Padel Rules: Official Rules, Scoring and Serving (Complete Guide)

Padel rules are the official rules of play set by the International Padel Federation (FIP) and applied the same way all over the world. Padel is played in teams of two on a 20×10 meter court enclosed by glass and mesh; the serve is hit underhand and below waist height, scoring follows the same 15-30-40 pattern as tennis, and the biggest difference from tennis is that the ball stays in play even after bouncing off the walls. This guide gathers every rule you need in one place, whether you are stepping on court for the first time or are a club player preparing for a tournament.

Knowing the rules is not just about “avoiding mistakes”; it is also necessary for reading the game, making the right decision and resolving disputes in seconds in club matches without a referee. As the O’Padel Beytepe coaching team, we prepared this article based on the official FIP rule text and with the questions we meet most often on court in mind. At the end of each section you will find a link to our articles that explain the relevant rule in more depth.

The padel court and the basic principles of the game

To understand the rules, you first need to know the court. According to FIP standards, a padel court is a rectangle 20 meters long and 10 meters wide. The court is divided into two equal halves by a net across the middle; the net is 88 cm high in the center and 92 cm at the posts.

On each half, parallel to the net and 6.95 meters from it, there is a service line . The area between the service line and the net is divided into two service boxes by the center line. The zone behind the service line is called the “back court” and has no lines; players build their game there together with the walls.

The court is enclosed at the back walls by usually 3 meters of glass topped with 1 meter of metal mesh (4 meters in total), and at the side walls by a stepped combination of glass and mesh. Glass and mesh being different materials is not just a visual detail; under the rules, the two behave differently. We cover this difference in detail in our glass and mesh rules article. To see the technical specifications of the court and what counts as “FIP-size,” you can also check out our our padel courts page.

Item	FIP measurement	Why it matters for the rules
Court size	20 × 10 m	All lines are calculated from this measurement
Net height	Center 0.88 m · Post 0.92 m	A ball that touches the net and drops in is good during a rally
Service line	6.95 m from the net	The server may not step on or over this line
Back wall	3 m glass + 1 m mesh	A bounce off the glass stays in play; mesh is treated differently
Side wall	Stepped glass + mesh	Corner and side glass bounces are subject to the rules
Court door/opening	Next to the net	Allows playing outside the court

The basic objective of the game and general principles

In padel, the goal is to send the ball over the net into the opponents' half and prevent them from returning it legally. The ball may bounce no more than once on a player's own half; when it bounces a second time, the point goes to the opponents. Up to this point, it is similar to tennis, but where padel differs is that the ball can stay in play by bouncing off the glass and mesh after hitting the ground.

According to the official rules, padel is played only in doubles ; the court dimensions, serving order and scoring are designed for two-person teams. Singles padel courts do exist, but they are not an official FIP competition format.

Noting a few general principles up front makes things easier:

• The ball must always go over the net; a ball that goes around the side or over the mesh is not good (except for the outside-the-court shot exception).
• If the ball touches a player's body, clothing or partner, the point is lost.
• Stepping into the opponents' court or touching the net or net post loses the point.
• The ball may be struck with the racket only once; a double hit is a fault.
• A ball that hits the court ceiling, the light fixtures or a fixed object outside the court is a lost point.

Scoring: 15-30-40, game, set and match

Padel scoring comes from tennis. Within a game, points are counted as 0 (love), 15, 30 and 40; winning a point after 40 wins the game. When both teams reach 40-40, there are two options: the classic advantage system (a team must win two points in a row to win the game) or the golden point (a single deciding point).

FIP rules adopt the golden point as standard in professional tournaments; at club and amateur level, it is left to the organizer. In a golden point, the receiving team has the right to choose which side the serve goes to. You can find all the details about this rule in our what is the golden point .

A setgoes to the team that wins six games with a margin of at least two. At 6-6, a tie-break is played: the first team to reach 7 points with a two-point lead wins the set. Matches are usually played best of three sets; the team that wins two sets wins. Some events use a 10-point “super tie-break” instead of a third set. We have gathered all the details of the scoring system and tie-break rules in our padel scoring system guide.

Serving order in the tie-break

In the tie-break, the next player in the rotation serves the first point. After that, each player serves two points in turn, and the teams switch sides every six points. The team that wins the tie-break takes the set 7-6, and in the next set, the team that did not serve first in the tie-break serves first.

Serve rules: the most misunderstood part of padel

The serve is the most regulated shot in padel. Players coming from tennis struggle most here because in padel the serve is hit underhand and at the moment of contact the ball must be at or below waist height . According to the FIP rulebook, “waist height” refers to the player's waist area, and the ball must not be above this level at the moment of contact.

A legal serve, step by step:

1. The server stands with both feet behind the service line, between the imaginary extension of the center line and the side wall.
2. They bounce the ball once; the ball must hit the ground behind the service line and in the correct area.
3. At the moment of contact, at least one foot must be on the ground, and the server must not walk or run, step on the line or cross it.
4. The ball must land in the diagonally opposite service box, i.e., the box on the other half of the court across the diagonal. A ball that touches the line is in.
5. If the ball hits the glass after landing in the box, the serve is good; but if it hits the metal mesh, the serve is a fault.

