Padel rules explained in five minutes

Padel is easy to start and the rules are genuinely simple, but there are four or five that catch everyone out on their first evening. Here is everything you actually need to know before you walk onto a court.

The basics

Padel is played in doubles, two against two, on an enclosed court 20 metres long and 10 metres wide. The court is surrounded by glass walls and metal mesh, and the walls are in play. The net divides the court in the middle, and there is a service line on each side.

You win a point when the ball bounces twice on your opponents' side, or when they hit it out, into the net, or into their own wall before it crosses the net.

Scoring

Scoring is identical to tennis: 15, 30, 40, game. If both pairs reach 40 it is deuce, and one side must win two consecutive points to take the game. Six games wins a set, with a two-game margin, and a tie-break at 6-6. Most matches are best of three sets.

Some clubs and leagues use "golden point", where deuce is decided by a single sudden-death point rather than advantage. It speeds up social sessions considerably.

The serve

This is where new players most often go wrong. The serve must be underarm.

• Stand behind the service line, feet behind it.
• Bounce the ball on the ground first, once.
• Strike it at or below waist height, after the bounce.
• The ball must land diagonally in the opposite service box.

After landing in the correct box, the ball may bounce off the side or back glass and still be in play. If it hits the metal mesh fencing after the bounce, it is a fault. You get two serves, as in tennis. Serving continues diagonally, alternating sides after each point.

The walls: the part that makes padel padel

The single rule that changes everything: the ball must bounce on the ground before it touches a wall.

On your own side, if the ball bounces on the floor and then rebounds off the glass, you can play it. That is normal padel and it is most of the game. If the ball hits your wall before bouncing on the ground, you lose the point.

When hitting back, you may play the ball directly over the net, or you may deliberately play it off your own back or side wall first and over. What you cannot do is let the ball hit the opponents' wall before it bounces on their floor. Send it over the net, let it bounce, and then it can do whatever it likes off their glass.

You are also allowed to hit the ball out of the court over the fence, and in some venues you may run out through the door and return it from outside, which is as fun as it sounds.

Volleys and the smash

You can volley any shot except the return of serve. The receiving player must let the serve bounce first.

A smash that bounces on the opponents' side and then flies out over the fence wins you the point outright, provided it bounced in first. That is the "por tres" and it is the shot everybody wants.

Five things that catch beginners out

1. Touching the net. If you or your racket touch the net or posts while the ball is in play, you lose the point.
2. Double hits. Only one player per team may touch the ball, and only once, per shot.
3. The ball hitting you. If the ball hits your body, your team loses the point.
4. The wrist cord. Wear it. Most clubs insist.
5. Reaching over the net. You may not touch the ball on the opponents' side of the net, though your follow-through may cross over after contact.

What you need to turn up

A racket, a wrist cord attached to it, non-marking court shoes and three balls. Most clubs hire rackets for your first few sessions, which is sensible, but hire rackets are heavy, worn and usually the wrong shape for a beginner, so people tend to buy quickly.

When you do, start with our guide to choosing a padel racket, or browse the beginner range and the starter kits, which include balls and a bag.

If you would rather just be told what to buy, use the Racket Finder. It takes about a minute.