Everything You Need to Know About Padel!

What is Padel? Discover the Exciting Racket Sport!

Padel, a thrilling racket sport, is always played as doubles within a compact enclosed area measuring 20x10 meters. Often described as a fusion of tennis and squash, this dynamic game features a net dividing both teams and walls delimiting the playing surface. The primary objective is to skillfully strike the ball with the racket over the net to the opposing side of the court. What sets padel apart is its unique aspect: the ball can rebound off the walls, adding an exhilarating twist to each shot and ensuring an entertaining gameplay experience!

Padel isn't just a sport; it's a source of joy, addiction, and social interaction. Its inclusive nature makes it accessible to individuals of all ages, skill levels, and physical abilities, fostering a sense of camaraderie among players. The compact court dimensions and strategic use of walls render padel particularly appealing to beginners, providing them with an environment conducive to learning and improvement. With all four players actively engaged throughout the game, padel offers an unparalleled level of excitement and motivation, catering to both recreational enthusiasts and competitive athletes alike.

How Did It Start?

Padel was invented in Acapulco, Mexico, in 1969 by businessman Enrique Corcuera.

The rich Mexican loved tennis but didn't have enough space to put in a tennis court, so he made a smaller 20x10m court.

Unfortunately (or maybe luckily), Corcuera was not happy with the ball getting lost in the trees or the neighbours' house. He decided to build a 3-meter wall surrounding the court.

It was very fun and interesting for Corcuera and his friends to keep playing even after the contact of the ball with the walls. They spent hours and hours enjoying this new game, which they later called "padel."

The first padel court in history - Acapulco, Mexico

How to Play Padel

Here are the padel rules that every player should know:

• The game is always 2 vs 2.

• After the ball has been served, the ball is in play and can be played by either of the players.

• When you hit the ball, it has to land on the other side of the court and must first contact the ground after being hit.

• If a ball is coming to you, you should hit it to the other side before it bounces a second time on the ground. You can hit it out of the air or after one bounce.

• If the ball contacts a wall after the first bounce, you can hit it to the other side, but must hit it before its second bounce.

• A direct hit to the walls on the other side of the court is a fault, and the opponents win the point.

• It's allowed to hit the ball to the glass wall on your side, but it has to land on the other side of the court.

How to Serve

• The serve is under the waist.
• The player bounces the ball behind the line.
• The ball is hit diagonally into the service box on the opponent's side.
• After the first bounce in the correct service box, the ball may touch the glass and can be received before the second bounce. However, if it touches the fence after the bounce, it's considered a fault.
• You have 2 attempts. If you miss both of them, you lose the point.
• When you serve, your partner can stand wherever he wants on your team's side of the net.
• When you serve, you alternate the serve positions (right – left – right – left - …). The receivers don't change positions and each one of them gets a serve in his side of play.
• If the ball touches the net and it is not a fault, you repeat your serve.

How to Win a Point in Padel

• The ball bounces two times after the first bounce on the opponents' side.
• The opponent hits the ball before it has gone over the net.
• The opponents hit the ball to the glass, the metal fence, or out of the court before a first bounce on your side of the court.
• The ball touches the body or the clothes of one of the opponents before or after the first bounce on the court.
• The opponent or his racket touches the net or the net post while the ball is in play.
• After a correct first bounce, the ball goes out of the court over the end wall. This shot is called a "Por4".
• The opponent hits the ball twice (double hit).
• The opponent hits the ball by throwing his racket at it, or he jumps over the net when the point is being played.

How to Keep Score

It has a scoring system similar to tennis. In one game, the server always remains the same:

• The first point is "15"
• The second point is "30"
• The third point is "40"
• The fourth point is "Game"

If the score is 40-40 (deuce), we have 2 options:

• Option 1: The winner of the game is the team that scores two consecutive points. After deuce, the following point won is called "advantage." If the same pair wins the next point they win the game. If the point is lost the score will return to "deuce."

• Option 2: We play a decisive Golden Point where the receiving team chooses the player to receive. The winners of this point win the game.

To win a set, you need to win 6 games. If the score is 5-5, we play until 7. If the score is 6-6, we play a tiebreak (first to win 7 points, with a 2-point advantage at 6-6) to decide the winner of the set.

To win a match, you need to win 2 sets.

Where to Play Padel?

The 20m x 10m court is divided by a net and enclosed with glass walls and metal fences.

The net must be 10 meters long and 0.88 meters high at the centre, rising to 0.92 meters at the ends. The surface is usually made of artificial grass, where sand is sometimes added.

The court has one door on each side. The players can leave the court during the point to recover a ball if the out-of-court play is not prohibited.

What Equipment to Use to Play Padel

Padel Rackets

The padel racket has two parts: A head and a handle. The hitting surface has an unlimited number of holes. It must have a non-elastic cord fixed into the handle, which is used by the player to avoid any accidents.

To know how to choose a padel racket, check this article "How to Choose a Padel Racket"

Padel Balls

The padel ball looks like the tennis one and has less pressure. After playing, the balls lose pressure and won't provide the same performance as new balls. Changing the balls depends on the level of play. In international competitions, new balls are introduced after the first 7 games and then after every 9 games played. We recommend using a new can of balls for each match to ensure the most performance and fun!

If you need any padel balls, check all our brands here

Padel Shoes

Padel shoes are amongst the most important equipment items. Using padel shoes will help you prevent injuries, play more freely and completely enjoy the game. New technologies are designed to accommodate to the rotations, jumps, and explosive movements of padel and to ensure comfort, flexibility, and stability on the padel court.

If you wish to know the difference between tennis shoes and padel shoes, check our article "Why you need specific Padel shoes!"

Padel Accessories

Padel bags: The bags are quite similar to the tennis ones but with dimensions adapted to fit padel rackets. You can find several compartments for shoes and small accessories. It is preferred that the compartment for the rackets is isothermal to protect your rackets from heat.

Padel overgrips: An overgrip will make the racket's handle more comfortable and also help you to avoid hand blisters. Tennis overgrips can be used for padel, but you can find specific padel overgrips that have a length adapted to the padel racket's handle to avoid any waste when putting the overgrip.

Frame protectors: A padel racket is quite fragile. It is a way to protect your racket from shock after contact with the glass, the fence, or your partner's racket. The protector should be robust, but also light so it doesn't drastically affect the weight and the balance of the racket.

If you would like to deepen your knowledge of padel, check the other articles in the Learning Center and our Padel University platform.

Total Padel is proud to accompany you on your padel journey. With our top-quality products, qualified team of experts, and interesting content, we will be glad to assist you in anything related to padel. Please send an email to info.en@totalpadel.com or contact us via +44 (0) 204 525 3604. We will be more than happy to help!