The server has two attempts. If the first serve is a fault, a second serve is taken; if the second serve is also a fault, the point goes to the receiving team. The receiver is expected to be ready before the serve; a serve hit to an opponent who is not ready is replayed.

Service let

If the ball touches the net, lands in the correct service box and does not hit the mesh, it is a “let” and the serve is replayed (the two attempts are not reset; whichever serve it was is replayed). If a ball that touched the net hits the mesh after landing in the box, it is not a let but a fault. For all the technical and rule details of the serve, check out our padel serve rules article.

Who serves and who receives?

At the start of the match, the side that wins the coin toss or racket spin has the right to choose to serve, receive or pick a side. The same player starts each game with the serve and serves throughout that game. In the next game, the serve passes to the other team; within a team, players take turns serving. Which receiving player returns in which box is set at the start of the set and cannot be changed during the set. This order can be reset at the end of the set.

The ball during a rally: legal shots, faults, lets and time rules

Once the serve is completed correctly, the rally begins, and this is where padel's most distinctive rules come into play. The basic rule is this: after crossing into the opponents' half, the ball must hit the ground first. If the ball hits the opponents' glass or mesh directly without touching the ground, the hitting team loses the point.

If the ball bounces off the glass or mesh after hitting the ground, play continues, and the opponent must hit it before it touches the ground a second time. It does not matter how many walls the ball hits, as long as it does not touch the ground a second time in between. That is why, in padel, a ball coming back off the back glass is a solid defensive weapon.

Using your own wall

A player may hit the ball against the glass walls on their own half so that it rebounds over the net and lands in the opponents' court. This shot is legal and can be a lifesaver, especially in difficult positions. However, the same does not apply to the metal fence : if the ball a player hits strikes their own mesh and goes over from there, the point goes to the opponents. This distinction between glass and mesh is one of the most commonly misunderstood rules in padel.

Net and posts

During a rally, a ball that touches the net and lands in the opponents' court is good (except on the serve). A ball that hits the net post or the net tape and lands in the court is also good. If the ball travels around the outside of the posts into the opponents' court, FIP rules also consider it good; in this case, the ball may even pass below net height, as what matters is that it passes outside the post and lands in the court.

The ball coming back (backspin effect)

A ball that crosses into the opponents' court and bounces can come back over the net due to backspin. In this case, the receiving player may reach over the net to hit the ball, provided they do not touch the net. There is no such right if the ball comes back without bouncing on the opponents' side.

Situations that lose the point (full list)

Each of the following results in the team responsible losing the point:

• The ball bouncing a second time on the player's own half.
• The ball hitting the glass, mesh, ceiling or light fixtures, or leaving the court, without first bouncing in the opponents' court.
• The ball touching the player, their partner or anything they are carrying (except the racket).
• The player or their racket touching the net, the net posts or the opponents' half (while the ball is in play).
• Hitting the ball twice in the same motion or carrying the ball on the racket.
• Hitting the ball before it crosses the net, while it is still on the opponents' side (except for a ball returning due to backspin).
• Both partners hitting the same ball (simultaneously or one after the other).
• The ball going over after bouncing off the metal mesh on the player's own side.
• Leaving the court to hit the ball on a court where playing outside the court is not allowed.
• The ball hitting a person or object outside the court.

We tried to keep this list short enough to carry in your pocket; in matches played without a referee, ninety percent of disputes are settled by these ten points.

Playing from outside the court: when is it allowed?

Padel's most spectacular rule is a player leaving the court to return the ball from outside. According to FIP rules, if the court doors or openings allow it and the organizer permits it, a player may go outside the court to hit the ball. For this, the ball must first bounce on the player's own half and then leave the court over the walls.

A player who goes outside the court may send the ball into the opponents' court around the side instead of over the net, since the ball is being struck outside the court in this case. If the ball bounces in the opponents' court, the point continues. For details on this rule and how to use it strategically, see our the out-of-court shot rule article. The opponents may also go outside the court to hit the ball; the rules are symmetrical for both teams.

Lets, replays and hindrances

In some situations, the point is neither won nor lost; it is replayed. According to FIP rules, the main situations in which a “let” is called are:

• The served ball touching the net, landing in the correct box and not hitting the mesh (only the serve is replayed).
• Another ball, object or person entering the court during play.
• The ball bursting or becoming damaged during a rally.
• The serve being hit while the receiver is not ready.
• Any hindrance beyond the player's control that directly affects play.

Situations caused by a player's own mistake (dropping the racket, a shoelace coming untied) are not grounds for a let. We examine all of these topics in our lets, replays and hindrances article.

Time, break and change-of-ends rules

In official tournaments, a five-minute warm-up is allowed at the start of the match. Between points, the server is expected to be ready to play within a reasonable time (about 20 seconds according to FIP). Players change ends after the odd-numbered games of each set (the 1st, 3rd, 5th game, etc.), with a short break allowed for these changes; there is a longer break between sets.

