Padel Rules for Beginners

A Simple, Friendly Guide to Get You Started

If you’re thinking about trying padel for the first time, you’re in the right place.
Padel is genuinely designed for beginners. You don’t need lessons, you don’t need to be “sporty,” and you definitely don’t need to memorise every rule before stepping on court.

This guide will give you just enough to feel confident, while keeping things relaxed, simple, and unintimidating.

Understanding the Scoring

Padel uses the same scoring system as tennis:
15 – 30 – 40 – game.

Most beginners pick this up within minutes. Because rallies tend to be longer and more consistent than in tennis, you quickly start to recognise when you’re ahead, behind, or at deuce. It becomes second nature much faster than you’d expect.

How to Serve

Serving in padel is always underarm, which instantly makes the game feel more accessible and less intimidating.

Here’s how it works:

• Let the ball bounce once behind the service line
• Hit it diagonally into the opposite service box
• If it touches the side glass after bouncing in that box, it still counts

At first, it might feel unusual if you’ve played tennis or squash, but within a few games it becomes a smooth, controlled motion that keeps rallies flowing.

The Fun Part: The Walls

The walls are what make padel unique, and especially enjoyable for beginners.

After the ball bounces on your side, you can:

• Let it hit the glass and then return it
• Hit it directly before it reaches the wall

Your opponents can do the same on their side.
Your shots can also bounce on their court and then hit their walls.

This creates longer rallies, more creativity, and a more social style of gameplay that keeps everyone involved.

A Few Quick “Outs” to Remember

There are just a couple of simple things to know:

• If the ball hits the metal fence before bouncing, it’s out

• If the ball bounces and then flies over the glass, the point is still alive, if you can run around and return it

These might sound complicated, but you’ll pick them up naturally after just a few games.

Common Beginner Mistakes

Don’t worry if you:

• Stand too far back
• Swing too hard
• Forget to reset to the middle of the court

Everyone does these things at the start, that’s part of learning.

Padel is meant to be fun, light-hearted, and inclusive. You’re not expected to be perfect. You’re just expected to enjoy yourself and give it a go.