with racquet. However, it is different from the sport known as padel Tennis in the US and Canada. Also, it is quite different from tennis in terms of court, rules, and styles of play is different from each other.
This game is believed to have been invented in Mexico in 1969 by a gentleman known as Enrique Corcueria who modified a plot of his land, placed a wall around it and invented a game which looks quite similar to tennis but differs significantly in terms of rules.
By no means it is a less popular sport, it is spreading into more and more countries across the globe by every passing year. The game has shown substantial growth in two biggest regions of the world, UK and the USA where it is played in clubs and schools by kids and adults.
Object of Playing Padel
Unlike tennis, padel is only played in doubles. The object of the game is to win more sets than your opponent, the total number of sets can be 3,5 or any odd number to make it easy to determine a winner at the end of the game.
The first to score a decided number of points in a set is declared the winner of the set. There are various point scoring methods in this game which we shall discuss below.
How to Play?
Padel is played with a padel racquet and a tennis ball. Two teams consisting of 2 players each compete against each other in a court separated by a net into two halves. Point scoring is done in similar fashion as tennis with little difference in the rules of the game.
To learn about how Padel is little different from Tennis and what are the rules applied in it, make sure you give a good read to general rules of Padel.
General Rules of the Game
- The match begins with a serve which is done underarm.
- You get a point every time the ball bounces twice in your opponent’s court before he hits it, the ball strikes any of your opponent’s body, or the ball hits the wire fencing before coming into your court.
- Just like Tennis, the ball can only be hit once in your court.
- The ball must bounce in the service box before it is returned by the receiver.
- If it doesn’t bounce in the box, it is at fault.
- There are back walls, if the ball hits that wall after bouncing once in your court, you can still hit the ball back. It’s legit in Padel unlike Tennis where it would have been a foul.
- The scoring goes on in the same way as in tennis. The points move up in this sequence: 15.30,40 and game.
- In case of a tie, 40-40, the winner will be the first player to lead by two clear points.
- The team that wins the most number of sets is declared winner.
Toss
Before the start of the play, a coin toss takes place. The winner of the toss gets the opportunity either to take the first serve or choose the side.
Time Duration of a Padel Match
The total time taken by one set depends upon the competitiveness of the game, however, even in most extreme circumstances it would be completed in less than 20 minutes. The total time of a complete game depends on the number of sets and average time taken by one set. In general, padel games are not supposed to last for more than 90 minutes.
Playing Court
A standard Padel court should be a rectangle court, 10 metres wide and 20 metres long. The service lines are placed 3 metres before the back wall. There are also side walls which should be 3 metres high.
The court is divided into half by a net, which is placed at 31 inches off the ground.
Playing Equipment
The ball used in Padel is the same ball we use in Tennis. The padel rackets are made from composite material with a perforated surface. Their face measures 26 by 29 cm and the overall length stays around 45cm.
Referee
Padel tennis do have referees sitting outside the court but they don’t have to interfere much as all the points and fouls are usually ambiguous in this game.
Famous Padel Events
The International World Padel Tour is the most famous annual event of this sport. Moreover, several other domestic level and international level tournaments are played in countries where it is popular.
Governing Body
The International Padel Federation (IPL) is the governing body for the sport. It was founded in 1991 in Madrid by the Argentenian and a couple of more representatives from federations of other countries. The goal of this organisation is to promote all forms of padel around the world.
Difference Between Tennis and Padel
| Area of Comparison | Tennis | Padel |
|---|---|---|
| Played in | Court | Court with back and sidewalls |
| Number of player | Singles and Doubles both | Mostly doubles at competitive level |
| Played with | Badminton racquet and tennis ball | Padel racquet and tennis ball |
| First serve | First serve is done diagonally | First serve is under arm |
| Ball receiving | Ball can’t hit the wall behind you, it costs you a point | Ball can hit the wall behind the court |