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What is padel?

Padel is a racket sport that has similarities with tennis and squash. The sport is spectacular, fast and dynamic due to the use of the side and back walls. The strategic nature of the sport makes it quickly addictive because you have unexpected fun rallies. The unique thing about padel is that it is easy to learn (for example, it is less technical than tennis) so you can soon have rallies with your friends, regardless of the difference in racket experience.

The playing field of a padel court can be compared to a tennis court, but smaller (20 by 10 meters) and has a glass and fencing fence. Each court, separated by a net, is divided into two service courts and a back court. Padel is generally played in doubles and can be played indoors or outdoors.


History

The sport 'padel' was 'invented' in 1962 by the Mexican Enrique Corcuera. He invented the new sport by adapting the rules, rackets and court dimensions from tennis. Initially the sport was only played by the Mexican elite and from 1969 also in Argentina, but padel was also introduced to Spain in 1970 through the Spanish royal family.

From the 1990s onwards, padel started to become extremely popular in Southern Europe and Latin America. In Spain, padel is the most popular sport after football. This social racket sport has also gained a foothold in the Netherlands. There are now more than 400 courts in the Netherlands spread over indoor and outdoor locations (mostly tennis clubs).


NPB and KNLTB

Padel was initially supported by the Dutch Padel Sports Federation. The Dutch Padel Association was founded in 2011 and recognized by the International Padel Federation (FIP).

From 2016, the KNLTB also shows interest in Padel. This is due to the fact that most padel courts were built at tennis clubs. Since the NPB and the KNLTB announced a joint competition calendar at the beginning of November 2019, discussions between both organizations have intensified and this has led to a merger as of July 1, 2020. All padel activities continue under the flag of the KNLTB.


What do you need?

You use a different racket for padel than for tennis. The padel racket has no strings, but is made entirely of plastic (carbon, fiber or graphite). The racket head has different shapes (round, teardrop and diamond) and has a large number of holes in the head so that you are less affected by air resistance. The racket weighs between 360-380 grams and is attached to the wrist with a cord so that it cannot be thrown around. Round rackets are easier to handle for novice padel players because the sweet spot (ideal hitting surface) is larger than with rackets with a teardrop or diamond shape.

The ball you use for padel is very similar to a tennis ball, but is a bit harder. The ball must have a good bounce, officially 135 to 145 centimeters high if you drop it from far above your head (exactly 254 centimeters is stated in the rules). Clothing and footwear are the same for tennis and padel.


What are the rules of Padel?

The rules of padel are very similar to those of tennis. The ball must also be hit over the net and into the opponent's box. However, you serve underhand, where the ball must first bounce behind the service line before you serve (point of contact may not be higher than your waist). A big difference is that you can let the ball hit the wall after the bounce and only then have to hit it back. This can also be done via the wall and often results in surprising rallies.


You almost always play padel in doubles form.

Score progression

The scoring for padel is the same as that for tennis, namely 15, 30, 40 and game, with deuce at 40-40. At deuce, two consecutive points must be scored to win the game. Padel matches are usually “best-of-three”, or up to two sets won, with a set won by the team that first wins six games with a two-game difference. At 6-6 a tiebreak is played, which goes up to seven points won with a two-point difference. Any third set will be played as a super tiebreak or match tiebreak (up to ten points with a two-point difference).


Bulletin

The serve must bounce directly into the opponent's diagonal service court without hitting the net. The ball may then touch the wall, but not the fence (foul service). The receiver can choose to return the ball before or after the ball has hit the wall. If the ball hits the edge of the net on a first or second serve and then lands in the correct service box, the serve is replayed.


Game flow

During rallies, the ball may only touch the ground once. A player may choose to bounce the ball or fill it. A volley may not be hit as a return. As soon as the ball bounces, it must do so without first hitting a wall or fence, otherwise it is a foul. After the ball has bounced, it may hit the wall or fence one or more times before being played back. The receiver may hit the ball directly back into the opponent's playing field, or he may play the ball back through the back or side walls. If the ball hits the fence before going over the net it is a foul. If the ball is hit over the wall (4 meters) or fence (3 meters) via the playing field, it is normally a point; unless a player outside the cage returns the ball (this only applies to the side of the field). Play continues under these rules until the ball bounces twice on the playing field or a player otherwise violates the rules.

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