Padel Rules: How to Play, Serve and Score
Padel is played two against two on an enclosed court 20 m long and 10 m wide. Every point starts with an underarm serve: the server bounces the ball behind the service line and hits it at or below waist height, diagonally into the opponent's service box. After that, the ball must bounce once on the floor of the other side before it can touch a wall; your own walls can be used to play it back. Scoring is the same as tennis (15, 30, 40, game, sets to six, tiebreak at 6–6), and at deuce the event uses one of three FIP options: advantage, golden point, or the 2026 Star Point.
Last reviewed: October 28, 2026.
The basics in one minute
- Doubles game: the FIP rules are written for pairs; each pair plays on one side of the net.
- Court: 20 × 10 m, fully enclosed by glass or solid walls and metal mesh, with a net 0.88 m high in the center.
- Serve: underarm, after a bounce, at or below the waist, diagonally into the box. Two attempts.
- Walls: the ball must land on the opponent's floor first. After that bounce it may hit walls and fence and still be played.
- Volleys: allowed everywhere except on the return of serve, which must bounce first.
- Scoring: 15, 30, 40, game; sets to six games, tiebreak at 6–6; usually best of three sets.
Padel serve rules
Rule 6 of the FIP Rules of Padel sets out the serve. It is the part beginners get wrong most often, so here it is step by step.
- Stand with your feet behind the service line, between the center line and the side wall, and stay there until the ball is served. Do not touch the service line or the center line.
- Bounce the ball on the ground inside your own service box, behind the service line.
- Hit it at or below waist height with at least one foot on the ground. In practice this means an underarm or sidearm swing.
- Serve diagonally, over the net, into the opponent's service box. The first serve of each game goes from the right side; then you alternate sides after every point.
- The ball must bounce inside the box (the lines are good). It may then hit the glass, but it must not hit the metal fence before its second bounce.
| What happens | Result |
|---|---|
| Ball lands outside the receiver's box | Fault |
| Ball bounces in the box, then hits the metal fence before bouncing again | Fault |
| Ball is hit above the waist, or the server steps on the line | Fault |
| Ball touches the net, lands in the box and doesn't touch the fence | “Net”: serve again (not a fault) |
| Ball bounces in the box, then hits the glass side or back wall | Good serve, play on |
| Ball hits the receiver or their racket before bouncing | Point to the server |
| Two faults in a row | Point to the receiver |
The receiver must let the serve bounce in the box before returning it (Rule 8). Every shot after the return may be volleyed.
Wall rules: when the glass and the fence are in play
The walls are what make padel padel, and one principle covers almost every case: the ball must bounce on the opponent's floor before it touches any of their walls or fence. After that bounce, the walls are part of the court.
| Situation | Ruling |
|---|---|
| Your shot bounces on their side, then hits their back glass | In play: they may return it before it bounces a second time |
| Your shot bounces on their side, then hits the metal fence | In play (the fence is part of the court after the bounce) |
| Your shot hits their glass or fence before bouncing | Your point is lost |
| You hit the ball against your own glass and it goes over the net and bounces on their side | Good shot |
| You hit the ball into your own metal fence | Your point is lost |
| Your shot clips the net and lands on their floor | Good shot |
| Your shot clips the net and goes straight into their wall | Your point is lost |
| The ball lands in the corner where floor meets wall | Good shot |
| After a good bounce the ball flies out over their wall or through a door | Your point, unless the court allows out-of-court play and they retrieve it |
| After a good bounce the ball gets stuck in the fence or on top of the wall | Your point |
Out-of-court play (running through the door to return a ball) is only allowed on courts with the safety area the FIP rules require. If the court does not allow it, a ball that bounces and goes out is simply the hitter's point.
Other ways to lose a point
- The ball bounces twice on your side before you return it.
- You, your racket or anything you wear touches the net or posts while the ball is in play.
- You hit the ball before it has crossed the net to your side.
- You hit the ball twice, or both partners hit it.
- The ball touches your body or clothing (it may only touch the racket).
- You drop your racket or break the safety cord during the point.
- You hit the ball with a thrown racket, or jump over the net.
How padel scoring works
Padel uses tennis scoring (FIP Rule 1). Points go 15, 30, 40, game. The first pair to win six games with a two-game lead wins the set; 5–5 goes to 7–5, and at 6–6 a tiebreak is played to seven points, won by two, so the set ends 7–6. A match is best of three sets.
