Official Padel Rules – International Padel Federation (FIP)
Official Padel Rules – International Padel Federation
RULE 1. POSITION OF PLAYERS ON THE COURT
- The game is played as doubles.
- Players are located in the areas on both sides of the net. The server puts the ball into play and the receiver returns it.
- The receiver can stand anywhere on their side of the court; the same applies to their partner and the server's partner.
- Players change ends when the number of games played is an odd number (e.g., 1, 3, 5, etc.).
RULE 2. CHOICE OF ENDS AND SERVICE
- The choice of ends and the right to serve in the first game is decided by a draw.
- The pair winning the draw can choose between the following options:
a) Whether they want to serve or receive (in which case the other pair chooses the side of the court),
b) Whether they want to choose the side of the court (in which case the other pair decides whether to serve or receive),
c) They can give the right of choice to the opponents
RULE 3. THE SERVICE
The service must be performed as follows:
a) The server must stand with both feet behind the service line on their side of the court, in the area between the center line and the side wall. The ball must fly diagonally over the net into the opponent’s service area and land inside the box or on the line. The first serve is made from the right side (box 1), then alternately from the left and right.
b) The ball must be bounced behind the service line, in the area between the center line and the side wall, before being hit.
d) When serving, the foot must not touch the service line or step into the area designated by the continuation of the center line, as the serve must be diagonal.
e) When serving, the player must hit the ball below the waist at the moment of impact, and at least one foot must be on the ground.
g) If a player misses the ball when trying to hit it (fails to make contact), the serve is still considered performed.
h) If a serve is accidentally made from the wrong service box, the error must be corrected as soon as it is discovered. If one service fault had been made, it still counts.
RULE 4. SERVICE FAULTS
The following situations are considered service faults:
a) If the server violates the points of Rule 3 (see “The Service”).
c) If after serving, the ball bounces outside the receiver’s service area (lines are considered part of the area – if the ball touches the line, it is in).
d) If after serving, the ball hits the server’s partner.
e) (Service only): If after serving, the ball bounces in the opponent’s service box and then touches the fence (mesh) before the second bounce.
f) If after serving, the ball touches any wall on the server’s side of the court, even if it later goes over the net to the opponent’s side.
RULE 5. ORDER OF SERVICE
- The players entitled to start serving in the first game of a set decide which partner will start serving.
- Once the first game is over, the opposing pair starts serving, and this alternation continues throughout the set.
- Once the order of service is established, it cannot be changed until the start of the next set.
- At the beginning of each set, the serving pair decides again which player starts, and then they serve alternately game by game.
- If a player serves out of turn, the player whose turn it actually was must start serving as soon as the error is discovered.
- All points played before the error was discovered remain valid.
- If only one service fault was made before the error was discovered, it is not counted.
- If the game ends before the error is discovered, the wrong service order continues until the end of the set.
RULE 6. SERVICE RETURN
a) The player receiving the serve must wait until the ball bounces in their service area and hit the ball before the second bounce.
b) If the ball bounces twice in a row in the service box, even after touching the back wall, the serve is considered correct and the point goes to the serving side.
- When serving into the corner where the glass and mesh meet, the serve is considered correct only if the ball moves forward towards the receiving player after the bounce.
c) If the receiving player hits the ball before the bounce, they lose the point.
RULE 7. ORDER OF RETURN
- The players receiving the serve in the first game decide which of them will receive the first serve. This order remains in effect in every game until the end of the set.
- Players alternate in receiving the serve, and the agreed order cannot be changed during the set. It can be changed at the start of the next set.
- If the order of receivers is violated during the game, play continues in that same order until the end of the game in which the error was discovered. In subsequent games, they must return to the original agreed order.
- If the error is discovered at the moment the wrong player receives the serve, the receivers lose the point.
RULE 8. NUMBER OF SERVES
- The server is entitled to a second serve if the first serve was not correct.
- The second serve is made from the same side as the first and immediately after the first.
RULE 9. RECEIVER READINESS
- The server must not serve until the receiver is ready.
- If the receiver is not ready or does not try to play the ball back, the server cannot claim the point, even if the serve was correct.
- Similarly, the receiver cannot claim a point if the serve was incorrect but they themselves were not ready for play.
RULE 10. PLAYER TOUCHES THE SERVE
- If the serve is hit against the receiver or their partner, or if they touch the ball with the racket before it bounces, the server wins the point.
RULE 11. REPLAY OF A POINT OR "LET" BALL
- If the serve is hit against the receiver or their partner, or if they touch the ball with the racket before it bounces, the server wins the point.
a) If when serving the ball touches the net or net posts and then falls into the receiver’s court area, provided it does not touch the metal mesh before the second bounce.
b) If the ball, after touching the net or posts, then hits a player or any part of their body.
c) If a “let” occurs on the first serve, it is repeated. If a “let” occurs on the second serve, the server is entitled to only one additional serve.
RULE 12. INTERFERENCE
If a player is distracted by something beyond their control (except for court fixtures or their partner), the point is replayed, i.e., a “let” is declared.
