How to Play Padel: A Beginner's Guide

To play padel you need four players, an enclosed court, rackets and balls. The server bounces the ball and hits it underhand, diagonally, into the opponents' service box; the point is then played like tennis, except that after the ball bounces on your side it can rebound off your back or side walls and still be played. Only the serve return must be hit after a bounce; everything else can be volleyed. Scoring is tennis scoring. The team at the net has the advantage, so the game is a constant contest for the net, with the lob as the main way to take it back. This guide walks through each part in the order you will meet it on court.

The court and the walls

A padel court is 10 by 20 metres, enclosed by glass back walls and side walls of glass and mesh, with a net in the middle. Each half has a service line and a centre line forming two service boxes. The walls are in play after the ball has bounced on the court on your side. See what is padel for the full layout.

Equipment

A padel racket (solid, perforated, with a wrist strap you must wear), padel balls (felt, slightly lower pressure than tennis balls), and court shoes. Clubs hire rackets for beginners. See the rackets guide and shoes guide.

The serve

1. Stand behind the service line, between the centre line and the side wall.
2. Bounce the ball once behind the line.
3. Hit it at or below waist height, diagonally into the opposite service box.
4. The ball must bounce in the box. It may then hit the glass and stay in play, but if it hits the mesh after the bounce, it is a fault.
5. You get two attempts, as in tennis. A serve that clips the net and lands in is a let; replay it.
6. Keep at least one foot on the ground behind the line until you hit the ball.

Serve from the right at the start of each game and alternate sides each point. See padel rules.

Scoring

Tennis scoring: 15, 30, 40, game. Six games win a set, with a tiebreak at 6-6 in most formats. Matches are usually best of three sets. At deuce, many clubs and competitions play a golden point (a single deciding point, receivers choose the side) instead of advantage. Call the score before serving.

The basic shots

Serve. Consistent, deep to the back glass, with a bit of slice so it stays low. The server follows it to the net.

Return. Must be hit after the bounce. Usually deep, or a lob over the incoming net players.

Volley. The core of net play. Short, firm, placed deep or at angles.

Lob. The most important shot in padel. A high ball over the net players, deep enough that they must retreat, letting your team take the net.

Bandeja. An overhead hit with slice from around shoulder height, used to return a lob while holding net position. Not a smash; a controlled, deep shot.

Smash. A hard overhead to finish a point. Advanced players aim for the ball to bounce and leave the court over the side wall, or to rebound high off the back glass and come back over the net.

Wall returns. Letting a ball hit your back or side wall and playing it as it comes off. The fundamental defensive skill. The ball slows and rises off the glass, giving you time.

Chiquita. A soft, low shot from the back of the court aimed at the net players' feet, to force a weak volley.

Positioning

At the net. Both players a step or two from the net, roughly level, covering their halves. This is the winning position.

At the back. Both players near the back glass, ready to use the walls and lob.

Transition. After a good lob, move forward together. After being lobbed, retreat together. Partners move as a pair.

Beginner strategy

1. Let the ball go to the glass. The hardest habit for tennis and pickleball players. A ball heading for the back wall will come back; stepping away from it and playing it off the glass is easier than reaching for it.
2. Lob when under pressure. A high, deep lob resets the point and may win the net.
3. Get to the net when you can. Volleys win points.
4. Hit deep, not hard. Power goes into the back glass and comes back to the opponents. Depth and placement win.
5. Play to the middle. Between the opponents causes confusion and reduces angles.
6. Communicate. "Mine," "yours," "leave it" (for a ball that will go out or hit the mesh).

Common beginner mistakes

• Running toward a ball heading to the back glass instead of letting it rebound.
• Hitting every ball hard.
• Standing in no-man's-land between net and back glass.
• Forgetting the wrist strap.
• Volleying the serve return (not allowed).
• Not lobbing enough.

Your first sessions

Book a court or an intro clinic through the padel court directory. Ask for a coach or an experienced player for the first hour; wall play is much easier to learn with someone showing you. Most clubs run beginner socials. See how to find padel courts in the US.

If you come from another sport

• Tennis players: see padel vs tennis. Shorten your swing and learn to use the walls.
• Pickleball players: see padel for pickleball players. Enjoy volleying with no kitchen; learn the lob and tennis scoring.

FAQ

How do you play padel?

Serve underhand after a bounce, diagonally, into the opposite box; then play the point with the walls in play after the ball bounces on your side, scoring as in tennis.

Can you volley in padel?

Yes, anywhere, except the serve return, which must be hit after the bounce.

Can the ball hit the wall in padel?

After bouncing on the court on your side, yes, and it stays in play. If an opponent's shot hits your wall before bouncing on the court, it is their error.

What is the most important shot in padel?

The lob. It takes the net back from the opponents and controls the rhythm of the point.

Do I need a lesson to start padel?

Not strictly, but one session with a coach or experienced player speeds up learning the walls enormously.