Padel Rules for Beginners: A Simple Guide to Serving & Scoring

Padel Isn’t Complicated, It’s Fun!

Stepping onto a padel court for the first time can feel both exciting and a little daunting. The glass walls, the unique racket, the fast-paced rallies—it’s a whole new world of sport. Many beginners worry about getting the rules wrong, but the beauty of padel lies in its simplicity. The core rules are easy to pick up, allowing new players to start having fun and engaging in rallies almost immediately.

The goal of this guide is to provide a single, comprehensive resource that covers everything a new player needs to know. Forget sifting through confusing forum posts or conflicting advice; this is the only rules guide a beginner will need to step onto the court with confidence. Here at PadelA2Z, we know that a clear understanding of the rules is the fastest way to build that confidence and unlock the true enjoyment of the game.

The Court and Players: Setting the Scene

Before diving into the rules of play, it’s important to understand the environment. A padel court is a rectangle 20 meters long and 10 meters wide, enclosed by glass and wire mesh walls. A net divides the court into two halves, each with a service line and a center line that create two service boxes, much like in tennis.

Crucially, padel is a doubles game. Every official match is played with two players per team, one on each side of the net. This format is fundamental to the sport’s strategic and social nature, emphasizing teamwork and communication from the very first point.

The Serve: How Every Point Begins

Every point in padel starts with a serve, which has a few simple but strict rules designed to initiate a rally rather than score an outright ace.

Underarm Motion: The serve must always be hit underarm. Overhand serves like those in tennis are not permitted.
Bounce First: The server must stand behind the service line and bounce the ball on the ground once before hitting it. The bounce must also occur behind the service line.
Waist-Level Contact: The ball must be struck at or below waist level at the moment of contact. This rule prevents players from hitting powerful, downward serves and keeps the game focused on rallies.
Diagonal Target: The serve must travel diagonally across the net and land within the opponent’s service box. The lines of the service box are considered in.
Wall vs. Fence: After a legal serve bounces in the service box, it is allowed to hit the glass back or side walls. However, if the ball hits the wire mesh fence after bouncing, it is a fault. This is one of the most important and often misunderstood rules for beginners.
Lets and Faults: If the serve hits the net and then lands in the correct service box (without hitting the fence), it is a “let,” and the serve is replayed. If the serve misses the box or commits any other infraction, it is a “fault.” Just like in tennis, the server gets two attempts. Two consecutive faults result in a “double fault,” and the serving team loses the point.

The Rally: How to Keep the Ball in Play

Once the serve is successfully returned, the rally begins. The objective is to hit the ball over the net so that it bounces on the opponent’s side of the court.

One Bounce Rule: The ball is only allowed to bounce once on your side of the court before you must return it. If it bounces twice, you lose the point.
Direct Hits are Out: A shot is considered “out” if it hits the opponent’s walls or fence before it has bounced on their court surface.
Using Your Own Walls: This is the magic of padel. After the ball has bounced once on your side, you can let it rebound off any of your glass walls before you hit it. This gives you more time and allows for strategic returns. Tennis players often struggle with this concept, as their instinct is to hit the ball before it reaches what they perceive as the court’s boundary. Unlearning this instinct is the key to unlocking padel strategy. The walls are not boundaries; they are tools.
Volleys: Players are allowed to hit the ball before it bounces (a volley), but not when returning a serve. You can volley from anywhere on your side of the court.

Scoring: How to Win a Point, Game, and Set

If you are familiar with tennis, you already know how to score in padel. The system is identical, making it one of the easiest parts of the game for newcomers to learn.

Winning a Game: Points are scored in the sequence: 15 (for the first point), 30 (second point), and 40 (third point). The fourth point wins the game. If the score reaches 40-40, this is called “deuce.” From deuce, a team must win two consecutive points to win the game. The first point after deuce is called “advantage.”
Winning a Set: A set is won by the first team to win six games, with a minimum lead of two games (e.g., 6-4). If the score reaches 6-5, the set continues. If the score becomes 7-5, the set is won. If the score ties at 6-6, a tie-break is played to decide the set.
Winning the Match: A standard padel match is the best of three sets. The first team to win two sets wins the match.

Common Faults: How You Lose a Point

Understanding how points are lost is just as important as knowing how to win them. A point is awarded to the opposing team if you or your partner commit any of the following faults:

The ball bounces twice on your side of the court.
You hit the ball into the net.
The ball hits you, your partner, or anything you are wearing.
Your shot hits the opponent’s wall or fence directly, without bouncing on their court first.
You touch the net, the net posts, or the opponent’s side of the court with your racket, body, or clothing while the ball is in play.

Conclusion: Now You’re Ready to Play!

While there are finer nuances to discover as you play, these are the essential rules you need to get started. If you can remember these three core principles, you’ll be ready for your first game:

Serve Underarm: Always bounce the ball once and hit it at or below your waist.
Let the Ball Hit the Glass: After the ball bounces on your side, use the back and side walls as your ally. They give you time and options.
Score Like Tennis: The 15-30-40 system is your guide to winning games, sets, and matches.

With these rules in hand, the next step is to get on the court and put them into practice. Be sure to check out the other PadelA2Z guides on choosing your first racket and mastering basic techniques to continue your journey.