If a player intentionally or unintentionally interferes with the opponent during play, in the first case the point is awarded to the opponent, and in the second case a “let” is declared if the interferer won the point.
RULE 13. SCORING
Scoring is similar to tennis: 15–30–40–game
If the score is 40-40, one pair must win two consecutive points to win the game:
- The first point after the tie is "advantage".
- If the advantage holder wins the next point, they win the game.
- If the advantage holder loses the next point, the score goes back to a tie, i.e., 40-40
The first pair to win 6 games with at least a two-game lead wins the set. At a game score of 5–5, two more games must be played until someone wins 7–5. If the score is 6–6, the pair that achieves a two-game lead wins, unless a “tie-break” has been previously agreed upon (see RULE 14).
RULE 14. "TIE-BREAK"
If previously agreed, a “tie-break” is played at a game score of 6–6. In a tie-break, a classic point system is used, counting points 1, 2, 3… – unlike a regular game where 15, 30, 40 are used.
The tie-break is won by the first pair to reach 7 points with at least a two-point lead.
The first serve is made by the player whose turn it would normally have been. The player performs one serve from the right side of the court. Then the service turn moves to the opponents. Two serves are performed, starting from the left side of the court.
Ends are changed every 6 points.
The pair that wins the set with a tie-break wins the set with a score of 7–6. The next set’s service is started by the pair that did not start serving in the tie-break.
RULE 15. BALL IN PLAY
The ball is in play from the moment it is served (unless it is “out” or “let”) and remains in play until the point is decided.
The point ends when the ball:
– touches the opponents’ wall or metal mesh directly (without bouncing on the ground),
– bounces a second time on the ground,
– has bounced on the opponents’ side of the court after a correct shot and then bounces outside the court boundaries and then a second time.
A player can hit the ball so that it bounces on the opponents’ side of the court and leaves the court over the upper boundaries.
NOTE:
Players can leave the court and hit the ball provided the ball has not yet bounced a second time. For this, the court must meet the following conditions:
a) There must be two central exits on both sides of the court.
b) The dimensions of the exit are a maximum of 0.82 x 2 meters and a minimum of 0.72 x 2 meters.
c) There must be no physical obstacles on the outer sides of the court for at least 2 meters in width, 4 meters in length, and at least 2 meters above the height of the net.
If the ball, after crossing the net, bounces on the opponents’ court, leaves the court boundaries, and returns to play after hitting an object on the outside of the court, the point goes to the player who hit the ball, even if the opponent could have returned it.
If the ball, after crossing the net, bounces on the opponents’ court and then leaves the court boundaries through an opening or defect in the metal mesh or gets stuck there, the point is awarded to the hitter.
A player can hit the ball against their own wall(s) so that it flies over the net to the opponents’ side of the court – except on service.
A ball that bounces in a “U” shape from the corner formed by the wall and the ground is considered correct.
RULE 16. VOLLEY
RULE 17. BALL BOUNCING OFF AN EXTERNAL OBJECT
RULE 18. CORRECT RETURN
A return is correct:
a) If the ball touches the net or its posts (if they are in the play area) and then bounces on the opponents’ court.
b) If the ball bounces on the opponents’ side of the court, then bounces off the wall and returns to the side of the player who hit it, the player can hit it back (i.e., hit the ball not on their own side of the court). Provided that their racket or clothes have not touched the net, net posts, or the opponents’ court.
c) If due to the direction and force of the shot the ball bounces on the opponents’ court and leaves the court boundaries or hits the roof, lights, or any other object that is not part of the court structure.
d) If the ball in play hits an object on the opponents’ court (another ball, players’ clothing, or even a racket). The point is won by the player who made the shot.
e) If the ball bounces on the opponents’ court and then touches the metal fence or any wall. The opponent must hit it back before the ball bounces a second time on their court.
RULE 19. LOSS OF POINT
A team loses a point:
a) If one of the players, their racket, or any other object they are wearing touches any part of the net, including posts and the vertical center post, or part of the opponents’ court, including the metal fence, while the ball is in play.
b) If the ball bounces a second time on the court before it is played back.
c) If the ball is volleyed back before it has crossed the net.
d) If a player hits the ball so that it directly hits the opponents’ court wall, metal fence, or objects outside the court.
e) If a player hits the ball, it hits the net or its posts and then does not bounce on the opponents’ court.
f) If a player hits the ball twice (double hit).
g) If the ball in play hits a player or anything they are wearing/carrying, except the racket.
h) If a player hits the ball and it touches the metal fence on their side of the court.
i) If a player touches the ball with any part of their body.
j) If a player goes over the net while the point is still in progress.
k) Only one player can hit the ball. If both players in a pair hit the ball either simultaneously or consecutively, the point goes to the opponents.
NOTE: A double hit is not considered to have occurred if both players try to hit the ball simultaneously but only one of them hits the ball, or if a player accidentally hits their partner’s racket.
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