PADEL
PADEL
Padel is a fast-growing racket sport usually played in doubles on an enclosed court. It combines elements of tennis and squash, but it has its own rhythm, tactics and career structure. Players use solid perforated rackets, serve underarm, and keep rallies alive by using the surrounding glass walls after the ball has bounced.
The sport is easy to try, but difficult to master. Beginners can enjoy long rallies quickly, while competitive players need sharp reactions, intelligent court positioning, communication with a partner, and the ability to control rebounds from the glass. This makes padel attractive to clubs, coaches, leisure centres, investors and new players looking for a sport with strong social appeal and clear commercial growth.
THE PADEL COURT
Padel is played on a rectangular enclosed court measuring 20 metres long by 10 metres wide. A net divides the court in the middle, and the back and side walls are part of normal play. The ball must bounce once before it can be played off the glass, which creates longer rallies and more tactical exchanges than many new players expect.
Most padel is played as doubles. The smaller court makes movement compact, but the game still demands agility, timing and awareness. Good players do not simply hit harder. They manage angles, space, rebounds and partner positioning.
Simple Rules of Padel
Padel is usually played by two pairs. Each team has two players on court. The teams stand on opposite sides of the net and take turns serving, returning and trying to win the rally. The game uses tennis-style scoring, with points counted as 15, 30, 40 and game.
A point begins with a serve. The server stands behind the service line, bounces the ball once, and hits it underarm into the opposite diagonal service box. The ball must be struck below waist height. The server gets two attempts. If both serves are faults, the receiving team wins the point.
After the serve, the rally begins. The ball must cross the net and land inside the opponent’s court. Each side may let the ball bounce once before returning it. If the ball bounces twice before being returned, the point is lost.
The walls are part of the game. A player can let the ball bounce on their side and then rebound off the glass before playing it. A player can also hit the ball into their own glass to send it back over the net. This is one of the main features of padel, because the court is not just a boundary. It is part of the tactics.
The ball cannot hit the opponent’s glass or fence before bouncing on the court. If it crosses the net and hits the wall first, it is out. If it lands in the court first and then hits the glass, the rally continues. This makes placement important, because a legal shot may still create a difficult rebound for the other team.
Players win points when the opponents fail to return the ball, hit it into the net, hit it out, allow two bounces, make an illegal serve, or play the ball after it has already gone out of play. Players may volley the ball before it bounces, except when receiving serve.
A standard match is usually played as the best of three sets. A team wins a set by winning six games with a lead of two games, although tie-break rules may apply if the set reaches six games each. Tournament and club formats may vary, but the basic idea stays the same: serve underarm, keep the ball in play, use the glass, control the angles, and win the rally before the other pair can recover.
Career Possibilities
Player Pathway
The player route is the most visible career path in padel. It begins with casual play, club sessions, coaching groups or school participation, then moves into local leagues, club tournaments, county or regional events, national rankings and higher-level competition. The role demands fitness, doubles awareness, tactical discipline, fast reactions, controlled shot selection and the ability to use the glass rather than panic when the ball rebounds.
Payment route: Usually unpaid at beginner and amateur level, then paid through prize money, sponsorship, exhibitions, coaching work, league participation, brand deals or professional tournament earnings at higher levels.
Coaching Pathway
Coaching is one of the strongest long-term routes into padel. Coaches work with beginners, junior players, club members, competitive pairs, schools, leisure centres and private clients. A good padel coach teaches safe movement, serve technique, glass use, positioning, doubles tactics, communication, shot selection and match strategy. Because padel attracts many new players, coaching can become a clearer income route than playing professionally.
Payment route: Usually paid through private lessons, group sessions, club contracts, junior programmes, school sessions, holiday camps, corporate bookings or formal coaching roles at padel centres.
Club and Court Management
Club and court management covers the business side of padel. This includes managing court bookings, memberships, coaching programmes, equipment sales, leagues, tournaments, maintenance, staff, safeguarding, local marketing and partnerships. In padel, this route is especially important because the sport depends heavily on accessible courts, repeat bookings and strong club communities.
Payment route: Paid through salary, management fees, court revenue, memberships, coaching commissions, retail income, event income, sponsorship, food and drink sales or ownership returns.
Officiating and Refereeing
Officials help padel competitions run properly. Referees and tournament officials apply the rules, manage scoring, handle disputes, check conduct, oversee match timing and support fair competition. At casual level, players often manage their own matches, but organised leagues, club tournaments, national events and professional competitions need trained officials.
Payment route: Usually paid through match fees, event fees, tournament appointments, club payments, federation work or official affiliation with a competition organiser.
Media, Events and Promotion
Padel needs media and event workers as the sport grows. This path includes photographers, video creators, commentators, livestream teams, social media managers, club marketers, tournament organisers, equipment reviewers and sports promoters. These roles help clubs attract players, explain the sport, promote competitions, sell memberships and build commercial attention around the game.
Payment route: Paid through freelance fees, event contracts, sponsorship deals, advertising, content revenue, equipment partnerships, marketing retainers, commissions or commercial affiliation with clubs and brands.
PADEL ORGANISATIONS
& LEAGUES
Here is a non-exhaustive set of organisations involved with Padel worldwide.
Africa Padel is a useful link for readers interested in how the sport is developing across Africa, especially through clubs, coaching, memberships and booking opportunities. It provides a practical entry point for finding places to play, learning about coaching, following news and understanding how padel is being built as a club and participation sport in the African market.
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The Padel Atlas is a useful directory-style resource for finding padel destinations, clubs and coaches across Europe. It is especially helpful for readers who want to see where padel is active by country, compare playing locations, or explore the sport beyond their home market. This is best treated as a discovery link rather than a governing body, but it adds useful international context for players, travellers and anyone studying padel’s growth across Europe.
The International Padel Federation is the main global reference point for the sport. It covers international tournaments, rankings, member federations, official documents, development programmes and news from the wider padel world. For readers who want to understand padel beyond one country, this is a useful link for following the sport’s global structure, professional direction and international growth.
The United States Padel Association is a useful link for anyone following padel in America. It provides information on clubs, competitions, membership, news and the US national team. For players, coaches and organisers, it is a practical starting point for finding courts, understanding the American padel scene, and following how the sport is growing across the United States.
Padel Australia is a useful link for readers following the sport in Australia. The organisation provides information on where to play, how to find a club, how to create a club, tournament activity, news and the Australian national team. For players, coaches, club founders and event organisers, it is a practical starting point for understanding how padel is developing across the Australian market.
UK Padel is a useful starting point for players, coaches and clubs in the United Kingdom. The organisation provides information on UK padel clubs, coaching, competitions, news and ways to get involved in the sport. For new players, it is a practical first link for finding places to play and understanding how padel is developing across the UK.