1. Playing area and walls
Padel is played on an enclosed court with glass and mesh walls. The ball may touch the wall after bouncing on the floor and still remain in play. The walls are therefore an integral part of the game.
2. Line-up
Padel is played one-on-one. Each player has a right and a left side of the court.
3. Serve
The serve must be struck at or below waist height and must be played diagonally into the opposite service court. The ball must bounce on the ground once before being struck. When serving, the ball must not bounce off the grid wall after it has bounced on the ground.
4. The ball is in play
Once the ball has bounced on the floor, it may touch the wall or the purple (but not the grey) grid wall and play may continue. However, if the ball hits the wall directly without first touching the floor, the point is lost. The ball may only bounce once.
5. Counting points
The scoring system is the same as in tennis: 15, 30, 40, game. A set is played to 6 games, with a minimum lead of two games. If the score is 6–6, a tie-break is played. The match is won when a player wins two sets. In the event of a deuce, the so-called ‘golden point’ decides the outcome, i.e. the receiving player chooses which end to serve from and only one deciding point is played.
6. Net rules
During play, the ball must fly over the net and may touch the net lightly. Players must not reach over the net unless the ball has already touched the ground on their own side.
7. Errors and loss of points
A point is lost if the ball lands twice on one’s own side of the net. A point is also lost if the ball hits the net or any mesh or glass on the opponent’s side.
8. Racket and ball
Padel rackets are compact and have holes in them. The game is played with special padel balls, which have slightly lower pressure than tennis balls. The racket must always be secured to the wrist (with a strap) during play to reduce the risk of injury.
