Padel cheat sheet
Padel
FIP Rules of Padel, doubles, abbreviated. When in doubt, see the official rules.
Bounce the ball on the floor behind the service line, then hit it underarm with contact no higher than your waist (top of the hip), diagonally into the far box.
The ball must bounce on the floor before it touches any wall or fence. A ball that reaches a wall without bouncing first was going out.
Most events play a single deciding point at deuce instead of advantage. The receiving pair chooses which side takes the return.
Things people get wrong:
- There are no floor lines out in a rally — a ball is only out if it hits a wall before bouncing, or bounces twice.
- After the serve bounces in the box, hitting the back glass is fine; hitting the mesh fence is a fault.
- You can go out the door to play a ball that bounced in and flew out — get it back in and play on.
- You may hit the ball back over the net off your own back wall.
- You can't smash straight into the opponent's wall — it has to bounce on their floor first.
- A net-cord serve that lands in the box is a let; a net-cord in a rally plays on.
Setup
The court
20 × 10 m, walled all round — glass at the back and corners, mesh along the front sides. The serve goes diagonally into the box within 6.95 m of the net.
Rally
Walls in play
Bounce first, then your own walls are fair game. A ball that hits a wall before bouncing was heading out — the point goes to whoever didn’t hit the wall.
01
Scoring
- Points: 15, 30, 40, game — like tennis. At 40–40 most events play a golden point (next rally wins; receivers pick the side) instead of advantage.
- Sets: first to 6 games, win by 2; at 6–6 a 7-point tiebreak (win by 2).
- Match: best of 3 sets; a 10-point match tiebreak may replace the third.
- Doubles only: two pairs — there is no singles court in standard padel.
02
The serve
- Motion: bounce the ball on the floor once behind the service line, then hit it underarm with contact at or below the waist (top of the hip).
- Feet: at least one foot behind the service line at contact, between the centre-line extension and the side wall; don’t touch the line or step in early.
- Where it lands: diagonally into the far box. After bouncing there it may hit the back glass and stay live; if it hits the mesh fence, it’s a fault.
- Two serves & the let: a fault gives you a second serve; a double fault loses the point. Nicks the net and lands in the box → replay that serve.
03
Walls & what’s “out”
- Your walls: once the ball has bounced on your floor, you may play it off your back glass and side walls, in any combination, and send it back over the net.
- Out: a ball that touches any wall or the mesh before bouncing on the floor. During a rally there are no floor lines — the whole enclosed floor is in.
- Their walls: your shot must bounce on the opponents’ floor first — you can’t drive it straight into their glass or fence.
- Out the door: if a ball bounces in and then leaves the court through an opening, you may go outside and play it back in.
04
In play
- Return of serve: must bounce first — you can’t volley the serve.
- After that: volley freely. Return the ball before it bounces twice on your side.
- Body & net: the ball hitting you or your partner loses the point; don’t touch the net or the opponents’ court while the ball is live; you can’t hit the ball twice.
05
Rotation & change of ends
- Serving: the serving pair alternates who serves each game; while serving, partners swap service courts after every point.
- Receiving: the receiving pair picks who takes the right box and who takes the left, and keeps those sides for the set.
- Change ends: after games 1, 3, 5… (odd total), and every 6 points in a tiebreak.
06
Line calls, conduct & breaks
- Calling: without a referee, each pair calls its own side; if unsure, the ball is in.
- Foot faults: call your own service foot faults when you’re certain.
- Breaks: ~90 s at a change of ends, ~120 s between sets (follow the event).
- Medical timeout: from the referee where available; length and limits per the competition.
- Coaching: only where regulations allow — usually between sets or in authorised breaks, not during rallies.
- Conduct: abuse, racket-throwing, or deliberate distraction escalates from warning to point, game, or match.