Padel Rules FAQ: 15 Most Common Questions Answered

1. Can the ball hit the wall before bouncing?

No. The ball must bounce on the floor before it can hit a wall. If it hits the wall directly (without bouncing first), the point goes to the hitting team's opponents.

2. Can you hit the ball off the wall?

Yes! After the ball bounces on the floor, it can hit any wall and you can play it off the rebound. This is what makes padel unique.

3. Can the ball leave the court?

Yes. If the ball bounces in the court and then goes over the wall or through an opening, you can go outside the court to play it — as long as it hasn't bounced twice.

4. How does the serve work?

Underhand, bounced on the ground first, struck at or below waist height, into the diagonally opposite service box. Two attempts per point.

5. Can the serve hit the wall?

Yes — if the serve lands in the correct box and then hits the side or back wall, it's a valid serve. If it hits the wire mesh (malla) after landing in the box, it's a fault.

6. What's a let?

If the serve hits the net and lands in the correct box, it's a let and the serve is replayed.

7. Can you volley the serve?

No. The return of serve must be played after the ball bounces.

8. Can you touch the net?

No. Touching the net, posts, or any part of the opponents' court during a point loses the point.

9. Can both partners hit the ball?

No. Only one player can hit the ball per shot. If both players touch the ball, the point is lost.

10. What if the ball hits you?

If the ball hits any player before bouncing twice, that player's team loses the point — even if the ball was going out.

11. Can you reach over the net?

You can follow through over the net after making contact on your side, but you cannot reach over to hit a ball that hasn't crossed to your side yet.

12. Who serves first?

A coin toss or racket spin decides. The winning team can choose to serve, receive, or pick a side.

13. When do you switch sides?

Teams switch sides after the first game and then every two games.

14. How long is a match?

Best of 3 sets. Typical recreational matches last 60-90 minutes.

15. What's the golden point rule?

At deuce (40-40), one sudden-death point decides the game. The receiving team chooses which side to receive. This speeds up matches and is used in many formats.