The PADEL experience

THE ORIGINS

Padel was invented in Mexico in 1969 by Enrique Corcuera, who created the first court by adding walls to prevent the ball from flying out.

Five years later, Prince Alphonse de Hohenlohe introduced padel to Spain, in Marbella, where it became very popular. The sport then spread to Spain and the rest of the world, particularly South America. In Argentina, it became very popular in 1975 thanks to Julio Menditegui, placing it just behind soccer in terms of popularity.

AN UNPRECEDENTED INTERNATIONAL DYNAMIC

The Premier Padel circuit

Accessible, addictive and spectacular, Padel is a sport with many virtues, and one that has enjoyed unprecedented growth in recent years. A long-established cult sport in Spain and South America, the sport has become increasingly popular worldwide over the last ten years.

As a result, it’s by far the sport with the most new participants every year. The purchase of television rights by the biggest players in the world of sport, such as Canal+ in France, and the massive investment by Qatar, which now owns the Premier Padel circuit and is a privileged partner of the international Padel federation, are all signs of sustainable growth for the sport.

PADEL RULES

Discover the rules of Padel!

Inspired by tennis and squash, Padel is played
is played in doubles
on a rectangular court measuring 10m x 20m, surrounded by grills and glass and divided in the middle by a net.

The minimum clearance is 7m to allow lobs and smashes!

The service

In Padel, the ball is put into play with a spoon on two attempts (first ball and second ball). The server must bounce the ball behind the service line before hitting below the belt. He is always behind the service line when he puts the ball into play.

Its aim is to bounce the ball into the service box on the diagonal. After crossing the net, a ball that first touches a surface other than the ground is considered a foul. If it bounces back into the court and touches the fence before crossing the service line (on the receiver’s side), it is also a fault. If the ball hits the net and bounces back into the square, it is let. If she touches the fence before the second bounce, she is fouled.

Player positions

The server must be behind the baseline, to the left or right of the centre line, depending on the score.

The receiver can position himself anywhere on the court, as long as he is in the server’s diagonal. Partners can position themselves anywhere in their camp.

Exchanges and rebounds

A ball may be volleyed, with the exception of the serve and return of serve. It can only bounce once on the floor during an exchange, but it can be in contact with any other surface. The door handle, fences and walls are an integral part of the property. The second rebound on the ground results in the loss of the point.

If the ball has not bounced a second time on the ground, it may be retaken off the track. If the ball returns – after rebounding into the opponent’s court – without having been touched by an opponent, the point is won.

When a ball crosses the net, it must touch the ground of the opposing team before hitting a wall. Players can hit the ball after it bounces off a wall to send it back into the opponent’s half. Of course, as in tennis, the player hitting the ball is only allowed one touch.

Points

As in tennis, points are counted from 15 to 40. The advantage rule applies in tied games. Matches are played to the best of three sets (a pair must win two sets to win the match), with a tie-break at six-all in the third set.

Six games are required to win a set, and if both teams reach 6-6, a tie-break is played. The first duo to score seven points with a two-point margin wins the set. In the event of a tie at 6-6 or 7-6, the tie-break continues until one team takes a two-point lead.

Find out more about all the rules of Padel :