Padel is an exciting and fast-paced sport, and to make sure you don’t have any misunderstandings with your friends when you start playing, it's important to understand the rules governing serve and return positioning. In this article, we’ll cover the essential rules every padel player should know about how to position themselves during the serve and return.
Padel competitions are always played in doubles
First, you should know that all official padel competitions are played exclusively in doubles. There are three formats: women’s doubles, men’s doubles, and mixed doubles.
Although you can train in a 1 vs 1 configuration, whether it's on a single court or just using the diagonal of a standard court, singles play is not part of the standard competition format. Therefore, every match in official tournaments involves two teams of two players.
The server's partner can stand anywhere, as long as it's on the court!
Before the start of any point, all players must be positioned inside the court. It is strictly prohibited for any player to start a point outside the playing area.
Apart from that, the partner of the server has the freedom to stand anywhere on their side of the court at the beginning of a point. There are no specific restrictions on their position, as long as they remain on their side of the net.
The returner and their partner can choose their positions
At the start of the match, players must choose a side to receive — either the left or right side. This means that they will always return serves from the same side throughout the set. Players can only change their receiving side between sets.
During a set, they must stick to their chosen side when they receive. However, they can switch positions freely during the game, such as when attacking or moving around the court during a rally.
The server must begin behind the baseline
At the start of each point, the server must be positioned behind the baseline on their side of the court. This rule ensures that the serve is executed from the correct starting position and within the boundaries of the court.
Outside play is part of the game of padel... but not always
Outside play is an exciting part of padel. However, this rule is not always applied in every competition.
In professional tournaments, playing outside the court is always allowed. Players can use the outside area to recover a smash that went out of the court.
In amateur tournaments, however, the decision to allow outside play can vary. Some tournaments may restrict it, so players should always check the specific tournament rules before their first match!
Players must take turns serving and receiving
Each player on a team must take turns serving and receiving during a match. It is not allowed for one player to monopolize the serving or receiving duties. This ensures fairness and allows both players to contribute equally throughout the game.
Serving at the start of the second set
If the first set ends for example with a score of 6/4, the team (not the individual player) that served first in the first set will continue to serve first at the start of the second set. Teams do not switch sides after the first set, as the number of games played in the first set is even. They will switch sides after the first game of the second set and then every time the total number of games is odd — for example, after 1/2, 2/1, 3/0, and so on.
Conclusion
Mastering the positioning rules in padel is essential for anyone starting the activity. Whether it’s understanding where to position yourself at the start of a point, taking turns with your partner, or switching sides between sets, knowing these rules will help you avoid errors and avoid misunderstandings.
