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Padel sits between tennis and squash — underarm serves, a smaller enclosed court, and walls that stay in play. Here's what to know before your first game.
The court
A padel court measures 20 metres long by 10 metres wide — about a third the size of a tennis court — enclosed by glass and mesh walls that are part of the game, not just a boundary.
Most courts use a sand-filled synthetic turf, which plays consistently in both indoor and outdoor venues.
Glass back and side walls let the ball stay in play after a bounce, adding a whole extra dimension compared to tennis.
The net splits the court in half at roughly tennis height, with each side further divided by a service line.
On court
Padel is built for doubles — two players per side, one court, four people, maximum energy. Singles exists too, but doubles is where the sport lives.
Serves are hit underarm, below waist height, after one bounce, diagonally into the opponent's service box — no overhead serving like tennis.
Love, 15, 30, 40, game — with sets and matches played the same way as tennis. If you already understand a tennis scoreboard, you already understand a padel one.
After the ball bounces once on the ground, it can rebound off your own side's walls before you play it back — but it must hit the ground first.
Standard rally rules apply: one bounce maximum before you return the ball, and it must clear the net into the opposing side.
If the ball goes over the wall or out of the court entirely after bouncing on your opponent's side first, the point is still live under many local rules — this is one worth confirming with your venue or coach early on.
Padel vs. tennis
| Aspect | Padel | Tennis |
|---|---|---|
| Court size | 20m × 10m, enclosed | 23.77m × 8.23m (singles), open |
| Players | Mostly doubles (singles exists) | Singles or doubles |
| Serve | Underarm, after a bounce | Overhead |
| Racket | Solid, stringless, perforated | Strung, larger face |
| Walls | In play after the bounce | Out of play |
| Learning curve | Shorter — rallies start fast | Longer — serve & groundstrokes take time |
Next step
Most venues rent rackets and balls, so you don't need any gear for your first session — just comfortable shoes and someone to play against.
Where to play