Padel is booming right now — and not just in Spain or Europe where it first began. Everywhere you look, new courts are popping up, celebrities are investing in clubs, and people who’ve never picked up a tennis racket are suddenly obsessed. And honestly? For those players who have given it a go it’s no mystery why. The secret behind padel’s meteoric rise is simple: it’s unbelievably fun to play.
Padel blends the best bits of tennis, squash, and even pickleball… but the walled courts give it a unique twist and take it to another level. Shots bounce off the glass, rallies stay alive far longer than in tennis, and the smaller court means you’re always involved in the action. It feels familiar and is basic enough that beginners pick it up quickly, yet offers levels of strategy and gameplay that keep experienced players addicted and constantly looking for their next opportunity to play.
What really makes padel special, though, is how inclusive it is. Kids, parents, grandparents, complete beginners, former athletes — everyone can play together. You don’t need perfect technique or a decade of lessons; you just need a willingness to try. Within a few minutes, you’re rallying, smiling, and realising why millions of people have fallen in love with this sport.
So How Can You Get Started Playing Padel?
So how can you get started playing padel? Join us in this three part article series as we cover all the essentials to get you out on the court and enjoying your padel life. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know to get started — from the basics of padel courts, rules and scoring, to essential padel equipment and some common and unique padel shots you can play. By the end, you’ll know everything you need to so you can step onto the court with confidence, have a blast and probably understand first hand why padel has become the world’s fastest-growing sport.
In this first article, we’ll focus on the true foundations: what padel is, why it’s become so popular, and how padel courts work. You’ll get a clear understanding of the court layout, the key rules, the scoring system, and the rhythms of the game so everything makes sense before you ever pick up a racket. Consider this your starting point — the place where your padel journey and padel life properly begins.
What Is Padel? A Simple Explanation for New Players
Padel is a racket sport played in doubles on an enclosed court about one-third the size of a tennis court. It looks a bit like tennis at first glance, but the big twist is that the walls are part of the game. If you picture a game of doubles tennis on a squash court with the net in the middle you will have the general idea. Once the ball has been served shots can bounce off the back and side walls, keeping rallies alive, introducing creative new angles and a whole new level of strategic gameplay that makes this one addictive and crazy fun sport.
Because the court is smaller and the ball doesn’t bounce as fast as a tennis ball, beginners pick up the basics quickly. You don’t need big, powerful strokes — in fact, finesse and positioning matter far more. That’s part of what makes padel so appealing for all ages and fitness levels.
If you enjoy social sports where fun comes first, padel is right up your alley.
Padel Courts Explained: Where the Game Comes to Life
Padel Court: Size and Layout
A padel court is an enclosed space made from a combination of glass walls and metal mesh fencing. The walls aren’t just decorative — they’re playable, and they’re what make padel feel so original.
A standard padel court measures 20 metres long by 10 metres wide. A net sits in the middle, separating the two sides just like in tennis. The rear and part of the side walls are glass, and the remaining sections of the sides toward the middle of the court are metal mesh.
Padel Court: Why the Court Design Matters
Because the court is smaller, padel instantly feels more manageable than tennis. You don’t need to sprint baseline-to-baseline or hit explosive winners to stay in a rally. In fact, power is rarely the goal at all. Since every shot must bounce on your opponent’s side before it can touch a wall, the game rewards placement, control, and smart decision-making far more than brute strength.
It’s one of the reasons padel is often described as a thinking person’s tennis or cross between tennis and chess. Players who try to muscle the ball usually end up giving their opponents an easy counterattack off the back glass. But players who focus on angles, height, positioning, and teamwork? They’re the ones who keep winning the rallies and the points.
Padel Court: A Social Battle Arena
The tight court space also creates a completely different atmosphere compared to other racquet sports. You’re close enough to your partner to actually communicate, laugh, plan little tactics, and react together in real time. Even rallies that go wrong tend to end in smiles rather than frustration. It’s genuinely a social sport — you’re chatting between points, celebrating good shots, and sharing the sort of light-hearted moments that simply don’t happen in bigger, more physically intense sports.
All of this makes padel incredibly beginner-friendly. You spend far more time rallying, anticipating fun bounces off the walls, and working as a team instead of figuring things out alone. Most people can jump into their first game and feel involved almost instantly, which is a huge part of padel’s global appeal.
If you want the full deep dive into court dimensions, materials, wall types, and playing characteristics, check out our dedicated guide: “The Padel Court: Everything You Wanted to Know.”
Padel Rules: The Basic Rules You Need to Know to Get Started
You don’t need to memorise every detail of the rulebook before playing your first match. Padel’s fundamentals are simple, and most people pick them up naturally within a game or two. But there are a few core rules that help the whole sport “click” right away and the rest will fall into place once you have played a few matches.
The Main Padel Rule: Bounce First, Wall Second
The single rule that defines padel and and creates both the incredibly fun and strategic gameplay is this:
The ball must bounce in your opponent’s court before it touches any wall.
If it hits a wall first, the point is over. If it bounces, then hits the glass or mesh, the rally continues.
This one rule is why power matters much less than accuracy in padel. You’re not blasting winners; you’re placing the ball cleverly, using angles, depth, and sometimes even your opponent’s walls to your advantage. Once you understand this, it opens up avenues of possibility and the rest of the game feels simple and almost intuitive.
Serving: Underarm and Always Diagonal
Padel serves are intentionally simple. You don’t toss the ball high like in tennis, and you’re not trying to overpower your opponent.
- The serve must be underarm.
- You must let the ball bounce once before striking it.
- You serve diagonally into the opposite service box.
- You always start serving from the right-hand side.
- And yes — just like tennis — you get two serves.
Once the return comes back, the point becomes a normal rally played with all the fun wall action padel is known for.
