rules
What are the serve rules in padel?
Padel's serve rules differ from tennis in 3 critical ways: the ball must bounce before contact (underarm), it must land in the diagonally opposite service box, and it must not exceed shoulder height at the moment of impact. These constraints make the serve in padel a placement tool rather than a power weapon — the average padel serve speed is 80–100 km/h versus 180+ km/h in professional tennis.
Padel serve rules differ significantly from tennis. The server must: (1) Stand behind the service line on the right side (first point) or left side (subsequent points), within the service box. (2) Bounce the ball and hit it underarm — the ball must be struck at or below waist height. (3) Hit the ball cross-court into the diagonally opposite service box. (4) Allow one ground bounce before the receiver returns. The ball must not hit the fence or walls before bouncing in the service box. Foot faults: the server must keep both feet behind the service line at contact. Second serve is permitted if the first is out. Lets: if the ball clips the net and lands in the correct box, the point is replayed. Unlike tennis, padel serves are rarely dominant — the sport is designed so the rally is where points are won.
Key terms defined
- Underarm serve
- Padel's mandatory serve style: the ball is dropped and struck after bouncing from the server's hands; no overhead serves are permitted.
- Shoulder height rule
- The contact point for a padel serve must be at or below the server's waist/shoulder level — the exact threshold is at waist height in FIP rules (below the hip bone).
- Let serve
- A serve that clips the net but lands in the correct service box; in padel, this is replayed — unlike in some other racquet sports where it counts.
- Fault
- An invalid serve; two consecutive faults result in a double fault and the loss of the point (same as tennis).
Sources
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