The Playbook: Rules of Padel Tennis Explained

Padel tennis, a fast-paced and thrilling racket sport, is taking the world by storm. Its a blend of squash and tennis which has captured the attention of people everywhere from Europe to Qatar. To fully enjoy the game and compete effectively, it’s essential to understand the rules of padel tennis. In this guide, we’ll outline the rules, highlight the similarities with squash and tennis, and provide useful insights which you can bring to the court. 

Understanding the Rules of Padel Tennis

Padel tennis, often referred to simply as “padel,”, or mistaken for “paddel tennis”, combines the excitement of squash and the finesse of tennis. To grasp this sport, you need a solid understanding of its rules. So, let’s break them down:

1. Scoring System:

• Padel tennis uses a similar scoring system to tennis, with points counted as 15, 30, 40, and game.

2. The Serve:

• The serve in padel must be done underhand, and bounced on the floor, and it must be hit diagonally across the court into the service box on the opposite side. The server gets two attempts, just like in tennis.

3. Service Box and Service Court:

• The service box in padel is smaller than in tennis, and the server must hit the ball within this area. The ball should bounce once before being struck by the receiver. If it bounces and hits the fence instead of the glass wall, it is out.

4. Ball in Play:

• After the serve, the ball remains in play, with each team taking turns to hit it back and forth, trying to score against their opponents.

5. Scoring during Rallies:

• Points are won during rallies just like in tennis. The team that fails to return the ball into the opponent’s side, or makes a fault, loses the point.

7. Walls in Play:

• Padel courts are enclosed by walls, and these walls are considered in play. Players can use them strategically to bounce the ball off, adding an extra dimension to the game. It doesn’t matter how many times the ball bounces off the walls, as long as it only bounces on the floor once. 

8. Faults:

• Faults in padel tennis include serving out of bounds, not allowing the ball to bounce in the opponent’s service box, hitting the ball into your side of the net, the ball hitting the walls before the ground, or touching the net with the racket during play.

Common Rules Shared with Squash and Tennis

Now that we’ve covered the rules of padel tennis, let’s explore the similarities it shares with squash and tennis:

1. Scoring Terminology:

• Padel tennis, like tennis, uses scoring terminology such as 15, 30, and 40, making it familiar to those who enjoy tennis.

2. The Net:

• Padel tennis and tennis share the same net height

3. Service Boxes:

• The concept of service boxes is borrowed from tennis, where the serve must land in a designated area on the opponent’s side.

4. Strategic Walls:

• Just like in squash, players can use the walls to strategically alter the ball’s trajectory in padel tennis. 

Now you’re ready to step onto the court with confidence and understanding of the game. So embrace the excitement of this new sport and remember, understanding the rules is the first step towards becoming a great player.

Experience Padel Tennis with Novor

With a solid understanding of the rules of padel tennis and how they intersect with squash and tennis, it’s time to put your knowledge into action. At Novor, we’re experts on padel and offer a fresh face to padel with high quality padel racket designed to add power and control to your gameplay.

Discover More Insights

Interested in diving deeper into padel tennis? Check out our News and Insights page to learn more about the world’s fastest growing sport.

Ryan Staveley

Managing Director