Padel, explained
Padel rules, explained in five minutes
The underarm serve, when the glass is in play, what counts as out, and how scoring works. Everything you need before your first game.
You can learn padel from a friend in about five minutes. These are the rules that actually matter the first time you play.
The serve
Serve underarm. Bounce the ball behind the service line, hit it at or below waist height, and send it diagonally into the opposite service box. There is no overhead serve in padel, which is the single reason beginners can play a real game immediately.
When the glass is in play
The ball must bounce on the ground once before it touches the glass. After that bounce you can play it as it comes back off the back or side glass. Learning to wait for the rebound instead of rushing it is the first real skill in padel.
What is out
- A ball that hits the glass or the fence on the other side before it bounces is out.
- A ball that bounces first and then hits the mesh stays in play.
That pair of rules is the whole of it, and most beginner arguments come from forgetting the order: ground first, then wall.
Scoring
Exactly like tennis. Points go 15, 30, 40, game. Games go to six for a set. If you have ever watched tennis you already know how to keep score, so nothing new to learn there.
It is always doubles
Padel is played two against two. Singles padel exists on a narrower court but is rare, and you will almost certainly never be asked to play it.
The three rules nobody tells you
- You may not touch the net or reach over it.
- The ball may only bounce once on your side before you return it.
- You can play the ball off your own glass back over the net, which is legal, spectacular, and almost never necessary.
Where to play on the Gold Coast
Parkwood Padel Club has premium indoor courts in the Sports Precinct at Parkwood Village, 76-104 Napper Road, Parkwood QLD 4214, open 07:00 to 22:00 every day. Indoor means the weather never cancels a game. The club is opening soon and the opening date, court hire prices and the number of courts are still to be confirmed.
Book a court on MATCHi