What you should know to start playing padel

Padel is a sport that has been growing for years across the world and every day more and more people are taking to the court. If you are thinking of joining the thousands of players already enjoying this great game, it may be a good idea to get to know the basics of this sport. In this article we will review the main rules, the scoring system and some of the key elements that generate the most doubts when someone new to padel begins.

The padel court

The padel court is 20 meters long by 10 meters wide. As in all racket sports, the net divides the court into two sides. On each side we find the same lines. There are two of them and they form a T if we look at them from the net. Its function is to mark the service quadrants, which we will talk about later.

Without a doubt, what makes padel particular are its walls. The court has four walls, one on each side. It is very important to keep in mind that these walls are made up of two different materials: glass and fencing. You have to know how to differentiate them because the ball behaves very differently when bouncing off one or the other. Keep in mind too that there are aspects of the rules of the game that vary between the two. We will talk about them in more detail.

The distribution of the two materials is clearly seen in the photo. The glass predominates at the bottom of the court while the fence complements it and also occupies the part closest to the net.

The side walls have doors that are important for the game. In padel, if the ball bounces on the opponent's side, the point does not end until it bounces for a second bounce - wherever it is. This can lead to, on specific occasions and especially among elite level players, to move the game outside the four walls. But let's go step by step.

The basic rules

Although you can play one against one, the conventional format of padel is in pairs. The dynamics of the game is very similar to that of tennis. You have to hit the ball to the opposite side of the net with a single stroke of a racket. The ball must bounce within the limits of the court and can do so only once. In any other case, the point is over.

But as we mentioned before, the walls are the peculiarity of paddle tennis. The first thing is to be clear that when we hit the ball to the other side of the net, the first thing it should touch is the ground. If the ball hits one of the walls first, the point is lost. Once it hits the ground, it can bounce off the walls any number of times. The other pair must return the ball before it bounces a second time on the floor.

The couple that receives the ball does not have to wait for it to bounce. If a player sees fit, they can intercept it earlier in what we know as a volley shot.

The net

The ball can touch the net except for the serve, which we will talk about shortly. However, it is a fault - and therefore a point lost- to touch the mesh with the body or the racket. Yes, it is allowed to extend the arm and invade the opposite field to hit the ball.

The serve

The serve also has similarities with that of tennis. It is executed from behind the line parallel to the net, it is done crosswise. The ball must bounce inside the quadrant of the opposite side. You start on the right side and alternate sides at each point until the game is over. In padel, there is one more addition. In terms of technique, we must bounce the ball on the ground behind the line and hit below the waist.

Other aspects of padel

One aspect to keep in mind is that we can use some of the walls on our side of the court to hit the ball to the opposite side. That is, you can hit the ball against your own wall and have it rebound and reach the opposite side. And which ones can we use? Only and exclusively, the glass. The fence cannot be used for this purpose.

And what happens when someone hits hard during a point and manages to get the ball out of the four walls? As we mentioned before, in these cases, the point does not end until the ball hits the ground a second time. Being complicated, the player can go out the door and try to return the ball to the opposite end, either overcoming the wall or putting the ball through the door itself.

Scoring in padel

Taking tennis as a reference again, the score is identical. In padel you always play 3 sets. Each set is won by the first pair to win 6 games with a difference of two from the rival. If the tie is reached at 6, a tie break is played. In the games, the scores are: 15, 30, 40 and game. They can be played in two different ways and that is particular to paddle tennis.

In the conventional format, the games must be won by two points difference. The alternative is the golden point, with which it is played on the professional circuit. In this format, when deuce is reached, the next point wins the game.