Serve & return

In one minute

Every point starts with an underhand serve: bounce the ball once in your service box, hit it at or below waist height, diagonally into the opponent's box. From 2026, the ball must not cross the service line or centre line before you strike it — and you need one foot behind the service line at contact. Returning? Let it bounce in the box first. Your job: get the ball back in play — safe and deep beats clever.

How to serve (FIP Rule 6)

Step by step

1. Stand in your service box — one foot behind the service line, between the centre service line and the side wall. Stay there until you hit the ball.

2. Bounce once in your box — the ball must bounce inside the service box you are serving from.

3. Hit underhand, waist height or below — contact at or below waist level (think belt height). At least one foot on the ground at contact.

4. Serve diagonally — into the opponent's cross-court service box. Lines count as in.

5. Alternate boxes — first point: serve from the right to their left box; after each point, switch which box you serve into.

2026 changes worth knowing

	Before 2026 (typical)	FIP 2026
Feet	Both feet behind the line (common reading)	One foot behind the service line
Ball before contact	Often unclear	Ball must not cross the service line or the imaginary centre line until struck

Feet and lines

• Do not step on the service line or the centre service line when serving.
• One foot must stay behind the service line until the ball is struck — the other foot can be in front, but not on a line.

Two serves and net lets

• You get two serves per point. Fault on the first → second serve. Fault on both → their point.
• If the ball hits the net cord and lands in the correct service box (and does not hit the mesh fence before a second bounce), the serve is replayed — same idea as a let in tennis (FIP Rule 9).

Serve faults (FIP Rule 7)

Fault	What happened
Foot on the line	Touched service or centre line with your feet
Ball crossed line early	Bounce rolled over service or centre line before contact (2026)
Out of the box	Landed outside the diagonal service box
Into the mesh	Bounced in the box, then hit the mesh fence before a second bounce
Over waist / overhand	Contact above waist or not underhand
Wrong box	Not diagonal (cross-court)
Missed the ball	Swung and missed

How to return serve (FIP Rule 8)

Wait for the bounce. The ball must bounce in the service box before you hit it. No volleying the serve.

• Hit it before a second bounce on the floor.
• If the ball hits you or your racket before it bounces in the box → server's point.

At the start of each set, your pair chooses who receives first. That player receives the first serve of every game in the set; partners alternate receiving within each game as serves switch sides.

Return priorities (coaching advice — not official rules)

At beginner level, the best return is one that starts the rally:

1. Get it in — a safe return beats a failed winner attempt.
2. Medium height — avoid feeding the opposing net player with a low pop-up.
3. Deep or middle — towards the back glass or centre buys time; sharp angles can come later.
4. Stay balanced — start behind or on the service line; step in when you are comfortable.

Padel serves are rally-starters, not aces. Consistency beats power at club level.

Common mix-ups

• "I can volley the serve if I'm quick." No — bounce first (Rule 8.1).
• "Glass off the serve is always good." Good if it bounces in the box first; mesh after the bounce on serve = fault (Rule 7e).
• "Tennis serve motion is fine." Underhand, waist or below — overhand is a fault.
• "Power wins free points on serve." At club level, placement and getting the return in matter more.

Try this next time

1. Line drill — Serve 10 balls. After each: did the bounce stay behind the service line before contact?
2. Cross-court target — Aim for the back third of the diagonal service box. Count how many land in without hitting mesh.
3. Return count — Partner serves; your only goal is 10 returns in a row into the court.

What's next

Once you can serve and return reliably, learn how to move as a pair — the diamond — so you are not leaving gaps at the net.

Catch up if needed: the court & rules · scoring · 2026 rule changes.