Padel Rules: How to Score, Serve & Win

The Basics of Padel

Padel is a racket sport that is always played as doubles, meaning four players are on court at all times — two per side. The court measures 20 metres long by 10 metres wide, roughly a third smaller than a tennis court. It is fully enclosed by a combination of glass walls (at the back and parts of the sides) and metal fencing (along the upper sections and remaining sides). This enclosed design is not just for containment — the walls are an active part of the game.

The most distinctive feature of padel is that the ball can bounce off the glass walls after it has hit the ground on your side and still be in play. You are allowed to play the ball after it rebounds off the wall, opening up angles and rallies that simply do not exist in other racket sports. The net sits at the centre of the court, slightly lower than a tennis net (88 cm at the centre, 92 cm at the sides).

All serves in padel must be hit underarm, which makes the game far more accessible to beginners. There is no overhead power serve like in tennis, so rallies tend to start on a more level playing field. Padel rackets are solid (no strings), perforated with holes, and shorter than tennis rackets. The ball is very similar to a tennis ball but has slightly less pressure, making it a touch slower and easier to control.

If you are based in Ireland and looking for somewhere to try the sport, padel courts have been opening up across Dublin, Cork, Galway and beyond over the past few years. The sport is growing rapidly here, and most clubs welcome complete beginners.

Scoring in Padel

If you already know how tennis scoring works, you already know how padel scoring works. The two systems are identical. Points within a game follow the sequence 15, 30, 40, and then game point. If both teams reach 40, the score is called deuce.

Points, Games and Sets

At deuce, a team must win two consecutive points to take the game. The first point after deuce gives that team advantage. If the team with advantage wins the next point, they win the game. If they lose it, the score returns to deuce.

A set is won by the first team to reach 6 games, provided they lead by at least 2 games. If the set reaches 6-6, a tiebreak is played. The tiebreak follows standard tiebreak rules: points are counted 1, 2, 3 and so on, and the first team to reach 7 points with a 2-point lead wins the tiebreak and the set.

A match is best of 3 sets. The team that wins 2 sets wins the match.

Golden Point (Punto de Oro)

In social and club-level play, many venues use the golden point rule at deuce instead of requiring two consecutive points. Under this rule, a single point at deuce decides the game. The receiving team gets to choose which side (left or right) they want to receive the serve on for the deciding point. This keeps matches moving and adds a layer of tactical pressure. Golden point is widely used in amateur padel across Ireland and Europe, though professional tournaments may use traditional deuce scoring depending on the tour.

How to Serve in Padel

The serve in padel has specific rules that differ significantly from tennis. Understanding these rules is essential because serve faults are one of the most common mistakes new players make.

The Underarm Rule

Every serve must be hit underarm. The server must first bounce the ball on the ground and then strike it at or below waist height. You cannot toss the ball into the air and hit it overhead. This rule is strictly enforced and is one of the reasons padel is so beginner-friendly — you do not need a powerful overhead serve to compete.

Foot Position

The server must stand behind the service line on their side of the court. At the moment of contact with the ball, at least one foot must be on the ground. You cannot jump into the serve. Both feet must be behind the service line (you cannot step on or over it before striking the ball).

Diagonal Service

The serve is hit diagonally, just like in tennis. If you are serving from the right side (the deuce side), the ball must land in the opponent's left service box (from their perspective). The first serve of each game is always from the right side, and service alternates sides after each point.

Two Serves

You get two attempts to put the ball in play. If your first serve is a fault (lands outside the service box, hits the fence before bouncing in the box, or is struck above the waist), you get a second serve. If the second serve is also a fault, you lose the point — this is a double fault. If the ball clips the net and lands in the correct service box, it is a let and you replay the serve.

After the Serve Lands

Once the serve bounces in the correct service box, the ball can then hit the back glass wall and the receiving player can play it off the wall. However, if the serve bounces and then hits the side fence (metal fencing, not the glass), it is a fault. This is an important distinction that catches many beginners off guard.

Playing the Walls

Wall play is the defining feature of padel and the element that makes the sport unique. Understanding how the walls work transforms you from a hesitant beginner into a confident player.

The Fundamental Rule

After the ball bounces on the ground on your side of the court, it can hit the back glass wall or the side glass walls and remain in play. You are then allowed to hit the ball after it comes off the wall. The key sequence is: the ball must bounce on the ground first, then it can hit a wall, and then you can play it.

What you cannot do is hit the ball directly onto the glass or fence on a full (meaning before it has bounced on the ground on the opponent's side). If you hit a shot and it strikes the glass or fence on the opponent's side before bouncing on the ground, the ball is out.