What changes from event to event is what happens at deuce (40–40). The FIP rules give three options, and the organizer announces which one is used.
| Option | How it works | Where you'll see it |
|---|---|---|
| Advantage | Win two points in a row from deuce, as long as it takes | Traditional scoring; some clubs and leagues |
| Golden point | One deciding point at the first deuce; the receivers choose the side | Many club, social and timed formats |
| Star Point (2026) | Up to two advantages; at the third deuce one deciding point decides the game | Premier Padel, CUPRA FIP Tour, FIP Promises and the amateur FIP Beyond circuit from 2026 |
The Star Point, with an example
The FIP General Assembly approved the Star Point unanimously on 28 November 2025, and it appears in the rules as Option 2 of Rule 1. It keeps advantage scoring but caps how long a game can last. The umpire calls “deuce 1”, “advantage 1”, “deuce 2”, “advantage 2” and finally “deuce 3”, which triggers the Star Point.
As with the golden point, the receiving pair chooses whether to receive on the right or the left, and they cannot swap positions for that point. In mixed doubles, the player of the same sex as the server receives it.
- 40–40: deuce 1. Pair A wins the next point: advantage 1 to A.
- Pair B wins the point: back to deuce 2.
- Pair B wins the next point: advantage 2 to B.
- Pair A wins the point: deuce 3. No more advantages.
- One Star Point is played. Whoever wins it wins the game.
Tiebreaks and short formats
In a padel tiebreak the points are counted 0, 1, 2, 3. The player due to serve takes one point from the right; the opponents then serve the next two points, starting from the left, and from then on each player serves two in a row, keeping the set's serving order. Players change ends after every six points. The next set is started by the player of the pair that did not start serving in the tiebreak.
The FIP rules also allow shorter formats: mini sets to four games (tiebreak at 4–4), and deciding the match at one set all with a 7-point tiebreak or a 10-point super tiebreak instead of a third set.
Changing sides and time between points
- Change sides after the 1st, 3rd and every following odd game of each set, and after every six points in a tiebreak.
- Up to 20 seconds between points and 90 seconds at a change of sides; no rest after the first game of a set or during a tiebreak.
- Up to 120 seconds between sets.
- A 3-minute warm-up rally before the match.
Can you play padel singles?
The official FIP rules describe a game between pairs, and all FIP and Premier Padel events are doubles. Some clubs offer singles padel on narrower courts under their own local rules; if you play it, agree the serve and wall rules before you start.
Racketlovers follows the official game: padel matches in the app are doubles.
Padel vs tennis: the key differences
| Padel | Tennis | |
|---|---|---|
| Players | Doubles (pairs) | Singles or doubles |
| Serve | Underarm, after a bounce, at or below the waist | Usually overhead; the ball is hit before it bounces |
| Walls | In play after the ball bounces | None; the ball must land inside the lines |
| Return of serve | Must bounce first | Must bounce first |
| Deuce | Advantage, golden point or Star Point | Advantage or No-Ad |
| Sets and tiebreak | Six games, tiebreak at 6–6 | Six games, tiebreak at 6–6 |
Score your next padel match live
In the Racketlovers app, new padel matches use the Star Point by default, the same as the pros, and golden point or advantage is one tap away. Best of three, two sets plus a 10-point match tiebreak, one set, short sets, timed matches and Fast4 padel are all in the format list.
You enter the games at each changeover, your opponents confirm them, and friends follow the match live in the free app from the link you share.
Keeping score on court without the app? Use the free padel scoreboard: Star Point, golden point and advantage, in your browser.
Best of 3 sets · Star Point
0-0. Player 1 to serve.
Start of a set: each team may choose which partner serves first.
Frequently asked questions
Is the padel serve underarm?
Yes. The server must bounce the ball first and hit it at or below waist height with at least one foot on the ground, so overhead serves are not allowed.
Can the serve hit the wall in padel?
It can hit the glass after bouncing in the correct service box. If it bounces in the box and then hits the metal fence before a second bounce, it is a fault.
Can you hit the ball off your own wall in padel?
Yes. You may play the ball against your own glass so that it goes over the net, as long as it then lands on the opponents' floor. Hitting it into your own metal fence loses the point.
Can you volley the return of serve in padel?
No. The receiver must let the serve bounce once in the service box. After the return, any shot may be volleyed.
What is the golden point in padel?
A single deciding point played at 40–40. The receiving pair chooses which side receives it, and whoever wins it wins the game.
What is the Star Point in padel?
The FIP's 2026 deuce option: up to two advantages are played, and if the score reaches deuce a third time, one deciding Star Point wins the game. It is used on Premier Padel, the CUPRA FIP Tour, FIP Promises and FIP Beyond.
How many sets are in a padel match?
Usually best of three sets of six games, with a tiebreak at 6–6. Many clubs and tournaments replace the third set with a 10-point super tiebreak.
Is there a let on the serve in padel?
Yes. If the serve touches the net and lands in the box without touching the metal fence, it is a “net” and is served again. A net on the first serve does not use up that serve.
Can you play padel one against one?
The official rules are for doubles. Some clubs run singles on narrower courts with local rules. The Racketlovers app scores padel as doubles.