During a tie-break, players change ends every six points, with no seated break during these changes. In case of injury, a medical time-out can be requested under the referee's supervision; in club matches, this is settled by mutual agreement between the players. For details, see breaks, change of ends and time rules .

Equipment rules: racket and ball

FIP sets clear standards for both the racket and the ball. A racket may be at most 45.5 cm long, 26 cm wide and 38 mm thick. The hitting surface is perforated, and the holes must be 9–13 mm in diameter. The wrist strap on the racket handle is mandatory and must be worn on the wrist during play; this is both a rule and a safety matter. For more on racket rules, see padel racket rules article.

A padel ball is similar to a tennis ball but has lower pressure. According to FIP, the ball must be 6.35–6.77 cm in diameter, weigh 56–59.4 grams and bounce between 135 and 145 cm when dropped from 2.54 meters. FIP publishes the list of approved balls. For details, check out our padel ball rules take a look at our article.

Applying the rules and fair play in matches without a referee

The vast majority of club-level padel matches are played without a referee. In that case, each team decides whether balls on its own half are in or out, and balls in doubt go in the opponent's favor. For service faults (waist height, foot faults), the receiving team's call prevails; however, it is expected to be a polite reminder rather than an accusation.

There is a simple rule for score disputes: if the two teams cannot remember the score, they go back to the last score both agree on and continue from there. If the argument drags on, the point is replayed. For more on fair play culture and handling disputes, we recommend our matches without a referee and fair play article. At Beytepe’s Americano and league matches the same approach applies: we win the point together with respect for the opponent.

The most important differences from tennis rules

For players switching from tennis to padel, we have gathered the points where the rules differ in a short table. For all of these differences, see padel vs tennis rule differences .

Topic	Tennis	Padel
Serve	Overhead, out of the air	Underhand, ball bounced first, below waist height
Walls	None	Glass and mesh are part of the game
Service line	Behind the baseline	6.95 m from the net; no stepping on the line
Ball	Standard pressure	Lower pressure, similar size
Game format	Singles and doubles	Officially doubles only
Playing outside the court	None	Allowed on suitable courts
Wrist strap	None	Mandatory

Learning the rules: common mistakes and tournament variations

Our coaching team sees players struggle most with these rules in their first months:

1. Stepping on the service line. Out of tennis habit, players step forward to bounce the ball at waist height and step on the line. The fix: start the serve 30–40 cm behind the line.
2. Hitting the ball above the waist. When you hit a ball that was bounced too high, you go above waist height. You need to control the bounce height of the ball.
3. Hitting directly into the glass. With a powerful shot, the ball goes into the opponents' glass without bouncing first; point to the opponents. In your first months, you need to memorize the “ground first” principle.
4. Trying to save the ball off the mesh. Many people think it is legal to hit the ball off their own mesh and send it over; it is not.
5. Touching the net. Touching the net with your racket or body while falling forward on a volley loses the point.

We can quickly fix the technique-related part of these mistakes in our and in our padel lessons, ; the serve and wall rules usually click after two or three lessons.

How can you learn the rules faster?

Reading the rules in theory is not enough; they need repetition in play. We recommend a three-step approach:

• Play and ask: In club matches, ask your coach or experienced players about any situation you are unsure of afterwards. Beytepe’s Newcomers Night is there for exactly that.
• Rule-focused drills: Serve-only practice for the service line and waist height; a back-glass defense drill for the glass rules.
• Watch tournaments: Following referee decisions in Premier Padel matches is the best way to see outside-the-court play and let situations in real examples.

The other articles in this category serve exactly this purpose: each one covers a single rule in detail with examples. For information about our community events and level system, see O’People Beytepe page.

Rule variations in tournament and league formats

FIP rules define the backbone of the game, but organizers use some flexibility to manage time and flow. The most common variations in club tournaments are: a 10-point super tie-break instead of a third set, golden point in every game, short single-set matches, and timed matches played to a set number of points (for example, 16, 24 or 32 points) in the Americano format.

None of these variations change the serve, wall or let rules; they only regulate how the score is counted and when the match ends. When registering for a tournament, reading the format announced by the organiser is the easiest way to avoid surprises on court. At Beytepe, we state clearly in every event announcement which format applies to our Americano tournaments, Mexicano events and level leagues (WhatsApp for the current calendar). For tournament formats, padel tournament rules .

Result

Although padel rules look similar to tennis at first glance, they have their own character in areas such as the serve, use of the walls and out-of-court play. Once you have these FIP-defined rules down, both your enjoyment of the game and your match win rate rise visibly. If you want to experience the rules in a real match environment on our indoor, climate-controlled, FIP-sized courts at Beytepe, we are waiting for you in Çankaya / Ankara (membership not required; WhatsApp: +90 536 908 08 00); the coaching team who accompany you courtside in your first session will answer any rule question on the spot.

Frequently Asked Questions