In padel, you play two-against-two on a 20 × 10 m enclosed court, divided by a net that is 0.88 m high at the center. These are the rules of the International Padel Federation (FIP) in effect since January 1, 2026, which the Spanish Padel Federation (FEP) publishes as its official rules of play.
Each point starts with a serve at or below waist height. Every shot must pass over the net and bounce on the opposing floor before touching the walls. After that bounce, the ball may strike the walls and remains in play until it bounces a second time.
How do you serve in padel?
You serve diagonally from behind the service line: you bounce the ball behind that line and strike it at or below waist height. This is stipulated by Rule 6 of the International Padel Federation. You have two serves; if you fault on both, you lose the point.
- The feet. One behind the service line. The other may be in the air, but until the ball is struck, you cannot step on the service line, the extension of the center line, or the box in front of you. At least one must be touching the ground.
- The order. The first serve of each game goes to the opponent's box to your left; the next, to the one on the right. At the start of each set, each pair decides who serves and receives first.
- It is a fault if the ball bounces outside the box (the line is in), if it hits you or your partner, or if it touches the wire fence after bouncing (Rule 7).
- A let is called if the ball touches the net and lands in the box without then touching the fence, or if the receiver was not ready (Rule 9). If they attempt to return it, they can no longer claim this.
- The return. The serve must be allowed to bounce. If it hits the receiver or their partner before the bounce, the point goes to the server (Rule 8).
If you have doubts on the court, check two things: that you bounce the ball behind the service line and that you strike it below waist level.
How is scoring handled in padel?
Each game is scored as 15, 30, 40, and game. The set is won by the pair that first reaches 6 games with a 2-game lead, and the match is won by the pair that wins two sets. This is stipulated by Rule 1 of the International Padel Federation. At 6-6, a 7-point tie-break is played, also with a 2-point lead required.
At 40-all (deuce), the regulations allow for three ways to close out the game:
| System | What happens at 40-all |
|---|---|
| Advantage | The pair that wins two consecutive points wins the game. |
| Star Point, new in 2026 | Two advantages maximum. On the third deuce, a single point decides the game. | Golden Point | A single point decides the game. |
On that decisive point, the receiving pair chooses whether to receive from the right or left side, without switching positions.
In all national competitions of the Spanish Padel Federation (FEP), the golden point system is used (FEP General Technical Regulations 2026, art. 3.1.3).
Nacho, from our team: In a tournament, you play by the rules set by the tournament, and that's that. I've been playing for a long time and the most normal thing for me has always been advantage. When the golden point was introduced for professionals, I used it too, and now, if a tournament requires the Star Point, I play with that. Even so, I find it a bit hard to keep track of the score.
With friends, we play with advantage or golden point; usually advantage, because we're more traditional, but that depends on each person. However, if you compete, it makes sense to train the way you're going to compete. It makes no sense to play with advantage in practice if you're going to play with Star Point or golden point in the tournament, because it changes things quite a bit.
When is the wall valid?
The wall is valid after the ball bounces on the ground: after that bounce, it can hit any wall or the fence and remains in play until the second bounce. Rule 12 of the International Padel Federation states this.
- Your walls, yes. Your shot can hit a wall in your court first and then bounce in the opponent's (Rule 14.b).
- Your fence, no. If your shot touches the wire fence or the ground in your court, you lose the point (Rule 13.l).
- The opponent's wall, only after the bounce. If your shot hits their wall or fence without first bouncing on their floor, you lose the point (Rule 13.g).
- The net, valid. A ball that touches the net and bounces in the opponent's court is valid (Rule 14).
- Stuck in the fence or out through a hole, after bouncing in the opponent's court: point for the person who hit it (Rule 15).
If the ball bounces in the "corner" (the angle between the floor and a wall of the opponent's court), it is valid (Rule 14.i). If it hits the wall first, it is out (Rule 13.g).
Nacho, from our team: The corner ball is a play you can argue about as much as you want, and the one who sees it best is the one closest to it.
There is a general rule that helps, and you hear it a lot on the court: "it came out upward" or "it came out forward." If the ball leaves the corner at less than 45° relative to the floor, it is understood that it hit the wall first, and it is out. If it leaves at between 45° and 90°, it is understood that it hit the floor first, and it is valid. But the spin and the trajectory the ball had when reaching the corner also count, so it is quite difficult and you have to look at it point by point.
In a tournament, if the referee hasn't clearly seen the bounce, they will ask for the point to be replayed. In a casual game, if the four of you have doubts, you replay it and that's it. If the pair in the court where it bounced saw it very clearly, whether it's in or out, there shouldn't be further discussion. In casual games, I defer to whoever is closest to the ball.
Everything comes down to an order: in the opponent's court, first the floor and then the wall.
When do you lose the point?
You lose the point if the ball bounces twice in your court before you return it. Rule 13 of the International Padel Federation lists these cases:
- You, your racket, or anything you are carrying touches the net, its posts, or the opponent's court while the ball is in play.
- After an opponent's shot, the ball hits your body or clothing (the racket doesn't count).
- The ball you hit strikes your partner, or the one they hit strikes you.
- You hit the ball twice in a row, or you both hit it.
- You throw your racket at the ball.
- Your strap breaks or you lose your grip on the racket.
Disturbing the opponent when they are about to hit is interference (Rule 11). If it's on purpose, the point is theirs; if it's accidental, the point is replayed. The second time the same pair interferes accidentally, they lose the point.
Of the two of you, only one racket can touch the ball, once per shot and without letting go of it.
Can you volley in padel?
Yes: you can volley any opponent's shot except the serve, which must be allowed to bounce (Rules 8 and 14 of the International Padel Federation). What you cannot do is hit the ball before it passes the net: you lose the point (Rule 13.f).
