What are the padel serving rules?
The padel serve is underarm. The server bounces the ball on the ground behind the service line, then strikes it with the ball at or below waist level. The ball must travel diagonally over the net and bounce inside the opposite service box. The server gets two attempts.
How do you serve in padel?
Every point starts with a serve. The padel serve has four parts, and the FIP rules control each one.
- Stand behind the service line, on the correct half of your own court.
- Bounce the ball once on the ground behind the service line.
- Strike the ball after the bounce, with the ball at or below waist level.
- Send the ball diagonally over the net, into the opposite service box.
The rule measures the height of the ball, not the height of the racket head. The player must also keep at least one foot on the ground at that moment. An attempt to strike the ball counts as a serve, even if the racket misses.
Where must the server stand?
The server stands behind the service line, between the imaginary extension of the centre service line and the side wall. That area is the server half of the court. The server must stay inside it until the ball leaves the racket.
The bounce belongs in the same area. The ball must not cross the service line or the imaginary centre line before the strike. The server must not touch the service line or the imaginary centre line with a foot.
The FIP text of 1 January 2026 asks the server to stand with one foot behind the service line. The 2017 revision asked for both feet. Both texts require at least one foot on the ground at the moment of the strike.
Which service box must the serve reach?
The serve travels diagonally. The server starts each game from the right half of the server court, and the ball must land in the service box diagonally opposite. From the receiver point of view, facing the net, that is the receiver right-hand box. After the point, the server moves to the left half and serves into the other box. The sides then alternate for every point of the game.
The ball must bounce inside the lines of that service box. A ball that lands on a line is good. A ball outside the box is a fault.
How many serve attempts do you get?
The server gets two attempts on every point. If the first serve is not valid, the server takes a second serve. If the second serve is also a fault, the serving team loses the point. That is a double fault.
The server must wait until the receiver is ready. The receiver must accept the reasonable rhythm of the server. A receiver who tries to return the ball cannot then claim to be unready.
What is a serve fault in padel?
The table below lists what happens after the strike. The metal fence and the glass wall give opposite results.
| What the ball does | Result |
|---|---|
| It bounces inside the correct service box, or on a line of that box | The serve is good |
| It bounces in the correct box, then hits a glass wall | The serve is good, and the ball stays in play |
| It bounces in the correct box, then hits the metal fence before the second bounce | Fault |
| It bounces outside the correct service box | Fault |
| The server misses the ball on the attempt to strike it | Fault |
| The ball is above waist level at the moment of the strike | Fault |
| It hits the server, the server partner, or an object either one carries | Fault |
| It bounces in the correct box, then leaves the court through a gate where out-of-court play is not allowed | Fault |
| It touches the net, then bounces in the correct box | Let. Replay the serve |
| It hits a receiving player or a receiving racket before it bounces | Point to the serving team |
What is a let in padel?
A let is a replay. The serve is a let when the ball touches the net or a post and then lands inside the correct service box. The serve is also a let when the receiver was not ready. A let on the first serve gives the server two serves again. A let on the second serve gives one more second serve.
A let on the net has one padel condition. A ball that touches the net, lands in the correct box and then hits the metal fence before the second bounce is a fault.
What is a foot fault in padel?
A foot fault is a fault of position. The serve counts as a fault in each of these cases.
- The server touches the service line with a foot.
- The server touches the imaginary centre line with a foot.
- The server steps outside the correct half of the court before the strike.
- The server has no foot in contact with the ground at the moment of the strike.
A foot fault on the first serve costs that serve only. A foot fault on the second serve costs the point.
Who serves next, and from which side?
| Question | The rule |
|---|---|
| Who serves first in the match | A coin toss decides the first server and the first end |
| Who serves inside a team | The pair chooses the order before each set. The order is then fixed for that set |
| Where does a game start | From the right half of the server court, diagonally |
| Where does the next point start | From the other half. The sides alternate for every point |
| Who receives | The receiving pair chooses the order in the first game of the set. The order is then fixed for that set |
| When do the teams change ends | After the first game, and after every following odd game |
| How does a tie-break serve move | One point from the right, then two points for each team |
Errors of order have a simple repair. If a player serves out of turn, or from the wrong side, the teams correct it as soon as they find the error. The points already played still count.
PadelArc shows which team serves, and it announces the change of ends on your phone and your watch. See what the app does, or read how to keep padel score on a smartwatch.
What else do players ask about the padel serve?
Can you serve overarm in padel?
No. The padel serve is underarm. The FIP rules require the ball to be at or below waist level at the moment of the strike, so an overarm serve is a fault.
Does the ball have to bounce before you serve in padel?
Yes. The server must bounce the ball on the ground behind the service line, inside the correct half of the court, and then strike it. A serve struck out of the hand is a fault.
How many serves do you get in padel?
You get two. If the first serve is not valid, the server takes a second serve. If the second serve is also a fault, the serving team loses the point.
What happens if the serve hits the net in padel?
If the ball touches the net and then bounces in the correct service box, the serve is replayed. If the same ball then touches the metal fence before the second bounce, it is a fault.
Can a padel serve hit the glass wall?
Yes. A serve that bounces inside the correct service box and then hits a glass wall stays in play. The receiver must strike it before the ball bounces a second time.
Can you volley the return of serve in padel?
No. The receiver must let the serve bounce inside the service box first. If the ball touches a receiving player or a racket before it bounces, the serving team wins the point.