Section 5: Rules of Play
The Serve (Rule 6)
The serve must be made underhand. The server must bounce the ball on the ground and strike it at or below waist height. Under the FIP Rules of Padel (Review of Application 01.01.2026), the foot-position requirement at the start of the service motion was relaxed from both feet to one foot behind the service line, and a new restriction was introduced preventing the ball from crossing the service line before it is struck. The specific rules are:
- At the start of the service, the player serving must stand with one foot behind the service line, between the imaginary prolongation of the central service line and the side wall (service box), and must remain there until the ball has been served (Rule 6.1). This replaces the prior requirement that both feet be behind the line.
- The server must bounce the ball on the ground, within the corresponding service box, to serve. The ball may not cross the service line, or the imaginary line, until it is struck (Rule 6.2).
- The server may not touch the service line with their feet, nor the imaginary central line (Rule 6.3).
- The height of the ball being served must be at or below waist level at the moment of hitting it, and the player must have at least one foot in contact with the ground (Rule 6.4).
- The ball is served from the right side of the court diagonally over the net into the receiver's service box, and must bounce within the lines that limit that box; service alternates between the receiver's left and right boxes as each point is won (Rule 6.5).
- After bouncing in the service box, the ball may hit the back glass wall or side wall and remain in play.
- If the served ball touches the net or the supporting posts and then lands in the receiver's correct service box without touching the metallic fence before the second bounce, the serve is a "net" and is repeated (Rule 9.1.a).
- If the served ball bounces in the correct service box and then touches the metallic fence around the court before the second bounce, it is a fault (Rule 7.1.e).
- Each server has two attempts per point (first serve and second serve). Two consecutive faults result in loss of the point (double fault) (Rule 13.1.q).
Ball in Play — Walls and Bounces
The use of walls is the defining tactical element of padel:
- After the ball bounces on the ground on the receiving side, it may rebound off any wall (back glass, side glass, or metallic mesh) and still be played by the receiving pair.
- Players may not hit the ball directly into a wall on their own side — the ball must always cross the net before touching any wall or the ground on the opponent's side.
- The ball may only bounce once on the ground on each side. If it bounces twice on the ground, the point is lost.
- A ball that hits the metallic mesh fencing directly (without bouncing on the ground first on the opponent's side) is out.
Playing Outside the Court
One of padel's most spectacular and unique rules is that players may leave the court through the side access doors to retrieve a ball that has gone over the glass walls after bouncing on their side. The ball remains in play as long as it has not bounced on the ground a second time. These "out-of-court" shots (known as "salidas" or "por fuera") are a hallmark of advanced and professional padel play.
Volleys
Players may hit the ball out of the air (volley) at any time during the rally, except on the return of serve — the receiving team must let the serve bounce before playing it. There is no non-volley zone in padel; players may volley from any position on the court, including directly at the net. Net play and volleys are central to padel strategy, and controlling the net position is widely considered the key to winning points.
Touching the Net
Players may not touch the net, net posts, or any part of the opponent's court while the ball is in play. Doing so results in loss of the point. A player may reach over the net to play a ball only if the ball has already crossed back to their side due to spin or wind — in practice, this rarely occurs in padel due to the enclosed court environment.