Yes, you can lob the serve in padel. The rules control how you hit the serve, not how high it travels: you must bounce the ball first, hit it at or below waist height and keep one foot on the ground. If a high, looping serve follows those rules and lands in the receiver's service box, it is legal.
What the rules say
The FIP Rules of Padel set out how a serve must be struck:
- You must bounce the ball on the ground within your service area before hitting it.
- The ball must be at or below waist height when you hit it.
- At least one foot must be on the ground, and you must stay behind the service line.
- The ball must land in the receiver's service box, on the diagonal.
There is no rule about how high the ball travels after you hit it. So a serve that climbs high over the net and drops into the box is perfectly legal. Our guide to jumping when serving covers the foot rules in more detail.
What makes a lob serve a fault
A lob serve follows the same fault rules as any other serve. It is a fault if:
- You hit the ball above waist height, or without letting it bounce first.
- It lands outside the receiver's service box.
- It bounces in the box and then hits the metal fence before its second bounce. This is the main risk with a high serve, because the ball can kick up and carry to the fence.
If it clips the net and still lands in the box without then touching the fence, it is a let and you serve again. See is there a second serve in padel for how lets and faults work.
Does a lob serve work?
Sometimes. A high serve gives the receiver plenty of time, and good players will let it come off the back glass and play an easy return. That is why you rarely see lob serves at a high level. But in social and club padel, a change of pace can be useful:
- It breaks the receiver's rhythm if they are used to low, skidding serves.
- It can draw an error from players who are unsure how to play the ball off the glass.
- It works best as a surprise, not as your normal serve.
A better option for most players
For most points, a low, deep serve with a little slice is harder to attack. It keeps the ball low after it comes off the glass and lets you follow it to the net. Our guides to serving at hip or waist height and where to move after you serve explain how to build your serve.
The bottom line
A lob serve is legal in padel as long as you bounce the ball, hit it at or below waist height and land it in the box. Use it now and then as a surprise, but rely on a low, deep serve for most points.
Related questions
Is there a height limit on the padel serve?
There is a limit on where you hit the ball, at or below waist height, but not on how high the ball travels after you hit it.
Can the receiver volley a lob serve?
No. The receiver must always let the serve bounce in their service box before hitting it.
What happens if a lob serve hits the fence?
If the serve bounces in the box and then touches the metal fence before its second bounce, it is a fault.