Reference
A readable reference to how padel is played and scored — for new players and anyone settling a question mid-match.
This guide is based on the official rules of padel and is written in plain language for everyday play. For sanctioned competitions, the official tournament regulations always take precedence.
Padel is played as doubles on an enclosed court. Unlike tennis, the surrounding glass walls and mesh fences are part of the game and can be used during rallies.
A standard padel court measures 20 metres long by 10 metres wide and is divided by a central net.
The court is enclosed by a combination of glass walls and metal mesh fencing. Playing surfaces are typically artificial turf, though other approved surfaces may be used in some facilities.
The net is lower in the centre than at the posts, similar to tennis.
The court is divided into two halves by the net. Each side contains:
The service boxes are used only for serving. During rallies, players may move freely across their side of the court.
Padel scoring follows the same structure as tennis: points make games, games make sets, and sets determine the match.
Points are counted: 0 → 15 → 30 → 40 → Game.
When both teams reach 40–40, the game reaches deuce. Two common formats are used:
Advantage scoring. A team must win two consecutive points after deuce to win the game.
Golden point. A single deciding point is played at deuce. The receiving team chooses which player will receive the serve (which side the serve is directed to), and the winner of the point wins the game.
Golden point is widely used in modern padel competitions and professional events.
The serve is one of the features that most clearly distinguishes padel from tennis.
The server must:
The ball must first bounce in the correct service box before contacting any wall. If it hits the side fence (mesh) after the bounce, it is a fault. If it hits the side glass after the bounce, it remains in play.
A serve is a fault if:
A serve is a let if it touches the net and still lands correctly in the service box without hitting the fence on the rebound. A let serve is replayed.
Two faults result in loss of the point.
The walls are part of padel and create many of the sport's most distinctive rallies.
A team loses the point if:
Players may reach outside the court to play certain balls where the facility permits play beyond the side openings.
This section describes common competition structures. Individual leagues and tournaments may use different formats.
For GoldenPoint competition rules, standings, ratings, and tie-breakers, see How it works.
A completed match records:
Competition organisers may define additional scoring systems for standings.
If a team receives a walkover victory, the competition organiser may record a standard result.
In GoldenPoint competitions, a walkover is recorded as 6–0, 6–0 unless competition-specific rules state otherwise.
Tournament advancement, league points, standings calculations, and tie-break chains vary between competitions.
GoldenPoint publishes those rules separately within each competition and in the platform's How it works reference.