Padel is played by four players divided into two teams of two. Each player shares the court with their teammate, and collaboration is very important to cover the space efficiently and to build strategies.

The game begins with a serve, which must always be executed underhand. The server must let the ball bounce once behind their service line before hitting it. The ball must travel diagonally across the net and land inside the opponent’s service box without touching the net. If the serve touches the net but still lands correctly, it is replayed.

During a rally, the ball can only bounce once on the ground on each side. After bouncing, it can hit the glass walls or the wire fence. Players can use the walls to make creative returns. A player may also hit the ball before it bounces (a volley), but only after the ball has crossed the net.

A team scores a point when: the ball bounces twice on the opponent’s side, the opponent hits the ball into the net, the ball goes outside the court without bouncing inside, or the opponent commits any fault such as hitting the ball twice.

The scoring system in padel is the same as tennis: points progress from 15, 30, 40, and then game. If both teams reach 40 points (deuce), a team must win two consecutive points to win the game: first Advantage, then Game.

A set is won by the first team to win six games, but they must have at least a two-game advantage. For example, 6-4 wins the set, but 6-5 does not. If the score reaches 6-6, a tie-break is played.

The tie-break is a mini-game played up to 7 points. Players take turns serving, starting with one serve, then alternating every two serves. The first team to reach 7 points with at least a two-point lead wins the set.