So You Want to Play Padel? Here's Everything You Need to Know

Picture this: you're holding a racket that looks like it went on a diet, standing in what feels like a tennis court trapped in a glass box, and your friend just told you the walls are actually your teammates. Welcome to padel – the fastest-growing sport you've probably been pronouncing wrong (it's "pah-del," by the way).

If tennis and squash had a baby, and that baby was raised by ping-pong, you'd get padel. Born in Mexico in the 1960s and perfected in Spain and Argentina, this addictive sport has taken Europe by storm and is now conquering courts worldwide. The best part? You don't need to be Roger Federer to have a blast playing it.

The Court: Your New Favorite Glass House

First things first – the court. At 20 meters long and 10 meters wide, a padel court is about a third smaller than a tennis court. But here's where it gets interesting: you're surrounded by walls. The back walls and side walls near the back are made of glass or solid material (usually 3-4 meters high), while the rest is metal mesh fencing.

That service line you see? It's not where you think it is. The service boxes are marked by a line parallel to the net at 6.95 meters, and there's a center line dividing them. The net itself sits at 88cm high in the middle, slightly rising to 92cm at the posts. Think of the court as your playground where geometry becomes your secret weapon.

Scoring: Tennis's Familiar Friend

Good news if you know tennis scoring – padel uses the exact same system. Games go 15, 30, 40, and game. You need six games to win a set (win by two), and matches are typically best of three sets. When you hit 40-40, it's deuce, and you'll need to win two consecutive points to take the game.

The beauty of this scoring system? Comebacks are always possible. You might be down 40-0, but string together a few clever wall shots, and suddenly you're back in business.

The Serve: Keep It Simple, Keep It Underhand

Here's where padel throws its first curveball – literally. Forget those overhead power serves from tennis. In padel, you serve underhand, and the official rules are pretty specific about how you do it.

First, the setup: you must stand behind the service line, between the center line and the side wall, with at least one foot on the ground when you hit the ball. You bounce the ball behind the service line (in your service box area) and hit it at or below waist height. The ball must be dropped or released from your hand – no throwing it up or adding spin to the bounce.

You get two chances to get your serve in, just like tennis. If your first serve is a fault, you get a second serve. Two faults in a row? You lose the point. Simple as that.

What counts as a fault? Here's the official list:

What makes a good serve?

The serve is good when the ball bounces once in the correct diagonal service box and doesn't hit the metal fence afterward. After bouncing, the ball can hit the glass walls – that's totally fine and often creates interesting angles for the receiver. If the ball hits the net but still lands in the correct service box (a "let"), you get to take that serve again without penalty.

Here's an interesting quirk: if your serve bounces in the service box and then hits the receiver's body or racket before hitting the ground again, you win the point. But if they let it bounce and it goes over the 3-meter high back wall, it's also your point – though this rarely happens with serves.

The receiving team must let the serve bounce once in the service box before hitting it. They can't volley the serve, even if it's floating right over the net. After that first bounce, normal play begins.

Pro tip: aim for consistency over power. A well-placed serve that bounces deep in the box and rises up the back glass is harder to attack than a fast serve down the middle.

Playing the Point: Where the Magic Happens

Once the serve is in play, things get wild. You can hit the ball on the fly (a volley) or after one bounce – but never after two bounces. Miss the ball after the first bounce? Point over. Simple enough, right?

But wait, there's more. The ball can bounce off your side's glass walls after hitting the ground, and you can still play it. In fact, you can even hit the ball off your own glass walls to get it back over the net, though most beginners take a while to master this party trick.

When attacking, you can hit the ball directly into your opponent's court, or – and this is where strategy comes in – you can hit their glass walls after the ball bounces on their side. Just remember: if you hit the fence directly (without a bounce), you lose the point. The metal mesh is basically lava.

The Walls: Your New Best Friends

Those glass walls aren't just for show. After the ball bounces in the court, it can rebound off the back or side glass walls and still be in play. This is what makes padel so dynamic – a shot that would be a winner in tennis might come flying back at you off the back glass.

You can even use your own walls strategically. Trapped in the corner? Hit the ball against your back glass to lift it over the net. It feels wrong the first time you do it, but once you nail that shot, you'll feel like a genius.

Doubles: The Only Way to Play

Padel is almost always played in doubles. Sure, you can play singles on a smaller court, but doubles is where the sport shines. Partners typically play on diagonal sides, with one covering the net (the aggressive position) and one hanging back (the defensive position). But the best teams flow between positions like they're dancing.

Communication is everything. Call your shots, cover for each other, and remember – the point isn't over until the ball bounces twice or hits the fence. Some of the most spectacular rallies happen when everyone thinks the point is done.

Common Rookie Mistakes to Avoid

Every beginner makes these mistakes, so don't sweat it when you do too. Hitting the ball too hard is mistake number one – padel rewards placement over power. The walls keep the ball in play, so that killer shot often comes right back.

Standing too close to the walls is another classic error. Give yourself room to swing and let the ball come off the glass. And please, resist the urge to hit every ball as a volley. Sometimes letting it bounce gives you better control and more options.

Lastly, don't forget about the lob. When both opponents are at the net, a well-placed lob to the back corner can be devastating. It's not the most glamorous shot, but it wins points.

What Makes Padel Special

Here's the thing about padel – it's incredibly social. The learning curve is gentle enough that beginners can rally from day one, but the skill ceiling is high enough to keep you improving for years. Points last longer than in tennis, creating dramatic rallies that'll have you high-fiving your partner and laughing with your opponents.

The smaller court means less running than tennis, but don't be fooled – you'll still work up a sweat. It's just that the workout feels more like play than exercise. And because you need four people for a proper game, it's the perfect excuse to drag your friends away from their screens.

Ready to Play?

Grab a racket (they're solid, no strings, with holes for aerodynamics), some regular tennis balls (padel uses balls with slightly less pressure), and three friends who are up for trying something new. Find your nearest padel court – they're popping up everywhere from suburban sports clubs to downtown rooftops.

Remember, everyone looks awkward their first time playing padel. You'll hit the fence when you meant to hit the glass. You'll forget you can use the walls. You'll serve into the net more times than you'd like to admit. But somewhere around your third or fourth game, something clicks. You'll hit a perfect bandeja (a defensive overhead shot), or pull off an impossible wall return, and suddenly you'll get why millions of people are obsessed with this sport.

The rules might seem quirky at first, but they create a game that's both accessible and endlessly entertaining. So step into that glass box, embrace the walls, and discover why padel might just become your new favorite addiction. Trust me, your weekends are about to get a lot more interesting.