Padel is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world, and for good reason: it is easier to pick up than tennis, more social than squash, and genuinely addictive once you have played three or four times. This guide covers everything a complete beginner needs to start playing.
The Court
A padel court is 20 metres long and 10 metres wide — approximately a third of the size of a tennis court. The court is enclosed by glass walls and metal mesh on all sides. The ball can be played off these walls, which is what makes padel unique: shots that would be winners in tennis become retrievable in padel if you use the back glass correctly.
The net is the same height as a tennis net (88cm in the centre). There is a service box, similar to tennis, and a no-volley zone extends 3 metres from the net on each side.
How Points Are Scored
Padel uses exactly the same scoring system as tennis: 15, 30, 40, game. Sets are first to six games, winning by two (with a tie-break at 6-6). Matches are best of three sets.
Padel is always played as doubles — two players per side, four players on court. There is no singles padel at a competitive level.
The Serve
Unlike tennis, the serve in padel is underarm. The server stands behind the service line, bounces the ball, and strikes it at or below waist height. The ball must land in the diagonal service box. If the ball hits the wire mesh fence on the serve, it is a fault — but if it hits the glass wall after bouncing in the service box, play continues normally.
Each player serves for two consecutive points before the serve rotates. Service rotation follows the same rules as tennis: the team that received serve in the first game serves first in the second game.
Playing Off the Walls
The walls are what make padel padel. A ball can be played off any wall after it has bounced once on your side of the court. This means shots that appear to be winners can be retrieved if you anticipate correctly and use the back glass as a rebound surface.
Beginners often underuse the walls — particularly the back glass. Learning to play off the back glass is the single most important technical skill to develop in your first six months. Our Learn section covers this in detail.
Common Mistakes
Hitting too hard. Padel rewards control and placement over power, especially at beginner level. Hard shots into the glass create easy opportunities for your opponents to attack.
Staying at the back. The dominant position in padel is at the net. Getting to the net and holding it is the primary strategic objective for both pairs. Beginners who stay at the baseline give their opponents a permanent positional advantage.
Wrong equipment. Playing with a tennis racket or a diamond-shape padel racket as a beginner makes the sport significantly harder. See our complete gear guide for first-purchase recommendations.