Padel rules 2026: the rules explained simply

Padel is played in doubles on a 20 × 10 m court enclosed by walls, with a net 88 cm high at the centre and a ball similar to a tennis ball. The walls are the real difference: the ball can bounce off them and stay in play. This guide explains the rules one by one, following the official rules of the International Padel Federation (FIP), in the revision in force from 1 January 2026, including this year's changes such as the Star Point.

The rules in short

1. Serve underhand: bounce the ball and hit it at or below waist height, diagonally.
2. You get two serves per point, as in tennis.
3. The ball must bounce first in the opponents' court; after that it may hit the walls and the wire fence.
4. Return the ball before its second bounce on the ground, even after it has hit the walls on your side.
5. Scoring as in tennis: 15, 30, 40, game; sets to 6 games, best of 3 sets.

The court, the net and the ball

The court is 20 metres long and 10 metres wide. At each end there are 3 m walls topped by 1 m of wire mesh, 4 m in total; the sides combine walls and mesh in a stepped layout. The net is 88 cm high at the centre and up to 92 cm at the ends. The ball is 6.35–6.77 cm in diameter and weighs 56–59.4 grams, with a slightly lower bounce than a tennis ball.

The serve

The serve causes the most doubts (rule 6):

• the server has at least one foot on or behind the service line, in the half between the centre line and the side wall;
• bounces the ball on the ground behind the line, then hits it;
• at contact the ball must be at or below waist height, with at least one foot on the ground;
• the ball must cross the net diagonally and bounce in the opponents' service box;
• if the first serve is a fault, there is a second serve.

After bouncing in the correct box the ball may hit the glass wall, but if it hits the wire fence before the second bounce the serve is a fault. If the ball clips the net and lands in the box without touching the fence, the serve is replayed (let).

How the walls work

This is what makes padel unique (rules 12 and 14).

• A shot is good if the ball bounces first in the opponents' court; after that it may hit walls, fence or net.
• You may also hit the ball against a wall on your own side: if it then clears the net and bounces in the opponents' court, the shot is good.
• When the ball comes to your side you can volley it, or play it after one bounce, even after it has hit the walls: what matters is that it does not bounce twice on the ground.
• Leaving the court to play the ball is only allowed on courts with the required safety area (rule 16).

Scoring and the Star Point

Scoring is the same as tennis (rule 1): 15, 30, 40, game. At 40–40 advantage is played. A set goes to 6 games with a 2-game margin; at 6–6 a tie-break to 7 points is played, again with a 2-point margin. Matches are best of 3 sets. Players change ends when the total number of games in the set is odd, and every 6 points in the tie-break.

New in 2026: the Star Point. From 2026 on the Premier Padel, CUPRA FIP Tour, FIP Promises and FIP Beyond circuits, at 40–40 a maximum of two advantages are played. If the team with advantage loses the second one too, a single deciding point, the Star Point, wins the game. Many clubs instead use the golden point: at 40–40 a single deciding point is played straight away. The rules include both as alternative formats.

The most common faults

• touching the net, posts or the opponents' court with body, racket or wrist strap while the ball is in play;
• letting the ball bounce twice on the ground;
• hitting the ball so that it hits the opponents' fence or wall before bouncing on the ground;
• hitting the ball twice, or both partners hitting it;
• being hit by the ball, on the body or clothing;
• missing the second serve too.

Other changes in 2026

• on the serve, one foot on the line or behind it is enough, and the ball must still be below the waist;
• the pre-match warm-up drops from 5 to 3 minutes;
• if the safety strap breaks during a point, that point is lost;
• on the racket, holes along the edge may be non-round, up to 20 mm.

The racket: what the rules say

The FIP rules set the maximum racket dimensions:

• total length, head plus handle, no more than 45.5 cm;
• head no wider than 26 cm and no thicker than 38 mm;
• cylindrical holes of 9–13 mm, in any number;
• a mandatory, non-elastic wrist strap no longer than 35 cm;
• no weight limit.

All rackets sold in shops meet these limits: the choice comes down to shape, weight and balance. Our database has 280 2026 and 2027 rackets, 41 of them aimed at beginner or beginner-intermediate players. You can filter them on the rackets page or get a recommendation from the racket finder quiz. To understand how shapes differ, read the guides.

Sources: FIP Padel Rules, revision in force from 1 January 2026; FIP Star Point announcement. The full rules also cover referees, conduct and tournaments, which are not covered here.

Frequently asked questions