Padel: The World’s Fastest Growing Sport

Combining elements of tennis and squash, padel offers a unique, exciting, and—dare we say—addictive experience for players of all skill levels. It is played on a smaller, enclosed court where, unlike tennis, the walls are used to keep the ball in play.

The Basics

Serving

The serve must be underhand, with the ball hit below waist height. It must bounce once in the server’s box before being hit diagonally into the opponent’s service box.

Scoring

Scoring is the same as in tennis (15, 30, 40, game). If both teams reach “40-40,” it becomes a deuce, and two consecutive points are required to win the game. If a team wins a point after deuce, they gain the advantage. If they win the next point, they win the game. If the opposing team wins the point, it goes back to deuce.

Play

After the serve, the ball must bounce once on the receiver’s side before it can be returned. Once in play, the ball can be hit off the walls or directly, similar to squash. It must be hit before bouncing twice on the ground.

Faults

• The ball bounces twice before being returned.
• The serve hits the net and fails to land within the opponent’s service box.
• Failing to allow the ball to bounce once on each side before hitting it.
• The ball goes out of bounds or hits the net and lands on the server’s side.
• Double fault on serve.