How to play padel

Your step-by-step guide to playing one of the world's most addictive racquet sports.
March 28: General play and view at Australian Masters Tournament - Padel on Saturday, March 28, 2026. Photo by TENNIS AUSTRALIA/STEVEN MARKHAM

What are the rules?


New to the game? No problem! We've broken down the rules of Padel in a step-by-step guide to teach you the basics and get you ready to play.

An illustration of a padel court with the fence, glass and service line all labelled

The court

  • Padel is played on a court about one third the size of a tennis court, surrounded by fencing and glass walls 
  • Players strategically use the 360 enclosed court to keep the ball in play for longer and find the best angles to score and win. 
An illustration of a padel court with labels for the server and receiver and a line showing where the ball is going.

Serving

Like tennis, the first serve of any padel game is made from the right side of the court. 

How to serve

  • • Make sure the server starts behind the service line 
  • • The server switches sides after every point 
  • • Use an underhand serve and hit the ball from below the waist. You get two chances 
  • • Receivers can stand wherever they like but they can't return the serve until the ball bounces 

Where the ball must land 

  • The serve must land diagonally in the box on the opposite side of the net 
  • Balls that bounce in the service box and hit the fence are out 
  • If the ball bounces in the service box and hits the wall, that's in. 
An illustration of how padel scoring works. There are 3 columns for the sets and a column for games. With two rows for each team or player,

Scoring

Just like tennis, padel games are played 15-30-40, and matches are played in games and sets. 

How to win 

  • A team wins a set after winning six games with a minimum 2 point lead, and 
  • A team wins a match by winning two out of three sets.

If there's a tie or deuce 

  • Once tied 40-40 (deuce), the game must be won by a team winning two consecutive points 
  • Some competitions use the 'Golden Point' system, where the next point in a 40-40 game wins 
  • If the score is 6-6, a tie-break to 7 is played, with a 2 point margin. 
An illustration of a padel court with the ball bouncing on the ground and then bouncing off the wall.

During gameplay

Using the walls 

  • The ball can only bounce on your turf once. Once it does, it can bounce off the walls on your side before you return it 
  • When returning, you may hit the ball off the glass walls, but not the fence. 

Read the angles to master your game! 

Score a point when: 

  • The ball bounces twice on your opponent's turf 
  • Your opponent's return hits your walls before your turf; and 
  • Your opponent hits the ball into the net or over the walls without it hitting your turf first.

Get on court today!

We can help you find a padel court near you. Most padel clubs will have introductory sessions facilitated by a coach to teach you the basics.

Find a court
March 28: General play and view at Australian Masters Tournament - Padel on Saturday, March 28, 2026. Photo by TENNIS AUSTRALIA/STEVEN MARKHAM