Padel rules for beginners: how to play, score and serve

Padel rules for beginners: how to play, score and serve. Golden point, walls, when the ball is out and the basic rules in the FIP 2026 rulebook.

Padel is played in pairs on a 10 x 20 metre court, and the basic padel rules come down to five things: serve underhand from below the waist, let the ball bounce once before you hit it, use the walls only after it has bounced on your side, score 15-30-40-game, and win two sets of six games. Everything else is detail, and the detail is what this guide covers. These are padel rules for beginners, written from the International Padel Federation (FIP) rulebook, applied from 1 January 2026. We kept the rules new players actually argue about on court: the walls, the serve, when a ball is out, and how the score works.

How a padel match works

Two pairs face each other across a net. Every point starts with a serve, and the ball is then hit alternately by one player from each side. A match is the best of three sets. A set goes to the first pair with six games and a two-game margin. At 5-5 you play on to 7-5, and at 6-6 you play a tie-break. Only one player of a pair may hit the ball each time. If both of you touch it, you lose the point. The ball may bounce once on the floor of your side before you return it, and it must go back over the net.

Padel scoring rules: points, games and sets

Points are called 15, 30, 40, game, with the server's score first. At 40-40 the score is "deuce" (iguales in Spanish), and the FIP rulebook allows three ways to settle it:

Which method is used depends on the competition or club, so ask before a match. In mixed doubles, the receiver of the deciding point is the player of the same sex as the server.

Sets, tie-breaks and shorter formats

At 6-6 in games, a tie-break is played to 7 points with a two-point margin. Points are called 0, 1, 2, 3. The first server serves one point from the right, then each player serves two points, starting from the left, and the players change ends every 6 points. The rulebook also lists formats that clubs use to fit a match into a slot: a mini set to four games, or a super tie-break to 10 points instead of the third set (a 7-point version is listed too). If you play a social match, agree the format before the first serve.

How to serve in padel

The serve is where most beginners lose points to a fault. The FIP rules say that when you hit the ball:

You get two serves. A serve is a fault if the ball bounces outside the box (the lines are good), hits you or your partner, or hits the metal fence after bouncing in the box and before bouncing a second time. A serve that bounces in the box and then hits the glass is good. If the ball clips the net and lands in the correct box, it is a "net" and the serve is replayed. The receiver can stand anywhere on their side. They must let the ball bounce in their service box and hit it before the second bounce. A serve you make before the receiver is ready is a let: if it happens on the first serve you get both serves back.

Padel rules for the walls: what counts and what doesn't

The walls are the part of the game new players find hardest, and the rule is simple once you have it: the ball must bounce on the floor of the side it is on before it touches a wall.

For the full court layout (a glass back wall is 3 metres plus 1 metre of mesh, the net is 0.88 m high in the centre), see our guide to the padel court dimensions.

When is the ball out in padel?

A ball is out when it leaves the court over the top of the walls or through the door after bouncing in your own court (you lose the point if it is your ball that does that). A ball you hit into the opponents' court that bounces there and then leaves the court is a good shot. A few cases that cause arguments:

Playing the ball outside the court

On courts with a proper exit area, you can leave the court through the door and hit the ball from outside. This is allowed when the court has the required safety zone, and on those courts, a ball that goes over the side wall or through the door is lost only when it bounces a second time or touches something outside the court. A ball that goes over the back wall loses the point immediately.

Other ways to lose a point

You also lose the point if you:

The wrist strap is compulsory under the FIP rules, with a maximum length of 35 cm. If an opponent's shot hits you or your clothing, you lose the point; the exception is your racket.

Changing ends, rest and time

You change ends when the total games in the set is odd (after the 1st, 3rd, 5th game and so on). The rulebook gives you 20 seconds between points, 90 seconds at the change of ends, and 120 seconds between sets, and the first game of a set and the tie-break are played without a break. Each pair gets a 3-minute warm-up with the opponents before the match. Each pair decides at the start of a set who serves first and who receives first. Once chosen, that order cannot change until the next set.

Equipment the rules require

The ball must be 6.35 to 6.77 cm in diameter and weigh 56.0 to 59.4 g. The racket cannot be longer than 45.5 cm, wider than 26 cm or thicker than 38 cm, and the hitting surface is perforated with holes of 9 to 13 mm. Our 2026 racket guide shows how those limits translate into the models you can buy. To see the rules in action, watch a Premier Padel match with the scoring on screen: the tournaments section lists the events, and the match simulator lets you see how a score can swing. On court, the quickest habit is to wait for the bounce before you decide whether to use the wall.

FAQ

Can you hit the ball before it bounces in padel?

Yes, apart from the serve. Once the ball is in play you can volley it, and most points at the net are decided that way. The only requirement is that it has not touched the floor twice on your side.

Is the serve underhand in padel?

Yes. The ball must bounce first, and you must hit it at or below your waist, so the serve is effectively an underhand stroke. A serve hit above the waist is a fault.

What is the golden point in padel?

It is the deciding point played at 40-40 instead of advantage. The receiving pair chooses whether to receive on the right or left, and the player who wins the point wins the game.

How many sets are played in a padel match?

The standard is the best of three sets, each to six games with a two-game margin. Clubs often replace the third set with a super tie-break to 10 points.

Can the ball hit the glass on the serve?

Yes, after it has bounced in the service box, a serve that touches the glass is good. If it touches the metal fence before bouncing a second time, it is a fault.