What is padel? Rules, how to play, and how to start a club
Padel is a doubles racket sport played on a small, enclosed court with walls — easy to pick up and one of the fastest-growing sports in the UK and Europe. This guide covers what padel is, the basic rules, how it differs from tennis, and what it takes to start a padel club.
What is padel?
Padel is played in doubles on a court roughly a third the size of a tennis court, enclosed by glass and mesh walls that are part of play. Players use a solid, stringless racket and a ball similar to a tennis ball. The smaller court, underarm serve, and walls make padel quick to learn and highly social — which is why clubs and operators are adding courts across the country.
Basic padel rules
- • Padel is almost always played as doubles, two players per side.
- • Scoring follows tennis: 15, 30, 40, game, and sets.
- • The serve is underarm — bounce the ball once and hit it below waist height, diagonally into the opponent's box.
- • After the ball bounces on your side, you can play it off the walls.
- • A point ends when the ball bounces twice, hits a wall before the floor on the opponent's side, or goes out of the court.
Padel vs tennis
Compared with tennis, padel courts are smaller and walled, rackets are solid with no strings, serves are underarm, and the walls are used in rallies. Padel is almost always doubles and is generally faster to learn, which makes it especially appealing to new players and to clubs looking to grow membership.
How to start a padel club
Starting a padel club comes down to a few essentials: secure or convert court space, decide your membership tiers and pricing, and put booking and membership systems in place so members can book courts and join leagues from the day you open.
A platform like padel club management software handles real-time court booking, member management, and box leagues, so a new club looks professional from day one. Courtz.ai supports padel, tennis and squash, so multi-sport venues run everything in one place.
Padel FAQs
What is padel?
Padel is a racket sport played in doubles on an enclosed court about a third the size of a tennis court, with glass and mesh walls that are part of play. It uses a solid, stringless racket and a ball similar to a tennis ball, and is one of the fastest-growing sports in the UK and Europe.
What are the basic rules of padel?
Padel is almost always played as doubles. Scoring follows tennis (15, 30, 40, game). The serve is underarm and bounced before being hit, and walls can be used after the ball bounces on your side. A point ends when the ball bounces twice, hits the wall before the floor on the opponent's side, or goes out.
What is the difference between padel and tennis?
Padel courts are smaller and enclosed by walls, the rackets are solid with no strings, serves are underarm, and the walls are used in play. Padel is almost always doubles and is generally quicker to learn than tennis, which makes it popular with new players.
Is padel easy to learn?
Yes — most beginners can rally and enjoy games quickly because the court is smaller, the serve is underarm, and the walls keep the ball in play. That accessibility is a big reason padel is growing so fast.
How do I start a padel club?
Secure courts or convert space, decide your membership and pricing, and put a booking and membership system in place so members can book courts and join leagues from day one. Platforms like Courtz.ai handle court booking, member management, and leagues so a new padel club looks professional immediately.
Starting or running a padel club?
Courtz.ai gives your padel club court booking, members, and leagues in one platform — live in about a day.
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