Padel rules for beginners, serve, walls and scoring in one session
The court, the underhand serve, the walls and the score. Everything you need to play your first proper padel match, based on the official FIP rules.
Section
Padel
Four players, two walls and a solid racket: the fastest growing racket game, explained from the first serve.
Padel is easy to start and hard to master. The ball stays in play off the glass, the serve is underhand and the game is always doubles, which makes it sociable from the first hour. Here are the rules, the wall play that sets it apart, the racket question and what changes when you come from tennis.
Playing off the glass, how to read the walls in padel
Letting the ball pass and playing it off the glass feels wrong at first. Learn to read the rebound and the walls become your best defence.
Choosing a padel racket, shape, balance, weight and core
Round, teardrop or diamond, soft or hard core, fibreglass or carbon. How padel rackets really differ, and how to match one to your level, your style and your arm.
Padel or tennis, what really changes when you switch courts
Two racket games, one net and very different habits. A fair comparison of court, kit, serve and learning curve, plus what tennis players keep and what they must unlearn.
Try the tool
Padel Racket Finder
Five questions on level, style and arm comfort, one profile: shape, balance, weight and core.
More to explore
The other sections
- GolfThe handicap, the swing, the etiquette nobody explains and the ground under your feet.
- TennisLove, deuce and tiebreaks, clay against grass, a serve you can trust and where to stand in doubles.
- Active LivingWarm-up, strength and recovery: the habits that keep you playing for decades.
- TravelGolf holidays, padel in Spain, tennis camps and how to fly with your kit.
- Gear & StyleClub fitting, strings and tension, the right soles and what to wear at the club.