Padel tutorial
Padel vs Tennis: Court, Serve, Rackets and Rules
Padel borrows tennis scoring, but almost everything else is different: a smaller enclosed court, an underarm serve, stringless rackets and walls that keep the ball in play. Here is a side-by-side comparison from both sports' rulebooks.
Tennis players will recognise a lot in padel. The scoring is almost identical, and forehands, backhands and volleys all carry over. But the court, the serve, the equipment and above all the walls make it a different game.
This comparison uses the official rules of each sport: the International Padel Federation's Rules of Padel and the ITF's 2026 Rules of Tennis.
Padel and tennis at a glance
| Padel | Tennis | |
|---|---|---|
| Court size | 20 × 10 m, fully enclosed | 23.77 m long; 8.23 m wide (singles), 10.97 m (doubles) |
| Walls | Glass and mesh, in play after the bounce | None: a ball that lands beyond the lines is out |
| Net height | 88 cm centre, 92 cm at the posts | 91.4 cm centre, 1.07 m at the posts |
| Service line | 6.95 m from the net | 6.40 m from the net |
| Serve | Bounce first, hit at or below the waist | Released by hand and hit before it bounces; any motion |
| Format | Doubles | Singles or doubles |
| Scoring | 15-30-40, sets to 6, best of 3 | 15-30-40, sets to 6, best of 3 or 5 |
| At 40-40 | Advantage, golden point or Star Point | Advantage; no-ad deciding point as an option |
| Racket | Solid, perforated, no strings; max 45.5 cm long | Strung; max 73.7 cm long, 31.7 cm wide |
| Ball | 6.35–6.77 cm, 56.0–59.4 g | 6.54–6.86 cm, 56.0–59.4 g (standard ball) |
The court
A padel court is a 20 by 10 metre rectangle, completely enclosed by glass or solid walls and metal mesh. A tennis court is 23.77 metres long, and 8.23 metres wide for singles or 10.97 metres for doubles, with open space around it and nothing in play beyond the lines.
The padel court is shorter and has no tramlines, but the biggest difference is the enclosure. See our padel court dimensions guide for every measurement.
The nets are similar. A tennis net is 91.4 cm high at the centre and 1.07 m at the posts. A padel net is 88 cm at the centre and 92 cm at the posts, so it is only slightly lower in the middle but noticeably lower at the sides.
The walls change everything
In tennis, a ball that gets past you is lost. In padel, once the ball has bounced on your side it stays in play off your back and side glass, and even off the mesh. You can wait for it to rebound and hit it back. You can also play it into your own wall so that it carries over the net.
For tennis players, this is the hardest adjustment. The instinct is to rush forward and hit the ball before it reaches the glass. In padel it is often better to step back, let the ball come off the wall and play it as it comes towards you. The LTA has a coaching guide to playing off the back glass if you want to practise it.
The serve
This is the other big change:
- Padel. The server bounces the ball behind the service line and must hit it at or below waist height, sending it diagonally into the service box. The serve sets up the point rather than winning it.
- Tennis. The server stands behind the baseline, releases the ball by hand and hits it before it touches the ground. The ITF rules set no required motion, so players can use a full overhead swing.
Both sports allow two serves and replay a serve that clips the net and lands in. Padel adds one rule tennis does not need: a serve that bounces in and then hits the metal mesh is a fault. Our serving tutorial covers the padel serve step by step.
Scoring
The scoring will feel familiar. Both sports count points as 15, 30, 40 and game, play sets to six games with a two-game lead, and use a tie-break to seven points at 6-6.
The differences are in the details:
- Match length. Padel matches are the best of three sets. Tennis matches are the best of three or five.
- Deuce. Tennis plays advantage by default and allows a "no-ad" deciding point as an alternative format. Padel's rules offer three options: advantage, the golden point, or the Star Point, which the professional tours use.
Rackets and balls
A padel racket has no strings. It is a solid, perforated paddle, at most 45.5 cm long and 26 cm wide, worn with a compulsory wrist cord. A tennis racket is strung and can be up to 73.7 cm long and 31.7 cm wide. The shorter padel racket suits the short, compact swings that the enclosed court demands.
The balls look almost identical and share the same weight range, 56.0 to 59.4 g. A padel ball is slightly smaller, 6.35 to 6.77 cm across, against 6.54 to 6.86 cm for a standard tennis ball.
What tennis players need to change
- Shorten your swing. Big, looping groundstrokes send the ball into the back glass. Compact swings give more control.
- Let the ball come off the glass. Resist the urge to hit everything before it reaches the wall.
- Play as a pair. Padel is played in doubles. Move forward and back together with your partner.
- Use the lob. A deep lob over opponents at the net is one of padel's main tools, not just a defensive last resort.
- Hit smashes with control. A hard smash that bounces high can come back off the back wall. Many overheads in padel, such as the bandeja, are played for placement rather than power.
New to padel? Our step-by-step how to play padel tutorial walks through a full point, and our court directory will help you find a club to try it.
Common questions
Is padel easier than tennis?
It is easier to start. The underarm serve, the smaller court and the walls let beginners have long rallies quickly. At a high level both sports are demanding, and padel's wall play and positioning take a long time to master.
Is a padel court smaller than a tennis court?
Yes. A padel court is 20 by 10 metres. A tennis court is 23.77 metres long and 10.97 metres wide for doubles, before counting the space behind the baselines.
Is padel scored the same way as tennis?
Mostly. Both use 15, 30, 40, game, sets to six games and a tie-break at 6-6. Padel matches are the best of three sets, and padel often settles 40-40 with a single golden point, which tennis only uses as an optional no-ad format.
Is a padel ball the same as a tennis ball?
They look alike and weigh the same range (56.0 to 59.4 g), but a padel ball is slightly smaller: 6.35 to 6.77 cm across, against 6.54 to 6.86 cm for a standard tennis ball.
Can you serve overarm in padel?
No. In padel the ball must be bounced and hit at or below waist height. In tennis the ball is released by hand and hit before it touches the ground, and the rules set no required motion.