What is padel? A beginner guide to your first game

Padel is a racket sport usually played as doubles on an enclosed court. Two players on each side hit a ball over a net with perforated rackets. The walls are part of play: a ball can bounce on your side, rebound from the glass and still be returned before its second floor bounce.

You can start without having played tennis. The LTA's beginner introduction explains the basic equipment and play. A beginner group or lesson gives you a place to ask questions. Before booking, check what equipment and instruction the session includes.

What a padel court looks like

A standard court measures 10 metres wide by 20 metres long, with a net dividing it into two halves. Glass or other permitted walls and metal fencing enclose the playing area. The FIP rules specify the court and equipment.

Look for the service line running across each half and the line dividing the service boxes. Ask the instructor to point out where to serve and receive before you start. Have a go at standing in those spots before the first point.

What you need for your first session

• A padel racket, with its safety cord secured around your wrist. FIP requires the cord during play.
• Balls made for padel. Ask whether the venue supplies them.
• Suitable court shoes and comfortable sports clothes. Check the venue's footwear requirements.
• Water and enough time to arrive, collect any hired equipment and warm up.

The LTA equipment and clothing advice recommends footwear with grip and lateral support. Check whether you can hire a racket while you find out what suits you.

Standard doubles needs four players in total. You can book with friends, but if you are coming alone, ask whether the organiser matches players or runs a beginner group. When you book only a court, you may have to arrange the other players yourself.

How to play padel: follow one point

Follow the point using the FIP serve rules and LTA rules overview:

1. For the first point, start on the right behind the service line. Bounce the ball, strike at or below waist height and send it diagonally into the correct service box. You have a second serve after a first-service fault.
2. The receiver lets the serve bounce before hitting it back. You cannot hit the serve before that bounce; a shot hit before bouncing is called a volley.
3. After the return, either pair can hit a volley or play after one floor bounce. Return the ball before it bounces twice on your side.
4. A legal ball can rebound from your wall after landing in your court. A shot that hits your opponents' wall before landing on their court is out.

For example, your opponent serves into the correct box and you return after the bounce. Their pair sends a deep shot back. It lands on your side, hits the back glass and comes away from it. You can hit that rebound before the ball reaches the floor again. Touching the glass does not count as another floor bounce.

A pair wins the point when its opponents fail to make a legal return, for example by letting the ball bounce twice. Keep the first few points slow enough to follow what happens. Our padel serve guide covers the setup, and the return-of-serve guide explains the required bounce and common return questions.

How to keep a simple score

Padel counts points inside games, then games inside sets. The point calls start love, 15, 30, 40. Call the serving pair's score first. If you are serving and win the opening point, call 15-0. Lose the next and it becomes 15-15. Win the third and it is 30-15.

What happens at 40-40 depends on the agreed deuce format. Advantage, Golden Point and Star Point work differently. A standard set usually ends at six games with a two-game lead, or with a tie-break at 6-6. Check the match format rather than assuming every session uses the same one.

Use our padel scoring guide for worked deuce and tie-break examples. Keep the point score separate from the number of games your pair has won.

What to practise before trying harder shots

The LTA's beginner skills guide recommends controlled shots, short backswings and working with your partner. Start by trying to keep an easy rally going instead of hitting a winner with every ball.

Ask the coach to feed a few slow balls to your forehand and backhand, then show you a simple glass rebound. When a shot comes between you and your partner, call whose ball it is. Ask the coach to help you agree how to handle that middle ball.

Choose one aim for the session, such as returning the serve after its bounce or recognising when a deep ball is still playable off the glass. Leave complicated overhead shots until you can keep the basic rally going.

How to book your first padel game

Before paying for a session, check whether it includes instruction, equipment and help finding partners. Ask for the total price you will pay and what happens if you need to cancel. Those details depend on the venue.

Tell the organiser you are new to padel, including if you already play tennis. You may have racket skills, but the serve and wall rebounds still need an explanation. Ask how the group handles first-time players and whether you can stop to check a rule.

If the local listings also mention pickleball, check which sport and court you are booking. They use different equipment and rules; our padel vs pickleball comparison explains the difference.

After playing, note one thing that confused you and ask about it at the next session. Use the next practice to work on that question, whether it was where to serve or how to wait for a rebound.