As the current fastest growing sport in the world, it’s good to know the rules. So we’re making it easy for you to get fully up to speed before you step into the Padel court.

There are more similarities than differences from tennis when it comes to Padel, with the main difference being the court itself. Being approximately 25% smaller than an average Tennis court, a Padel court is 20 meters long and 10 meters wide with back walls made of glass to a height of 3 meters, whereas the glass side walls end after 4 meters. The walls can be made of glass or another solid, such as concrete. The rest of the court is closed using a metallic mesh and netting of up to 4 meters tall.

Dive deeper into everything you need to know about Padel in the UK.

The rules of Padel don’t differ too much from Tennis, however there are some things you should know before you grab your Padel and get playing.

The Rules

Played with a Padel racket made from composite materials with a flat, perforated surface to allow airflow through a serve. The racket measures 45cm from the bottom of the handle to the top of the face, with the face measuring 26x29cm as a standard.

At first look, Padel rules are almost identical to the rules of Tennis. The serve is slightly different, and the walls surrounding the court are incorporated into the game with certain rules applying.

The games are scored starting at “love”, meaning zero, and go up to 40,  meaning 4 points like in Tennis. From love, the first point is 15, then 30, then 40, then game point, winning the game.

A Padel game is usually played in sets of three or five, with each side aiming to score six points for a set. Points are scored in Padel by following these rule: 

1. Bouncing the ball on the ground twice on the opponent’s side 
2. If the ball is hit into the net by the opponent
3. The ball is hit outside of the of the play area by the opponent, for example, against one of your walls outside of the cage
4. The opponent hits the ball into their own grid
5. The opponent is hit by the ball

Following these 5 rules to point scoring will help you on your way to victory. 

Find out where to play at 10 of the best Padel clubs in the UK