Padel is one of the fastest sports to fall in love with — it's social, physical, and endlessly fun — but the rules can trip up anyone who's new to the game. Glass walls that sometimes count and sometimes don't, serving from below the waist, and the bizarre (and brilliant) ability to step outside the court mid-point: padel has its own logic, and once you get it, everything clicks.
The court: understand your environment first
Padel is played on a fully enclosed court measuring 20 meters long by 10 meters wide — roughly half the size of a tennis court. The back walls and rear side walls are made of glass or solid material (at least 3 meters high at the back, 4 meters on the sides), while metal fencing covers the upper sections. This is what makes padel unlike any other racket sport: those walls are not obstacles — they're part of the game.
The net divides the court into two equal halves. It stands 88 cm tall at the posts and 92 cm at the center — yes, slightly lower in the middle, just like tennis. On each side, two service boxes are marked on the court floor, separated by a center line.
The serve: how every point begins
The padel serve has very specific rules, and it's where most beginners make early mistakes. Here's the full process:
- Position: The server must stand behind the service line (the line crossing the court 3 meters from the net) and to the right of the center line when serving to the right box, and to the left when serving to the left box.
- The bounce: The ball must bounce on the ground before being struck. You cannot serve on the volley — the ball must hit the floor first.
- The height: At the moment of contact, the ball must be at waist level or below. There is no overhead serve in padel.
- The target: The ball must land in the diagonal service box, just like in tennis.
- Two attempts: You get a first serve and a second serve. Miss both and it's a double fault — point to the opponent.
"In padel, the serve isn't a weapon — it's just the beginning of the point. The real game starts after that first bounce."
Can the ball touch the wall after the serve?
Yes — with one key condition. The ball must bounce in the correct service box first, before touching any wall. If it hits a wall before bouncing in the box, it's a fault. But if it bounces correctly in the service box and then hits a side or back wall, the point is live and play continues normally.
How a point plays out
Once the serve is in, the rally begins. These are the core rules you'll use on every single point.
The ball and the ground
The ball may only bounce once on your side of the court before you must hit it. Two bounces and the point is over — you lose it. You can hit the ball on the volley (before it bounces) or after the first bounce, but never after two.
The walls: padel's defining rule
This is where padel becomes its own sport entirely:
- Walls on your side: After the ball bounces in your half, it can hit the walls on your side — and you can still play it. This is legal and central to padel strategy. Letting the ball come off the back glass before striking it is one of the sport's most important skills.
- Walls on the opponent's side: When you hit the ball over the net, it can bounce on the opponent's side and then hit their walls. That's completely valid — and it creates the deep, tactical rallies that make padel so addictive.
- Over the net always: The ball must always pass over the net. However, if the ball passes through the small gap between the net and the post (a shot called por los palos in Spanish), the point is valid — rare, but spectacular.
Playing outside the court
Each padel court has door openings in the side walls. If the ball goes through one of those openings after bouncing on the opponent's side, a player can physically exit the court and return the ball from outside. Yes — you can legally step off the court to keep the rally alive. This surprises almost everyone who comes from tennis, and it leads to some of the most memorable points in padel.
Scoring: familiar, with a twist
Padel uses the same scoring system as tennis: 15, 30, 40, game. Matches are played as best-of-three sets, with each set won by reaching 6 games with a 2-game advantage — or a tiebreak at 6-6.
| Points Won | Score Called |
|---|---|
| 0 points | 0 ("love") |
| 1 point | 15 |
| 2 points | 30 |
| 3 points | 40 |
| 4 points (no deuce) | Game |
The tiebreak
When a set reaches 6-6, a tiebreak decides it. The first pair to reach 7 points with a 2-point lead wins the tiebreak (and the set). The serve alternates every 2 points, with the first server taking only 1 point before handing over.
The golden point: no more endless deuces
In official competition — and in most organized recreational tournaments, including those run through PADEL VS — when the score reaches deuce (40-40), instead of playing advantages back and forth, a single golden point decides the game. The receiving pair gets to choose which side to receive from. This keeps matches moving and adds pressure to every deuce situation.
"The golden point turns every deuce into a moment of pure pressure — no slow build-up, just one shot at winning the game."
