Basic Rules

Understanding the basic rules of padel is the single most important step you can take before stepping onto the court. Whether you are picking up a racket for the first time or transitioning from tennis, squash, or pickleball, padel has its own rhythm — and knowing the rules gives you the confidence to enjoy it from your very first rally. This section of Padel Rules covers every fundamental regulation you need to learn how to play padel properly, all grounded in the official FIP 2026 rulebook.

What Makes Padel Rules Different

Padel is played in doubles on a court enclosed by glass walls and metallic fencing. That enclosed space is not just decoration — it is part of the game. The ball can be played off the walls after bouncing, which creates rallies that no other racket sport can match. Serves must be hit underhand, below waist height, and into the diagonally opposite service box. These padel basic rules are simple to learn, but they change the entire dynamic of play compared to sports like tennis.

The Padel Rules 2026 guide on this site walks through the complete FIP rulebook in plain language, covering the latest revisions adopted at the FIP General Meeting in Acapulco in November 2025. If you want a single reference that covers everything, start there.

Serving and Service Order

The serve is how every point begins, and padel serve rules have specific requirements that catch new players off guard. You must bounce the ball behind the service line and strike it at or below hip height — no overhead serves allowed. The ball must clear the net and land in the opponent’s service box without touching the side walls before the bounce. A serve that clips the net and lands in is replayed as a let.

Our Padel Serve Rules article breaks down the technique step by step, from legal stance and ball drop to common faults and tactical placement. For the order of who serves when, Service Order explains how teams decide serving rights through the toss, maintain partner order within a set, and switch at the start of a new set.

Scoring in Padel

Padel uses the same scoring system as tennis: 15, 30, 40, game. Sets are won by the first team to six games with at least a two-game lead, and a tie-break is played at 6-6. Most matches are best of three sets. What changed in 2026 is the introduction of the Star Point rule — at deuce (40-40), a single decisive point is played instead of the traditional advantage format, speeding up matches and adding pressure to clutch moments.

The Padel Scoring System article on this site explains every scenario with clear examples, including tie-break mechanics and the Star Point rule in detail.

Wall Play and Court Boundaries

The walls are what make padel unique. After the ball bounces on your side of the court, it can hit the back wall or side walls, and you can still play it — as long as it has only bounced once on the floor. You cannot, however, volley the ball into a wall on your opponent’s side; it must cross the net and bounce on their floor first.

Our Wall Play Rules & Technique guide covers every legal and illegal wall scenario, with tactical advice on positioning and reading rebounds. For one of padel’s most exciting moments — when the ball exits through the side gates and players chase it outside the court — see Out-of-Court Play, which explains the 2026 safety corridor expansion and when this spectacular rule applies.

Faults, Lets, and Common Situations

New players often wonder what happens when the ball hits a player, bounces twice, or lands on the line. Padel rules cover all of these situations with clear outcomes. A ball that strikes any part of a player’s body (other than the racket hand) before bouncing is a point for the opposition. A ball that bounces twice on your side is a lost point. Lines are considered inside the court.

These details matter in real play. The Padel Rules FAQ answers the most common questions we receive, while What Happens If the Ball Hits a Player and Can the Ball Bounce Twice? go deeper into specific scenarios with examples from match situations.

The FIP 2026 Rulebook as the Authority

Every rule on this site is sourced from the International Padel Federation’s official 2026 regulations. The FIP is the global governing body for padel, and its rulebook is the definitive reference used by referees, tournament organisers, and national federations worldwide. We cite specific FIP rule numbers throughout our articles so you can verify anything against the source.

Whether you want a quick refresher before a social match or a thorough understanding before your first tournament, padel rules are straightforward once you see them in action. The articles below cover each topic in depth — from serving to scoring, wall play to player conduct. Browse the guides below to find exactly what you need.

More Basic Rules Articles

• What Is Padel? Rules, Court Size & How It Differs from Tennis
• Padel vs Tennis — 7 Key Differences Every Player Should Know
• Padel vs Pickleball — Courts, Rules & Equipment Compared
• Padel vs Squash — How the Rules Differ
• The Star Point Rule in Padel Explained
• Padel Let Rule Explained: When Is a Serve Replayed?
• Faults and Lets in Padel
• What Happens After a Fault in Padel?
• What Happens If You Serve to the Wrong Box in Padel?
• What Happens When the Ball Goes Out of the Court in Padel?
• Can You Touch the Net in Padel?
• What Happens If You Hit the Ball Twice in Padel?
• Player Rotation and Changeovers
• Mixed Doubles Padel: How Equal Competition Rules Work
• Junior Padel Rules: Age Groups, Court Size & Ball Types (FIP 2026)