of-court play when the court has the safety area FIP requires: at least 3 meters of clear space beside the side openings, 4 meters recommended, and no light poles in the way. On those courts, a ball that bounces correctly and leaves through a door or over a side wall can be chased and returned from outside. Many club courts, especially indoors, do not have that clearance, so check the house rules before you sprint for the exit.

What counts as a let or interference?

A let means the point is replayed. Under Rule 10 that happens when a ball splits, an object from outside enters the court, or something unconnected to the players interrupts play. A player who wants a let must ask immediately; if play continues, the right is lost.

Interference (Rule 11) is when a player distracts an opponent who is hitting the ball. Deliberate interference loses the point. Involuntary interference produces a let, but a second involuntary interference by the same pair in a match costs them the point.

Where do players stand, and when do you change ends?

Only the receiver's position is fixed at the serve: they receive in the box diagonally opposite the server. Everyone else may stand anywhere on their own side (Rule 3). The receiving pair decides at the start of each set who receives on which side, and that order holds for the set (Rule 8).

Pairs change ends after the first, third and every following odd game of a set, and every six points in a tiebreak (Rule 5). Between points there is a 20-second limit, with up to 90 seconds at a change of ends and 120 seconds between sets (Rule 2).

Which rules matter most in a club match?

Scoring options, including the golden point and the new Star Point, are explained in padel scoring.

Sources

• International Padel Federation, Rules of Padel (review in force January 1, 2026): Rules 2, 3, 5 to 16. Checked October 11, 2026.
• LTA Padel, Official padel rules: how to play and score, checked October 11, 2026.

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