First time on a padel court, most people spend ten minutes more confused than they'll admit. The scoring sounds like tennis but isn't quite. The ball keeps bouncing off glass and somehow that's fine. Someone shouts "out" and you genuinely don't know why.
Here's the whole thing in plain English, no jargon, so you can walk onto a court in Manchester and actually know what's going on.
The basics
Padel is doubles, two against two, on an enclosed court about 20 metres by 10. There's glass at the back and part of the sides, with mesh fencing above and around the rest. Those walls aren't just there to stop the ball flying into the next court. They're part of the game.
You serve underarm. The ball can bounce off the walls and stay in play. And scoring follows the same shape as tennis once you know the pattern. If you're brand new, our getting started guide covers the wider basics too.
Serving
The serve is underarm, hit below waist height. You bounce the ball first, then hit it diagonally into the service box on the far side of the net, like tennis but gentler and lower.
A few things catch people out:
- You serve from behind the service line, not the back wall, and you can't step on or over that line until you've hit the ball.
- If the serve clips the net and still lands in the right box, it is a let and you serve that one again, just like tennis.
- You get two chances per point, same as tennis. Fault the first and you get a second serve.
When the ball's in, and when it's out
This is the bit everyone gets wrong at first.
The ball must bounce once on the ground inside the court before it touches a wall. Once it's bounced, it can hit the back or side glass and stay alive, and you or your partner can play it off the glass, a bit like squash. If it hits the wall before bouncing on the court, that's out.
It's also out if the ball bounces twice on the ground before anyone returns it, or if it leaves the enclosed court over the fencing without bouncing inside first. Hitting the metal fence above the glass on the full is out too.
You're allowed to leave the court through a gap in the fencing to chase a ball that's gone off court, as long as it hasn't bounced twice yet. You'll see this at Manchester venues with tighter court spacing. It looks dramatic but it's completely normal.
Scoring
Padel scoring is tennis scoring. If you've never played tennis either, here's the pattern:
- First point won: 15
- Second point: 30
- Third point: 40
- Fourth point: game, as long as you're two clear
If both teams reach 40, that's deuce. From deuce you need two points in a row to take the game, advantage then game point.
A set is first to six games, win by two. Most club and social matches in Manchester play best of three sets, with a tiebreak at six games all.
Golden point
Loads of clubs, including plenty around Manchester, use golden point instead of full deuce. At 40-40 there's no advantage. It's sudden death, and whoever wins the next point wins the game. It speeds matches up and it's increasingly the standard at social and league level, so don't be surprised if that's what's called at a social night. Our events page lists the socials and leagues running around the city.
A few more rules worth knowing
- You can hit the ball above shoulder height any time, not just on serve.
- You can't touch the net or posts, or reach over the net to play the ball on the opponents' side.
- Almost always doubles. A singles format does exist on a narrower court but it is rare, and you'll mostly only see 1v1 in warm-ups.
- A ball touching any part of the line is in, exactly like tennis.
That's genuinely most of it. The rest is just playing enough to get the walls into your head, and a coach will speed that up no end.
FAQs
How do you win a point in padel?
When your opponents fail to return the ball inside the court: it bounces twice, goes out, fails to clear the net, or they hit it out of bounds.
Can the ball hit the wall in padel?
Yes, after it's bounced on the ground first. Balls coming off the glass and mesh are a normal, expected part of play, not a fault.
What is golden point in padel?
Sudden-death scoring used instead of deuce and advantage. At 40-40 the next point decides the game outright. It's common at club and social level.
How many players are in a padel match?
Four, two against two. Padel is a doubles sport.
Do you serve overarm or underarm in padel?
Underarm, and the ball must be struck below waist height after one bounce.
Is a serve that clips the net still in play?
Yes, as long as it still lands in the correct diagonal service box. If the serve touches the net and lands in the correct box it is a let, so you take that serve again. A net clip during open play, however, is played on.