What is padel?

A racket sport played in pairs on a small court surrounded by glass walls, where the ball can be played off the walls. Here's how it works and how to get started.

Padel in a nutshell

• Court: 10 x 20 m, enclosed by glass walls and metal mesh.
• Players: always doubles, two against two.
• Racket: solid and stringless, with holes, no longer than 45.5 cm, with a wrist cord.
• Ball: a pressurised rubber ball, slightly smaller than a tennis ball.
• Scoring: the same as tennis: 15, 30, 40, game, in sets of six games.

How a point works

You serve underarm: bounce the ball, then hit it at or below waist height, diagonally into your opponent's service box. After that, each side hits the ball back over the net. The ball can bounce once on the ground and then come off the glass or the mesh, and it's still in play. That's what makes padel different from tennis: rallies last longer, because a ball that gets past you can come back off the wall.

The one thing you can't do is hit the ball straight into your opponents' walls. It has to bounce on their ground first. The full details are in our padel rules guide.

What you need to start

• A court booking: courts are booked by time slot, often through a booking app.
• Three friends, or a social session or league if you're on your own.
• A racket and balls: some venues rent rackets, so ask when you book. If you want your own, see our best padel rackets for beginners.
• Trainers with good grip: courts can be artificial grass, synthetic or cement.

Padel in Britain

The LTA, which governs padel in Britain, says 1.5 million adults and juniors now play, on 2,445 courts at 682 venues (October 2026). That's up from 860,000 players at the end of 2025. Two-thirds of padel players also play tennis.

The LTA reported an average off-peak price of £7 per person per hour at the end of 2025.

Padel or pickleball?

They're often mixed up. Pickleball is played on a smaller, open court with a solid paddle and a plastic ball with holes. We compare them side by side in padel vs pickleball.

Last checked: 31 October 2026