Padel, or Padel Tennis, growing more and more popular around the world, is a fun and highly sociable sport for players of all skill levels and ages.

Played in an enclosed turf court made up of parts glass, mesh and net, roughly the third of the size of a tennis court, Padel is usually played in a doubles format. Padel was first established In 1969 when Enrique Corcuera, a Mexican Businessman, set up the first known Padel court at the back of his holiday home in Acapulco.

As Padel has become more and more popular around the world, you can find Padel courts all over the UK in areas including London, Surrey and Sussex – so whether you’re already on the road to being a pro or you’re looking to try your hand as a beginner, you’re sure to find a local club to join.

With Padel becoming increasingly popular around the world, being the fastest growing sport across Europe, discover how to play Padel for yourself. Let’s break down the basics!

The Court

A standard game of Padel is usually played in doubles. The enclosed court is designed and big enough for four people to play in, but it’s just a bit smaller than a standard tennis court.

A Padel court is 20 meters long and 10 meters wide with 3 metre high back walls made of glass, with the glass side walls ending after 4 meters. The walls can be made of glass or another solid material such as concrete. The rest of the court is closed with metallic mesh and netting up to 4 meters tall.

The Rules

The rules to a game of Padel are pretty similar to the rules of tennis; however, there are a few differences you need to know before hitting the court.

Unlike a Tennis court, a Padel court has walls. So the ball is allowed to touch them, with the walls also being played off of them, much like Squash.

To serve, the ball must be bounced off of the floor from waist height and hit from below. Players are allowed two opportunities to serve the ball into the opposition’s box.

Players are allowed to ‘volley’ the ball, however, if the ball should hit the wall, then it is determined as ‘out’. Like Squash, players are allowed to hit the ball into the wall on their side.

Like Tennis, matches are the best of three sets, with each team aiming for 6 wins in a set with at least a two-game difference. Without the two-game difference, the winner is decided by a tie-break.

The scoring system in Padel is the same as Tennis:

• 0 points = Love
• 1 point = 15
• 2 points = 30
• 3 points = 40
• Tied score = All
• 40-40 = Deuce

Padel is becoming increasingly popular across the globe, with many of its players coming from European and South American Countries. Traditionally, Padel is played outside, so most of the countries that have embraced the game tend to be in hotter climates where sunny playing conditions are a guarantee. With that being said, the top 5 countries that support the game are Spain, considered to be the original home of Padel, Argentine, the United Kingdom, Mexico and the United States of America.

Stay up-to-date and learn more about Padel at: padelpadelpadel.com.