Playing padel - a Quick Overview

Intro For those of you who have never played padel before, this rapidly growing sport can best be described as a combination of tennis and squash. Padel is usually played in pairs, two against two, but there are also single courts for those who want to play one on one. In our padel halls, you can of course ask for help to get started with the game, or you can book time with an instructor who can teach you all about the sport and the game. If you want to get started with padel, we recommend trying Americano padel, a fun and social form of play that suits everyone. You can also book our try padel course. Read more about it herehttps://www.matchi.se/facilities/rocketpadelbristol

Padel Court Dimensions: A padel court is 10 x 20 metres and is designed like a smaller tennis court. However, a padel court, which is often made of artificial turf, is enclosed in a glass and mesh-covered cage where, like in squash, you get to play off the walls. The most common form of play is doubles, but singles play is also possible. A single padel court is 6 x 20 metres.

Padel Rules in Brief: Balls / points always start with one team serving. Each server has two serves. The first serve in each game must be served from the right side of the centerline of the court. The serve must be struck over the net and must bounce in the serve box on the diagonally opposite side before the receiver can return the ball. It is okay (and often something you want) to get the serve to bounce on your opponent's glass wall. However, it counts as a fault if the ball bounces on your opponent's mesh wall. After each point, players switch serve boxes, just like in tennis.

The serve is performed with an underhand serve, meaning that the racket may not hit the ball above hip height and the ball must bounce on the ground before you hit it over. The lines in the court are only used during serve, after which the entire court is in play. During the game, players are allowed to play a volley (where the ball does not bounce on the ground) or to let the ball bounce on the ground and on the side and/or back walls before playing the ball back. The ball is only allowed to bounce once. Players can also use the glass walls on their own side in order to get the ball over to the opponent's side.

Scoring It is not just Padel’s style of play that has been inspired by tennis, but the scoring system as well: points are scored in 15, 30, 40, and deuce, with matches scored in games and sets. A match is typically decided by the number of sets won, and players win a set by winning 6 games. If the score is 6-6, a decisive game is played, known as a tiebreak. In a tiebreak, the first player to reach seven points wins, but must also win by at least two points.

How to win points? If the ball bounces twice on the ground on your opponent's side. If the opponent hits the ball into the net. If the opponent hits the ball directly out of the court, or directly onto one of your walls. If the opponent hits the ball directly into the mesh. If the opponent is hit by the ball.