Complete Padel Rules Guide
Everything You Need to Know About Padel
Padel is a fast-growing racquet sport that combines elements of tennis and squash. Played on an enclosed court with walls, padel offers exciting rallies and strategic gameplay. This comprehensive guide covers all the essential rules, scoring systems, and regulations you need to know to play padel properly.
What Makes Padel Unique?
Official Rules
Padel follows the official rules established by the International Padel Federation (FIP) and World Padel Tour (WPT).
Scoring System
Padel uses the same scoring system as tennis: 15, 30, 40, and game. Matches are typically best of 3 sets.
Competition Format
Professional padel is played in doubles format with men's, women's, and mixed categories.
Basic Rules
Scoring System
Padel uses the traditional tennis scoring system: 15, 30, 40, and game. A set is won by the first team to reach 6 games with a 2-game advantage, or 7-6 in a tiebreak.
Serving Rules
The serve must be underhand, hit below waist level, and bounce in the opponent's service box. The ball can hit the walls after bouncing, but not the net or posts.
Court Boundaries
The ball can hit any wall (including the back wall) and the floor within the court boundaries. The ball is out if it hits the net posts, goes over the walls, or bounces twice.
Advanced Rules
Ball in Play
The ball remains in play until it bounces twice, hits the net posts, goes over the walls, or touches a player. Players can hit the ball before or after it bounces off the walls.
Faults
Common faults include: serving into the net, serving out of bounds, hitting the ball twice, touching the net, and the ball bouncing twice on your side.
Let
A let is called when the serve hits the net and lands in the correct service box, or when external interference occurs during play.
Game Formats
Singles
2 players
One-on-one play using the full court. Less common than doubles but growing in popularity for recreational play.
Doubles
4 players
Two-on-two play, the standard format for professional and recreational padel. Teams work together to cover the court and create winning opportunities.
Mixed Doubles
4 players (2 men, 2 women)
Teams consist of one male and one female player. Popular in recreational play and some professional tournaments.
Court Dimensions
A standard padel court is 20m x 10m (65.6ft x 32.8ft), enclosed by walls that are 3m (9.8ft) high at the back and 4m (13.1ft) high at the sides.
The net is 0.88m (2.9ft) high in the center and 0.92m (3ft) high at the posts, with a maximum sag of 2cm (0.8in).
Service boxes are 3m x 3m (9.8ft x 9.8ft) squares located at each end of the court, divided by the center line.
Equipment Rules
Padel rackets must be solid with holes throughout the hitting surface. Maximum dimensions: 45.5cm x 26cm x 38mm (17.9in x 10.2in x 1.5in). Weight cannot exceed 370g (13oz).
Padel balls are similar to tennis balls but with slightly less pressure (4.6-5.2 psi vs 8-10 psi for tennis). They must be yellow or white and approved by the FIP.
Players must wear appropriate athletic clothing. Shoes should have non-marking soles. No restrictions on colors, but professional tournaments may have specific uniform requirements.