PADEL RULES
Can You Touch the Net in Padel?
4 min read
No — if you touch the net, the net posts, or the net cable during a rally, your team loses the point. This rule applies to your body, your racket, and your clothing. Even accidental contact counts. The net is a strict boundary in padel, and players must stay entirely on their own side.
The Net Touch Rule (FIP Rule 13)
Under the FIP Rules of Padel, a team loses the point if any player touches:
- The net itself (the mesh fabric)
- The net posts or net supports
- The net cable (the metal cable running along the top of the net)
- The metal strip at the top of the net
- Any part of the opponent’s court, including their walls and floor
This applies to any contact during a rally — whether with the player’s body, racket, clothing, cap, or any object the player is wearing or carrying.
Racket Over the Net
A common question: what if your racket crosses the plane of the net during a shot?
Legal — Follow-Through After Contact
If you hit the ball on your side of the net, and the momentum of your swing carries the racket over the net after contact, the shot is legal — provided you do not touch the net. This happens frequently on aggressive volleys and smashes where the racket’s follow-through extends past the net plane.
Illegal — Reaching Over to Hit the Ball
If you reach your racket over the net to strike the ball while it is still on the opponent’s side, the point is lost. You must wait for the ball to cross to your side before making contact. The only exception is if the ball has already bounced on your side and spun or blown back over the net — in that rare case, you may reach over to play it (see below).
Ball Blows Back Over the Net
In windy conditions or on extreme backspin shots, a ball can bounce on your side and then roll or blow back over the net to the opponent’s side. In this situation:
- You may reach over the net to play the ball (since it already bounced on your side)
- You still must not touch the net while doing so
- If you cannot reach it without touching the net, you lose the point
This is one of the rarest situations in padel but is covered explicitly in the FIP rules.
Leaning on the Net
Players sometimes lose balance during a rally and grab the net for support. Any such contact — even after the ball is no longer in play on that shot — results in losing the point if the rally is still active. The point is only over once the ball bounces twice, goes out, or a fault is called.
2026 rule change: The 2026 FIP revision added explicit language that the net-touch rule applies “during the entire duration of the rally, including after the player has struck the ball.” This clarified that touching the net even a moment after playing a winning shot — but before the ball has bounced twice or left play — costs the point.
Quick Reference
| Situation | Result |
|---|---|
| Player touches the net during rally | Point lost |
| Racket follow-through crosses net (no contact with net) | Legal |
| Reaching over net to hit ball on opponent’s side | Point lost |
| Reaching over net to play ball that blew back (no net touch) | Legal |
| Player grabs net post for balance during rally | Point lost |
| Clothing brushes the net during rally | Point lost |
See also: ways to lose a point · ball in play · net
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More in Basic Rules
What Happens If the Ball Hits a Player in Padel?
If the ball hits a player's body in padel, that player's team loses the point — with limited exceptions. Full FIP rule breakdown with scenarios.
What Happens When the Ball Goes Out of the Court in Padel?
When the ball leaves the padel court through an open door or over the fence, the point may continue if a player can retrieve it.
Can the Ball Bounce Twice in Padel?
No — if the ball bounces twice on your side of the court, you lose the point. Learn the one-bounce rule, wall rebounds, and the exceptions every padel.
Padel Fault Rules and Lets
A fault is an invalid serve — two faults lose the point. A let means the serve is replayed with no penalty. Covers every fault type and the let rule.