Can you leave the court to get the ball?
Only if the court has a safety zone: outside, there must be no obstacles for at least 3 m wide, 4 m long on each side, and 3 m high. This is fixed by Rule 16 of the International Padel Federation. If there are lighting columns in that area, you cannot play outside.
- With outdoor play, if the ball bounces in your court and goes out over the side wall or through the door, you can go out to get it. You lose the point if it bounces again or touches something outside before you return it. If it goes over the back wall, you lose the point (Rule 13.e).
- Without outdoor play, if it bounces in your court and goes out over the wall or through the door, you lose the point (Rule 13.d).
Nacho, from our team: In most clubs in Spain, the courts don't have that space, so you can't go outside. It's typical to have one court, the center court, where you can.
In tournaments, at least the professional ones, the rule is that if any of the courts in the same round doesn't allow exiting, you can't exit on any of them. That way, all pairs in the round play under equal conditions, because a match changes a lot with or without outdoor play. Without outdoor play, hitting the ball out through the side fence is very rewarding: as soon as it goes over the wire, the point is over, and the match becomes a battle of who can hit it harder. On the other hand, when you can exit, at a professional level, players know how to get out well, so just any hit through the side isn't enough: what's most rewarding is bringing the ball back over the net, and that isn't so easy.
In amateur matches or casual games with friends, everyone decides how they want to do it. In mine, based on past experiences, I always say no exiting: I've seen people cut their leg on a bench outside, and racket swings hit people who were resting outside from other courts. It's not worth it for a spectacular play. What I recommend is that if the regulation distance or a safe distance isn't there, don't exit.
How much time is there between points and when do you change sides?
You have 20 seconds between points, 90 seconds when changing sides, and 120 seconds between sets. This is fixed by Rule 2 of the International Padel Federation. Between points, you cannot eat or drink.
After the first game of each set, the change is without a break, and in the tie-break, you change every 6 points. The official rule to avoid getting lost: you change sides when the sum of games in the set is odd, after the first, the third, the fifth, and so on (Rule 5).
Nacho, from our team: In casual games, I change only at the end of each set: this way you take advantage of the match time and you don't need to stop every two games. If the match is very intense, or in practice you want to simulate a match to prepare for a tournament, stopping and changing like in competition isn't bad either.
Everything depends on what you're looking for, because stopping every two games changes things a lot compared to continuing. If you're playing well, it's in your interest not to stop, to continue with the dynamic. If you've been broken, you're playing badly, you have bad feelings, or you want to talk about a change in tactics, it suits you to stop for a moment, talk it over, and, incidentally, cool down the opposing pair a bit.
Without a referee, who decides a doubtful ball?
Each pair decides what happens in their own court. This is the general rule of the General Technical Regulations of the Spanish Padel Federation for matches without a chair umpire (art. 2.3.3.1). In competition, if there is no agreement, the head referee decides after hearing both pairs.
If you think a point should be replayed, say so immediately. According to Rule 10 of the International Padel Federation, whoever lets the play continue loses the right to ask for it later.
What ball and racket are regulation?
The regulation ball is rubber, white, yellow, or another color that contrasts with the floor. These are its measurements in the International Padel Federation regulations:
| Ball | What the regulation stipulates |
|---|---|
| Diameter | From 6.35 to 6.77 cm |
| Weight | From 56.0 to 59.4 g |
| Bounce, new and dropped from 2.54 m onto a hard surface | From 135 to 145 cm |
| Bounce above 1,000 m altitude, where another ball is allowed | More than 121.92 cm and less than 135 cm |
In competition, the organizer announces the brand and model (Rule 17). In the competitions of the Spanish Padel Federation (FEP), you play with the ball designated as official (FEP General Technical Regulations, art. 3.1.2). According to the agreement the FEP renewed with HEAD in July 2026, there are two models: the HEAD Padel Pro+ and the HEAD Padel Pro S+. The rest of the brands and models can be found in our padel balls.
The racket must have a wrist strap, non-elastic and a maximum of 35 cm, and its use is mandatory. The maximum dimensions of the racket and how weight influences your game can be found in our collection of padel rackets.
In a normal match, what affects you most is the strap: wearing it is mandatory, and if it breaks or you lose your grip on the racket, you lose the point.
What regulations are in effect and what changed in 2026?
The regulations of the International Padel Federation (FIP) govern: the Rules of Padel, revision applied as of January 1, 2026. The Spanish Padel Federation (FEP) publishes it in Spanish as the "FIP 2026 Padel Game Regulations." What the FEP adds for its competitions, such as the golden point, is in its 2026 General Technical Regulations.
In addition to the Star Point and serving with one foot behind the line, these are the 2026 changes that affect play, according to the summary of changes published by the FEP:
| What changes | The outcome | Where it is |
|---|---|---|
| Ball on serve | When bouncing it, it cannot cross the service line before the hit | Rule 6.2 |
| New "let" | The point is replayed if the ball hits an object on the opposing floor, such as another ball, and it moves in a way that could disturb or be dangerous | Rule 10.1.d |
| Ball color | Any color that contrasts with the floor | "The ball", point 1 |
| Delays | The first time, a warning; the second, you lose the first serve if serving or the point if receiving | "Continuous play and/or delay in play" |
| Warm-up | 3 minutes with opponents before the match, mandatory | Rule 2.2 |
| Outdoor play zone | Increases from 2 to 3 m wide | "Safety and outdoor play zone" |
Sport and Trend · Written with the Rules of Padel of the International Padel Federation (revision applied as of January 1, 2026, in the Spanish text published by the Spanish Padel Federation), the FEP's 2026 summary of changes, its 2026 General Technical Regulations, and its July 15, 2026 news regarding the official ball. Every figure and rule number has been checked against those documents.