Padel rules and scoring explained simply: how to serve, how the walls work, golden point and Star Point, tie-breaks and the faults that lose you a point.
Short answer: padel is played as doubles on an enclosed court. You serve underarm, the ball must bounce once on the other side before it can come off the walls, and scoring works like tennis: 15, 30, 40, game, with sets to six games. At 40-40, many games use a golden point, where the next point wins.
- Serve underarm Bounce the ball behind the service line and hit it at or below waist height, diagonally into the box.
- Bounce before the walls Your shot must land on the other side before it touches their walls or fence.
- Use your own walls You can let the ball come off your back and side walls before you return it.
- Tennis scoring Points go 15, 30, 40, game. Sets go to six games, with a tie-break at 6-6.
What are the basic rules of padel?
Padel is played two against two on a court 20 metres long and 10 metres wide, surrounded by glass walls and a wire mesh fence. Each point starts with an underarm serve, and the rally continues until a team fails to return the ball properly.
The big difference from tennis is the walls. After the ball bounces on your side, it can rebound off the glass or the fence, and you can still play it. That keeps rallies going much longer and makes padel easy for beginners to enjoy.
You may hit the ball before it bounces (a volley) or after one bounce on your side, including after it comes off your walls. It must cross the net and land in your opponents' court before touching their walls or fence.
How does padel scoring work?
Padel uses the same scoring as tennis.
- Points: 15, 30, 40, then game.
- Deuce: at 40-40, a team normally needs two clear points to win the game, unless you are playing golden point or Star Point.
- Sets: the first team to six games wins the set, as long as they lead by two. At 5-5, play continues to 7-5. At 6-6, you play a tie-break.
- Tie-break: points are counted 1, 2, 3 and so on. The first team to seven points with a two-point lead wins the set 7-6.
- Match: usually best of three sets.
Social games often use shorter formats, such as one set or a timed session, so agree the format before you start.
What is the golden point in padel?
The golden point is a quicker way to settle deuce. At 40-40, instead of playing advantage, the teams play one deciding point. The receiving team chooses which side to receive on, and whoever wins the point wins the game.
It shortens matches and adds a lot of pressure to that one point, which is why many club leagues and social games use it.
What is the Star Point in padel?
The Star Point is a newer middle ground between advantage and golden point. At deuce, teams play advantage as normal, but only up to a limit. If the game is still level after the third deuce, a single deciding Star Point is played, with the receiving team choosing the side.
Professional padel adopted it in 2026 to stop very long games while keeping some of the drama of advantage scoring.
How do you serve in padel?
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Stand behind the service line
Serve from the right side first, with your feet behind the service line and inside your half of the court.
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Bounce the ball
Drop the ball and let it bounce once on the ground on your side before you hit it.
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Hit at or below waist height
Strike the ball underarm, at or below your waist, with at least one foot on the ground.
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Serve diagonally
The ball must land in the service box diagonally opposite. The service line counts as in.
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Use your second serve if needed
You get two attempts. A serve that clips the net and still lands in the box is replayed.
After the serve bounces in the box, it can hit the back glass and stay in play. A serve that bounces in and then hits the side wire fence, before bouncing again, is a fault.
How do the walls work in padel?
The walls are part of the court, and learning to use them is the heart of the game.
Common wall mistakes
Your shot must bounce on the ground on their side first. Hitting their wall or fence directly loses you the point.
Aim for the floor first. Once it bounces, it can come off any of their walls.
Yes. You may hit the ball into your own wall, and if it then crosses the net and lands correctly, play continues.
Players use this to rescue difficult balls deep in the corners.
Only one bounce on the ground is allowed. Rebounds off walls do not count as bounces, but a second bounce on the ground ends the point.
Watch the ground, not the glass, when you judge whether a ball is still alive.
What loses you a point in padel?
Apart from missing the ball or hitting it out, these are the most common ways to lose a point:
- Letting the ball bounce twice on your side.
- Hitting the ball into your opponents' walls or fence before it bounces on their side.
- Touching the net, the posts or your opponents' side of the court with your body or racket during a point.
- Hitting the ball twice, or both partners hitting it one after the other.
- Hitting the ball before it has crossed the net to your side.
If the ball bounces on the other side and then goes out through a gap in the fence, or gets stuck in it, the hitter wins the point.
When do you change ends in padel?
Teams change ends after the first game, then after every two games, so on the odd games: 1, 3, 5 and so on. In a tie-break, teams change ends after every six points.
Words you will hear on court
- Bandeja
A controlled overhead with slice, used to keep your position at the net rather than to win the point outright.
- Víbora
A more aggressive overhead with sidespin that skids off the wall.
- Chiquita
A soft, low shot aimed at the feet of opponents at the net.
- Globo
A lob over the net players, used to push them back.
- Bajada
An attacking shot played after the ball rebounds high off your own back wall.
Where do the padel rules come from?
The official rules are published by the International Padel Federation. The FIP Rules of Padel set out the serve, scoring, golden point and Star Point options, and what counts as a correct return off the walls. The FIP also sets the ball specification, including a bounce of 135 to 145 cm from a 2.54 m drop.
Professional padel tweaks the rules from time to time. For 2026, the FIP introduced the Star Point, a single deciding point that stops long deuce battles in Premier Padel and FIP Tour events. Club games in Ireland usually follow the basic FIP rules, often with golden point at deuce.
In Ireland, the sport is governed by the Padel Federation of Ireland, which runs a national league and brought the first Padel Irish Open to Padel LK in Limerick as an official FIP Tour event. Use its club finder to find a venue near you.
Coaches often say the walls and underarm serve are exactly why beginners take to padel so quickly. A Cavan coach told the Irish Farmers Journal that padel is more forgiving than tennis for that reason.
Ready to play your first game?
You only need a racket and court shoes to start. Our padel starter kit covers the essentials, our best padel rackets for beginners guide helps you pick a first racket, and our where to play padel in Ireland guide shows courts in every county.
Played another racket sport before? Compare padel vs tennis and padel vs pickleball to see what changes.
Padel rules: common questions
Is padel scored like tennis?
Yes. Points go 15, 30, 40, game, and sets go to six games with a tie-break at 6-6. Many games use a golden point at 40-40.
Do you serve underarm in padel?
Yes. You bounce the ball behind the service line and hit it at or below waist height, diagonally into the opposite box.
Can the ball hit the wall in padel?
Yes, after it bounces. A ball that bounces on your side can come off your walls and still be played. Your shot must bounce on the other side before it hits their walls.
What is the 40-40 rule in padel?
At 40-40, games are decided either by advantage, by a single golden point, or by the Star Point, which allows advantage up to a limit before one deciding point.
Can you play padel singles?
Yes, on a narrower singles court, but padel is mostly played as doubles and most courts are built for four players.