Padel Tennis Rules

According to the LTA (Lawn Tennis Association), padel is one of the newest racket sports in the UK with 6,000 current participants as of 2020. It is not surprising that padel continues to draw in a ton of new players each year given the current level of interest in the sport. You can score points by playing the padel ball off the walls on the side of the court because the game is typically played in doubles in an isolated padel court.

If you’re a beginner and perhaps planning to try this sport, it’s possible that you’re unfamiliar with the rules and regulations. It can be difficult to learn the rules of any game at first but if you already play tennis or have played tennis in the past, you can take up the rules within an hour or two of playing padel. The rules of the game are also extremely straightforward. But, we at Padel Tennis Hub have listed 5 padel rules that you need to be aware of before playing the game below if you are a total beginner to the sport.

1. Padel Arrangement

Padel is typically played in pairs, but you can also play by yourself, which considerably raises the challenge. Padel is played on a court that is about one-third the size of a conventional tennis court, measuring 20M long by 10M broad. Four walls, typically made of a combination of glass and mesh, surround the court. The padel ball has a strong bounce rate during the entire game, thanks to the usage of glass and mesh.

2. Padel Tennis Scorring System

Padel has a scoring system that is identical to tennis, therefore if you are familiar with tennis, you will understand how padel is scored.

If you’re not familiar, the scoring for padel is as follows:

  • Up until a player scores 4 points, the game is over.
  • A set is a collection of games, which is played until a player wins 6 games.
  • In a match, the winner is determined by a best of 3 or 5 sets.

3. Basic Rules Of Padel Service

The steps to performing the ideal service in padel are listed below:

Step 1. Every serve must be delivered underhanded and diagonally to your opponent.

Step 2. When serving, the server must allow the ball to bounce once.

Step 3. The server has to maintain a foot on the ground.

Step 4. No part of the server’s feet may touch or straddle the service line.

Step 5. The opponent’s service box is where the serve must land.

Step 6. If your first serve is rejected, you get another one.

Ways To Win A Serve:

  • When the padel ball bounces in the service box, it hits the back or side wall.
  • The padel ball hits the net, bounces in the service area, and strikes the side or back wall
  • Padel ball struck the wire railing after falling in the service box.

4. When Do You Know That The Shot Is In?

Use these guidelines to determine when your shot is in:

  • Only during the first serve are the padel court lines considered in play.
  • Service lines do not affect whether a point is scored during regular play.
  • Every player may try a shot at their own wall.

5. When Do You Know That The Shot Is Out?

Use these guidelines to determine when your shot is out:

  • Any spot on your side of the court receives two bounces from the padel ball.
  • You or a teammate are hit by the padel ball.
  • Before crossing the net, the padel ball strikes the wire fence, poles, or other objects.
  • Before landing on the side of the court where the opponent is playing, the padel ball makes contact with a wire fence or glass walls.