PADEL
Padel is a sport that is primarily played with 2 x 2 players. It is very similar to tennis and squash, as the objective is to hit the ball over the net in the middle of the court and use the walls.PADEL COURT
The court is a combination of a tennis court and a squash court, as it includes both a net and playable walls. Essentially, the court should be rectangular and measure 10 x 20 meters. The court consists of a frame structure made of glass and wire mesh, as well as a surface of artificial grass and sand. The balls used in padel resemble tennis balls but are softer, and players use a racket with a hard surface and no strings. It looks most like an oversized table tennis racket! Indoor shoes are used, preferably padel shoes or tennis-like shoes.
PADEL RULES:
There should be 4 players on the court at a time. Padel is primarily played as doubles, meaning 2 against 2. Players use approved padel rackets! The ball should be a special padel ball designed for the sport. The balls resemble tennis balls but are softer, which results in a slower pace of play.
THE GAME
During a rally, the ball may only bounce once on each side. The ball can only be hit by one player, and only once, before it is returned over the net. A player can either hit the ball directly after it has bounced or let it bounce and hit the wall before making the shot.
SERVE
To start the game, it is necessary to serve. There are several different ways to serve in padel, but the ball must only be hit with the racket from below and no higher than waist height. When serving, you must stand behind the service line – the back line. Before serving (hitting the ball), it must first bounce on the ground. The serve must be played diagonally to the opponent's side, and the ball must first hit in the opponent's service area. Once the ball has hit the ground, it is allowed to make contact with the plexiglass on the opponent's side and the back wall. The opponent can return the ball either before or after it hits the wall, but remember that the ball MUST bounce once before being returned.
If the ball hits the wall or the net directly on the serve, it is considered a fault. The ball must also not make contact with the fence after it has bounced in the opponent's service area. Like in tennis, you have 2 serving opportunities, giving you both a first and a second serve. If the ball touches the net during the serve and then hits the ground in the opponent's service area, the serve is replayed!
POINTS
The scoring system is the same as in tennis, where matches are played best out of three sets. Points are counted in exactly the same way as in tennis: the first point is called "15," the second "30," the third "40," and the fourth wins the "game." Thus, the game is won, and the team earns 1 point/game.
If both teams have "40," it is called "deuce." The team that wins the next rally has "advantage," and if they also win the following rally, they win the "game." If the team with the "advantage" loses, it goes back to "deuce" again. The first team to win 6 "games" wins a "set." To win a set, you must lead by at least 2 "games," just like in tennis. If both teams have won 5 "games," an additional 2 "games" are played. If the score is 6-6, the match is decided in a "tiebreak." In a tiebreak, the team that first wins 7 points wins – again, you must win by at least 2 points. Players alternate serving in the tiebreak.
YOU LOOSE THE RALLY IF:
For more advanced players, it is recommended to refer to the International Padel Federation (IPF) rules compilation!
AMERICANO-GAME
An often-used and appreciated style of play is Americano, where players draw lots to determine different partners and opponents in each match. The matches are short and played to a predetermined number of points. For example, if this is set to 24, the match can end with scores ranging from 24-0 to 12-12. If the match ends 14-10, each player on the winning team receives 14 points, while the losing team receives 10 points. Points from all matches are totaled and entered into a table. The player with the most points is the winner of the tournament.