A Typical Rally with Wall Play

Imagine your opponent hits a deep lob to your backhand corner. The ball bounces on the ground near the back wall and then rebounds off the glass behind you. Instead of trying to reach the ball before it hits the wall, you wait for it to come off the glass, and then play your shot back over the net. This is one of the most common patterns in padel, and it gives you more time to set up your shot than you might expect.

The walls can also produce unexpected angles. A ball that hits the side glass after bouncing can shoot off at a sharp angle, and learning to read these rebounds is a core skill of the sport. At higher levels, players deliberately use the walls to create difficult angles and wrong-foot their opponents.

Side Walls vs Back Wall

Both the side glass panels and the back glass wall are in play. In some courts, the lower section of the side walls is glass while the upper section is metal fencing. If the ball hits the metal fencing after bouncing, it is still in play (the fencing is part of the court enclosure). However, the angles off the fencing are less predictable than off the glass, which adds an extra challenge.

Common Faults in Padel

Knowing what constitutes a fault helps you avoid giving away free points. Here are the most common faults and rule violations in padel.

Serve Faults

Serving above the waist: If the ball is struck above waist height on the serve, it is a fault.
Ball hitting the fence before the service box: If the serve bounces in the service box and then hits the side fence (metal mesh), it is a fault.
Foot fault: Stepping on or over the service line before making contact with the ball.
Missing the service box: If the ball lands outside the diagonally opposite service box, it is a fault.

In-Play Faults

Touching the net: If you or your racket touch the net at any point during play, you lose the point.
Hitting the ball before it crosses the net: You cannot reach over the net to strike the ball on the opponent's side.
Double bounce: If the ball bounces twice on the ground on your side before you hit it, you lose the point.
Hitting the ball into your own wall first: If you strike the ball and it hits your own side's wall before crossing the net, you lose the point.
Ball hitting you: If the ball hits any part of your body (other than the racket hand below the wrist), you lose the point.

Can the Ball Leave the Court?

Yes — and this is one of the most thrilling aspects of padel. In certain situations, the ball can leave the court entirely, and the rally continues.

How It Happens

If your opponent hits a high, deep shot that bounces on your side of the court and then flies over the back glass wall (or over the side fencing), the ball has left the court. In many padel courts, especially those with open backs or lower back walls, this is a realistic scenario during play.

When this happens, you are allowed to run out of the court through the side door and play the ball back over the wall and into the opponent's side. The ball must travel back over the net (it can go around the net post too, as long as it ends up on the correct side). These dramatic retrievals are a hallmark of professional padel and produce some of the sport's most spectacular points.

Practical Considerations

Not every court is set up for this. Some indoor facilities have walls or netting that prevent the ball from leaving, and in casual play it is rare. But if you are playing on a court where the back wall allows it, knowing that you can chase the ball outside the court is both a tactical advantage and one of the sport's great joys.

The key rule: the ball must have bounced on your side first. You cannot leave the court to play a ball that has not yet bounced. And once outside, you must get the ball back into the opponent's court — it can go over or around the net.

Key Differences Between Padel and Tennis

If you are coming from a tennis background, these are the main differences you need to know before stepping onto a padel court.

Feature	Padel	Tennis
Serve	Underarm only, ball bounced below waist	Overhead, any height
Court size	20m x 10m (enclosed)	23.77m x 10.97m (doubles, open)
Walls	Glass and metal walls are in play	No walls
Racket	Solid, perforated, no strings, shorter	Strung, longer
Format	Always doubles	Singles and doubles
Net height	88 cm (centre)	91.4 cm (centre)
Ball	Slightly less pressure	Standard pressure
Scoring	Identical (with optional golden point)	Identical

The walls are the biggest adjustment. In tennis, a ball that hits the back fence is dead. In padel, that same ball is very much alive. This single difference changes the entire rhythm of the game.

The underarm serve also shifts the balance of the game. In tennis, a strong serve can dominate a match. In padel, the serve is more of a way to start the point than a weapon in itself.

Ready to Play?

Now that you understand the rules of padel, the best thing you can do is get on court and try it.

Here are some next steps to help you get started:

Find a padel court near you — search for courts across Ireland and book your first session.
Padel for beginners — tips and advice for your first time on court.
How to play padel — a broader guide covering technique, tactics and etiquette.
Browse padel rackets — find the right racket for your level.
Shop padel balls — pick up a tube before your first match.

Padel is one of the fastest-growing sports in Ireland and across Europe. The rules are straightforward, the learning curve is gentle, and the social, doubles-only format makes it a brilliant way to stay active with friends. See you on court.