How Padel Scoring Works
If you’ve ever watched or played tennis, scoring in padel will feel instantly familiar. Points progress in the same sequence — 15, 30, 40, deuce, advantage, game — and the overall structure mirrors tennis as well. A standard set is won by the first team to reach six games with at least a two-game lead, and most matches are played as best of three sets.
If a set reaches 6–6, you play a tiebreak, where the first team to 7 points (with a two-point margin) wins the set. It’s simple, intuitive, and easy for new players to follow without needing a long explanation.
This familiar scoring system is one of the reasons padel feels so accessible. Whether you’re playing, watching, or learning the sport for the first time, the rhythm of the game makes sense almost immediately — letting you focus on the fun part: actually hitting the ball.
The Walls: Where the Real Fun Begins
After the serve has landed in the correct box, the walls on both sides become part of the game. This is where padel becomes addictive.
- The ball can bounce on your side, hit your back wall, and still be returned legally.
- You can deliberately play shots off your own wall to defend difficult balls.
- You can even use the angles of the glass to create awkward bounces for your opponent.
The walls introduce a kind of quiet magic to padel — a space where strategy blends with instinct and creativity. There’s a special thrill in turning a lost cause into a moment of brilliance, guiding the ball off the glass with just the right touch to revive a rally or snatch a point you had no business winning. It feels a bit like catching the perfect wave or striking a golf ball so sweetly it seems to float — those rare, delicious moments that remind you why you play in the first place and keep you coming back for more.
If you want the full insight on all the padel rules check out our complete guide — including lets, tiebreaks, net cords, glass vs. mesh interactions, service faults, and advanced rules — check out our complete rules guide: “The Complete Guide to Padel Rules: Everything You Need to Know”. You don’t need to memorise all the rules to enjoy your first games. The fundamentals are extremely straightforward, and you can learn the rest as you go.
Now that you understand how the game works, let’s take a quick look at the basic gear you’ll need for your first session. The good news? It’s a short list.
What You Need to Start Playing Padel
You don’t need much to get going in padel, and that’s a big reason so many beginners stick with it. Here’s a quick look at what you actually need for your first game.
Padel Rackets
Padel rackets are completely different from tennis or squash rackets. They’re solid, not strung, and full of holes. They come in three shapes — round, teardrop, and diamond — each suited to different playing styles and experience levels.
For beginners, a round racket is usually best because it’s easier to handle and more forgiving.
Padel Shoes
Do you need padel shoes before you can play padel? Probably not, standard tennis or supportive court shoes can work when you’re starting out, but shoes designed and made specifically for padel give much better grip and stability on padel courts and will help you stay injury free. However, if you get bitten by the padel bug and want to keep playing like everyone else then padel shoes will be one of the first things you want to buy.
You can explore our shoe guides and reviews at our dedicated padel shoe hub (click here). The padel shoe hub has a library of articles exploring how padel shoes are different to normal shoes, buying guides, padel shoe reviews and comparisons.
Padel Balls
Padel balls look just like tennis balls, but they’re slightly lower in pressure. That small change makes a big difference — the bounce is a touch lower, the ball travels a little slower, and rallies last longer (especially when the walls come into play). Most brands now make padel-specific balls, and while the differences don’t matter much for beginners, using the right ball makes the game feel exactly as it should.
For a more detailed look at padel balls you can check out our article “Padel Ball Basics: Everything You Need to Know “.
Or alternatively if you just want to jump in and buy some balls for your first game you may prefer our article “The Best Padel Balls of 2025: Reviewed and Ranked”
Finding a Court and Playing Your First Game
Once you understand the basics, it’s time to get on court. Padel centres are spreading rapidly worldwide. They are often co-located with existing tennis clubs and also often offer beginner sessions or social matches where you can meet other new players and give the game a try. It’s the perfect environment to try padel with other new players and they often have padel rackets you can either hire or come free with the entry fee.
If this sounds perfect for you then be on the lookout for:
- Beginner coaching clinics
- Social doubles sessions
- Mixed-level open play
These are the easiest (and most fun) ways to start playing regularly and learn the game naturally. Not only that you may well make some new padel friends and find a cirlce of people to continue to play with.
Why Padel Is So Easy to Fall in Love With
What really sets padel apart is its combination of simplicity and creativity. You don’t need perfect technique to enjoy it, but you’ll quickly find yourself discovering clever new ways to use the walls or out-position your opponents. The rallies are long, the court is forgiving, and it’s impossible not to laugh when a ball rebounds in a bizarre direction and everyone scrambles after it.
Padel has a way of turning strangers into teammates and teammates into friends. Whether you’re chasing fitness, fun, or a brand-new hobby, it’s a sport that rewards every level of commitment.
Ready to Get Started?
Now that you’ve got a clear sense of what padel is, how the court works, and why the sport is so wildly enjoyable, you’re ready to take your first steps onto the court. Don’t worry about perfection — nobody starts out hitting bandejas or mastering wall rebounds. Just pick up a racket, find a court, and let the fun begin. The learning happens naturally, and that journey is one of the very best parts of padel.
From here, the next two articles in this beginner series will guide you through everything else you need:
• Article 2: How to Play Padel — Rules, Shots, and Simple Strategies
This guide breaks down how points unfold, the fundamental shots every beginner should learn, and basic tactics for playing smarter, not harder.
• Article 3: Padel Equipment for Beginners — What You Need and Why It Matters
A complete beginner-friendly equipment guide covering rackets, shoes, balls, and accessories, plus tips on choosing the right gear based on your level and budget.
By the end of the series, you’ll have the full toolkit — the knowledge, the skills, and the equipment basics — to walk onto any court with confidence and start enjoying your new padel life.