Common faults — and how to avoid them
Understanding what loses you a point is just as important as knowing what wins it. Here are the situations that create the most confusion:
- Double bounce: If the ball bounces twice on your side before you hit it, you lose the point. No exceptions.
- Touching the net: If your body or racket touches the net at any point during a rally, you lose the point immediately.
- Ball hitting a player: If the ball hits you or your clothing — even if you were clearly going to reach it — the point goes to the other team.
- Volley serve: Serving without letting the ball bounce first is an automatic fault.
- Ball hitting your own wall first: If your shot hits the wall on your side before crossing the net, it's a fault (unless it exits through the side opening).
- Let (net cord on serve): If the serve clips the net and still lands in the correct service box, the serve is replayed with no penalty. If it clips the net and lands outside, it counts as a fault.
Positions and rotations
Padel is always played 2 vs 2 — there is no official singles format. During rallies, partners can move freely anywhere within their half of the court. On the serve, the server's partner must stand in the correct half of the court.
Service rotates between teams each game. Within a team, partners take turns serving — so if Player A served in game 1, Player B serves when it's their team's turn in game 3, and so on.
Competition levels: where do you fit?
Once you understand the rules, the next step is competing. At PADEL VS, we use an ELO rating system to place players in clearly defined categories. Rather than vague labels like "beginner" or "intermediate," every player has a number that reflects their actual results on the court:
| Category | ELO Range | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| Quinta | <850 | Where everything starts. Learn without pressure. |
| Cuarta | 850–1000 | You understand the game. |
| Tercera | 1000–1180 | Real competitive padel. |
| Segunda | 1180–1350 | One step from the top. |
| Primera | 1350–1550 | Elite level padel. |
| Open | ≥1550 | The maximum category. |
New players start in Quinta and earn ELO points with every win. The system is honest — it's based purely on results against players of similar level, not how many years you've held a racket.
Fair play and court etiquette
Padel has a strong culture of fair play, especially in recreational games where there's no referee. A few unwritten rules worth knowing:
- Balls on the line: If you can't tell whether the ball was in or out, give it good. Doubt always favors the opponent — it's one of padel's most respected traditions.
- Call the score: The server should announce the score before each point to keep everyone on the same page.
- Balls from other courts: If a stray ball from an adjacent court rolls into yours during a point, the point is replayed automatically with no fault called.
- Dispute resolution: In recreational play, players self-referee. Keep it friendly — disagreements over calls should be resolved with a let (replay the point), not an argument.
Equipment basics: what you actually need
Unlike tennis, padel rackets have no strings — they're solid, with holes for aerodynamics. They come in three main shapes: round (best for beginners, more forgiving), diamond (more power, less control), and teardrop (balanced). A solid beginner racket costs around $45–90 USD ($800–1,600 MXN approx), while mid-range competition rackets run $90–220 USD ($1,600–4,000 MXN approx).
Padel balls look almost identical to tennis balls but have slightly less internal pressure — they're purpose-built for the enclosed court environment. Never use regular tennis balls; they bounce differently and ruin the feel of the game.
How to start playing organized padel
Knowing the rules is step one. Playing them under real match conditions is where the learning curve accelerates. If you're in Cancún — where PADEL VS is currently building its early community — you can visit padelvs.com or open the Mini App in Telegram via @padelvsbot to find organized matches sorted by category. We also have a WhatsApp bot with an AI agent that can answer rule questions, help with match registration, and handle bookings.
When you play through PADEL VS, your results are tracked and your ELO updates automatically after each match — so you always know exactly where you stand and who you should be playing against next.
The 7 rules that matter most — quick reference
- Serve underhand: bounce the ball on the ground first, contact at waist height or below, aim diagonally.
- The ball can only bounce once on your side before you must hit it.
- After it bounces, the ball can hit the walls on your side — and you can still play it.
- You can exit the court through the side openings to keep a rally alive.
- Scoring is 15-30-40-game; sets go to 6 games; matches are best of three.
- At deuce, a single golden point decides the game; the receiving team picks the side.
- Padel is always doubles — 2 players per side, no exceptions in official play.
With these seven rules locked in, you can step onto any padel court and play a proper match. The nuances — the strategic use of the back wall, the lob, the bajada de pared — come with time and reps. Start simple, play often, and the game will teach you the rest.
