What is padel?

Padel is a racket sport for four players, two a side, played on an enclosed court 20 metres long and 10 metres wide with walls of glass and mesh. You use a solid, stringless racket, serve underarm and score like tennis. The twist: after the ball bounces, you can play it off the walls.

That one twist changes everything. Rallies last longer, beginners keep the ball in play from their first session, and the game rewards clever placement more than raw power. It is why padel is often described as the easiest racket sport to start and one of the hardest to put down.

How does padel work?

• Four players, two teams. Padel is played almost always as doubles.
• A small, enclosed court. The court is 20 m x 10 m (about 66 x 33 ft), split by a net, with walls at both ends and partly down the sides.
• Underarm serve. You bounce the ball and hit it at or below waist height, diagonally into your opponent's service box.
• One bounce, then walls. The ball must land on the ground on the other side first. After that bounce it can hit the walls and stay in play.
• Tennis scoring. Points go 15, 30, 40, game. Sets are first to six games. Many clubs play a "golden point" at deuce to keep things moving.

Want the detail? Read how to play padel and the rules.

What makes padel different?

The walls. In tennis a ball past you is a lost point. In padel it is often a second chance: let it come off the back glass and hit it on the way out. Learning to read the glass is the skill that separates a first timer from a regular, and it is a lot of fun to learn.

The racket helps too. A padel racket is short, solid and perforated, with no strings. It is easy to make contact with, so you spend your first hour rallying instead of chasing balls.

Where did padel come from?

Padel was invented in 1969 by Enrique Corcuera at his home, Las Brisas, in Acapulco, Mexico, on a court of 20 x 10 metres with walls 3 metres high. Viviana Corcuera drafted the first rules.

In the early 1970s Prince Alfonso of Hohenlohe brought the game to Spain and built courts at the Marbella Club Hotel, while Julio Menditeguy took it to Argentina. Those two countries became padel's heartlands. The International Padel Federation (FIP) was founded in Madrid on 12 July 1991, and in 1997 Spain and Argentina agreed to unify the rules and standardise the name "padel".

How big is padel now?

As of October 2026, FIP has 115 member federations. Its history page reports padel played in more than 150 countries and estimates about 35 million amateur players. The professional game has its own global tour, Premier Padel, established in 2022, and padel was confirmed as a medal sport at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games.

Is padel the same as paddle tennis or pickleball?

No. Padel is its own sport with its own court, racket, ball and rules. "Paddle" is used for several different games, especially in the US, so look for the spelling "padel". Pickleball is played on an open court with no walls, a plastic ball with holes and a solid paddle. See padel vs pickleball for a side by side comparison.

Is padel easy to learn?

The basics are easy. Most people are rallying within their first session because the court is small, the serve is underarm and the walls give you second chances. Getting good takes longer: positioning with your partner, playing off the glass and the overhead shots like the bandeja are where the real game lives.

Why do people love padel?

• It is social. Four people, a small court and lots of chat between points.
• It is forgiving. The walls keep rallies alive, so it feels fun from day one.
• It is a workout without feeling like one. Short sprints, lots of movement, plenty of laughs.
• It mixes levels well. A strong player and a newer player can share a court and both enjoy it.