What Happens If the Ball Hits a Player in Padel?

If the ball hits any part of your body during a rally, your team loses the point. This rule applies to all body contact, whether the ball was heading in or out, and regardless of whether you were trying to dodge it. The only thing that should touch the ball is your racket.

The Body Contact Rule (FIP Rule 13)

Under the FIP Rules of Padel, a team loses the point if the ball touches any part of a player’s body — head, torso, legs, arms, or feet. This includes:

• The ball hitting you before it bounces (a volley situation)
• The ball hitting you after bouncing on your side
• The ball deflecting off your racket and then hitting your body
• The ball hitting your clothing or accessories (cap, sunglasses, wristband)

The rule is strict: any physical contact between the ball and a player’s body results in the point being awarded to the opposing team.

Common Scenarios

Ball Hit Directly at You

In fast exchanges at the net, players sometimes get hit by a hard-driven shot. Even if you had no time to react, the point goes to the team that hit the shot. This is one reason net positioning and reflexes are so important in padel — see net play strategy for tips on safe positioning.

Accidental Contact During a Swing

If you swing at the ball and it clips your body before or after making contact with the racket, you lose the point. This can happen when attempting awkward returns off the back glass, where body and racket are close together.

Ball Hits Your Partner

If the ball hits your partner — even if they were standing out of the way — your team loses the point. Both players must avoid all body contact with the ball at all times during a rally.

Ball Was Going Out

A common frustration: even if the ball was clearly heading out of bounds, if it hits your body first, you lose the point. The ball’s trajectory after potential contact is irrelevant — the moment it touches you, the point is decided.

The Racket Hand Exception

There is one narrow exception: the ball may touch the hand holding the racket (below the wrist) during a stroke, and play continues. This is because the hand gripping the racket is considered part of the racket for the purposes of shot-making. However, if the ball hits the wrist, forearm, or the player’s other hand, the point is lost.

2026 rule change: The 2026 FIP revision explicitly defines the racket hand as the area “below the wrist of the hand holding the racket.” Prior wording was ambiguous about where the hand ended and the wrist began, leading to inconsistent calls.

Deliberately Getting Hit

In rare cases, a player may intentionally let the ball hit them — for instance, to stop play when they believe a rule violation occurred. This does not change the outcome: the point is still lost. Players should appeal to the referee rather than interfering with the ball using their body.

Quick Reference

Situation	Result
Ball hits your body during rally	Point lost
Ball hits your partner	Point lost
Ball hits hand holding the racket (below wrist)	Legal — play continues
Ball hits your other hand	Point lost
Ball hits clothing or accessories	Point lost
Ball was going out but hits you first	Point lost

See also: ways to lose a point · ball in play