How Do You Play Padel? A Beginner's Guide to Playing Padel

If you've recently discovered padel, you might be wondering: how do you actually play padel? Don't worry, you're not the only one.

Padel can look complicated when you first watch a game. There are walls, unusual serves, balls bouncing off the glass and players seemingly hitting the ball from places you wouldn't expect.

But once you understand the basics, padel is actually a very easy and enjoyable sport to learn.

In this beginner's guide, we'll explain how to play padel, including the rules, scoring, serving, walls, positioning and some simple tips to help you enjoy your first game.

What is padel?

Padel is a racket sport that is usually played in doubles on an enclosed court.

The court is smaller than a tennis court and is surrounded partly by glass and mesh walls. Players use solid, perforated padel rackets and a ball that is similar to a tennis ball but slightly different.

One of the most important things to understand is that the walls are part of the game. Unlike tennis, you don't necessarily have to hit the ball before it reaches the back of the court. You can allow the ball to bounce and come off the glass before playing your shot.

That's one of the things that makes padel so much fun, and one of the things that takes a little practice to get used to.

How many players play padel?

Padel is most commonly played as doubles, with four players on court, two on each team.

You can play singles padel on a narrower court, but if you're new to the sport, you'll most likely be playing doubles.

And that's one of the great things about padel. You don't need to cover an enormous court on your own. You and your partner work together, moving around the court and trying to create space and opportunities.

How does scoring work in padel?

Padel scoring is very similar to tennis. A game is normally scored 15, 30, 40, game. First point is 15, second point is 30, third point is 40, and the fourth point is game.

If the score reaches 40 all, the scoring system used can depend on the competition or rules being played, so it's worth checking before a match.

Games make up a set, and sets make up a match.

For someone completely new to racket sports, the scoring can seem confusing at first. Don't worry about memorising everything before your first game. Once you've played a few points, it starts to make sense.

How do you serve in padel?

The serve is one of the biggest differences between padel and tennis. In padel, the serve is made underarm.

The ball must bounce on your side of the court before you hit it, and you must strike it below waist height. The serve is made diagonally into the opponent's service box, and you get two attempts to serve, just like in tennis.

The aim isn't necessarily to hit the biggest serve possible. In fact, a good padel serve is often about placement and giving yourself a good position for the next shot.

After serving, you and your partner will generally want to move forward and try to establish a strong position near the net.

Can the ball bounce off the walls in padel?

Yes, and this is where padel gets really interesting. The ball can bounce off the walls after it has bounced on the court, and you can then play the ball after it comes off the glass.

The ball must generally bounce on your opponent's court for you to win the point.

For example, imagine your opponent hits the ball towards your back wall. Instead of rushing towards it, you can allow the ball to bounce, hit the glass and then play your shot.

At first, this can feel completely unnatural. Your instinct will probably be: "the ball is going to the wall, I need to hit it!" But resist the panic. Learning to use the glass is one of the biggest steps in becoming comfortable at padel.

Can you hit the ball straight off the wall?

This is where padel beginners often get confused. Generally, your opponent's ball must first bounce on your side of the court before you return it. Once it has bounced, it can then interact with the walls before you play it.

You can also use your own side walls to create different shots and angles.

The rules around walls can take a little while to understand, so don't worry if you're not completely confident after your first game. The best way to learn is to get on court and experience it.

Where should you stand when playing padel?

Positioning is one of the most important parts of padel, and it's something beginners often overlook.

When you're attacking, you generally want to work towards the net. When you're defending, you'll normally be further back towards the baseline and glass.

The important thing is that you and your partner should try to move together. Imagine an invisible line connecting you and your partner. If one person moves forward while the other stays at the back, you create a large gap between you, and your opponents can then play the ball into that space.

Good padel players don't simply chase the ball. They move as a pair.

Do you have to be fit to play padel?

Not at all. You don't need to be incredibly fit to start playing padel.

Of course, becoming fitter will help you move around the court and play for longer, but padel is accessible to people with a wide range of fitness levels. That's one of the reasons the sport has become so popular.

You can play socially with friends, play competitively, or simply use it as a fun way to get more active. And because padel is generally played in doubles, you're sharing the court with a partner rather than having to cover everything yourself.

Do you need to be good at tennis to play padel?

Absolutely not. Having tennis or other racket sport experience can certainly help, but you don't need to be a tennis player to enjoy padel. In fact, plenty of people start padel without having played a racket sport before.

The basic skills you'll learn include:

These skills can be taught. And you don't need to master them before you start playing.

What equipment do you need to play padel?

You don't need a huge amount of equipment. You'll generally need:

If you're having your first lesson, don't worry about buying expensive equipment straight away. It's often better to try the sport first and then decide what equipment suits you.

What are the basic rules of padel?

Here are some of the most important things beginners should know:

There are additional rules and situations to learn as you become more experienced, but these basics are enough to get you started.

What should you do in your first game of padel?

If you're completely new, don't try to do everything at once. Your first goal should simply be: keep the ball in play.

Don't worry about hitting winners. Don't worry about smashing the ball. Don't worry about looking like a professional. Focus on making a controlled shot and getting the ball back.

Then start thinking about where you and your partner are standing. Once you're comfortable with that, you can start learning how to use the glass, move forward together and create attacking opportunities.

Padel is a game you learn by playing.

7 beginner tips for playing padel

How long does it take to learn padel?

There's no single answer because everyone is different. Someone with previous racket sport experience may pick up the basics very quickly. Someone who has never held a racket before may need a little longer to become comfortable.

The good news is that you can start enjoying padel from your very first session. You don't need to become an expert before you can play a game with friends.

The more you play, the more natural the walls, positioning, serving and tactics will become.

Is padel difficult to learn?

Padel is relatively easy to get started with, but there is plenty of depth to the game as you improve. That's part of its appeal.

You can learn the basics quickly, but then spend years improving your positioning, shot selection, tactics and technique. And just when you think you've figured it out, the glass reminds you who's boss.

Ready to try padel?

If you've been wondering how do you play padel, the best answer is simple: get on a court and have a go.

You don't need to be young. You don't need to be super fit. You don't need to have played tennis. And you certainly don't need to be brilliant. You just need a racket, a court and someone who can help you get started.

At The Padel Guy, the aim isn't simply to teach you how to hit a ball. It's to help you understand the game, improve your skills and, most of all, enjoy playing padel.

With 20 years of racket coaching experience and now a registered BPCA padel coach in Newark-on-Trent, I know that everyone learns differently. Whether you're picking up a racket for the first time or you've already played a few games and want to improve, I'd love to help.