ABOUT PADEL TENNIS

1. The Court

Padel and tennis courts differ significantly in size. A standard tennis court measures approximately 23.77 meters in length and 10.97 meters in width. In contrast, a padel court is notably smaller, measuring 20 meters in length and 10 meters in width. This reduced space becomes more apparent when playing doubles in padel. Players transitioning from tennis to padel must adapt their strategies to accommodate the smaller court.

2. The Role of Four Walls:

One of the most distinctive features of padel is the presence of four walls that enclose the court. This is a fundamental aspect of the game, and it sets it apart from tennis. In padel, players can use these walls to score points, which is not possible in traditional tennis. The walls can be constructed using materials like glass, mesh, or concrete. Glass, due to its excellent rebound properties, is often the preferred choice for padel courts, allowing players to strike the ball against the wall with the same force as a regular stroke.

3. Court Surface:

Another significant difference is the playing surface. Traditional tennis courts come in various types, including grass, clay, and concrete. Padel courts, on the other hand, typically have surfaces made of tarmac, artificial grass, or concrete. Unlike tennis, padel lacks natural grass courts, which affect the bounce rate of the ball. Padel relies on controlled bounces, and the absence of grass ensures a consistent bounce. Players accustomed to grass tennis courts will need to adapt their serves to accommodate the different bounce characteristics of padel courts.

CONCLUSION:

In summary, while padel tennis shares some similarities with traditional tennis in terms of skill transfer, it is fundamentally distinct due to its court size, the presence of four walls, and the playing surface. These differences make it impossible to play padel on a traditional tennis court. Understanding these unique aspects is essential for those looking to transition between the two sports or simply explore the exciting world of padel tennis.

THE RULES OF PADEL TENNIS

Padel uses the same scoring system as tennis, but there are some common rules you’ll need to know regarding the situations that must occur before scoring a point. 

Padel uses the same scoring system as tennis. A game is scored exactly the same as tennis format 15/0, 30/0, 40/0, deuce, advantage, etc. In the World Padel Tour system, when the game is in deuce, they play a golden point that decides who wins the game.

Six games are needed to win a set and it’s normally played at the best of 3 sets. If a set reaches 6-6 in games then a tie-break to 7 points is played to decide.

What we need to know before all the options to score a point is that once the ball is in play, all balls which cross the net must then bounce on the ground on the opponent’s side before hitting a glass or the wall. To score a point in padel, one of the following situations must occur:

• The opponents’ ball hits the net or another part of the court (wall, fence, spotlights, etc.) without the ball having previously bounced in the opponent’s court
• The ball bounces twice in the opponents’ side of the court
• The ball hits an opponent’s body directly
• The ball bounces in the opponents’ side of the court and goes out of bounds
• Accidentally or voluntarily a player touches the ball more than once with the racket

The rules of padel are pretty different from the rules of tennis, so here you’ll find some of the most common rules in padel.

• First rule is that the ball can be hit by any player in any area of the court (The ball can touch the sides, the glass of the court, it can bounce and go out of the court and then come back in
• Each point starts with a serve. The serve must always be done after a bounce and below the waist. As in tennis, the served ball must cross to the opponents’ square (there are two serves). The opponent can’t hit a volley when receiving serve when the ball must bounce first
• Serve can touch the glass after the bounce, but not the side fence. Once the point begins, the ball can touch the fence. This is the only situation where the ball touching the fence after bouncing is considered “out”
• As in tennis, you can only hit the ball once and volleys are allowed as long as you don’t invade the opponents’ side of the court
• The ball can bounce off walls, but only after a first bounce
• The glass wall or other kind of wall can be used to return a ball but not the fence (example, you hit the ball, then it bounces on the back wall of your side, and lands on the opponent side)
• The players have to change his court side when the sum of games is odd (ex: 2-1, 3-2)