JARGON, DECODED
Padel glossary
The words you'll hear on court, explained in plain English. Search or just scroll.
The words you'll hear on court, explained in plain English. Search or just scroll.
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The point right after deuce. Win it and you win the game (under traditional scoring); lose it and the score goes back to deuce.
A social format where you rotate partners every round and scoring is by total points rather than sets — you end up playing with and against everyone. One of the friendliest ways to try padel. Read what an Americano is, see how to set one up, or jump straight into our organiser.
An attacking shot played after letting the ball rebound off your own back glass — you meet it on the way down, usually around shoulder height, and drive it back into the court with pace. Turns a defensive lob into a counter-attack. More in our padel shots guide.
A controlled overhead shot, hit like a gentler smash, used to keep the point going and stay in control of the net rather than end the rally. See our padel shots guide for exactly how and when to use one.
A soft, low shot aimed at the opponents' feet as they move up to the net — hard for them to volley cleanly. More shots like this in our padel shots guide.
A tied score of 40-40 under traditional scoring, meaning a team needs to win by two clear points to take the game.
A soft shot played just over the net designed to fall short and be hard for the opponents to reach in time.
An illegal serve or shot — for example serving overarm, missing the diagonal box, or the ball bouncing twice before it's returned. See our full serve guide for every way a serve can fault.
A common padel rule where, at 40-40, the very next point wins the game outright — no advantage needed. Makes matches quicker; the receiving team chooses which side to return from.
A serve or point that's replayed rather than won or lost — usually because it clipped the net and still landed correctly, or because of interference. Rare in casual, social play. See our serve guide for exactly when a let applies.
A number, roughly 1 to 7 on the common Playtomic scale, used to match players of similar ability. Most complete beginners start around 0.5–2.0. See our padel levels guide for the full breakdown.
A high defensive shot hit over the opponents' heads, used to push them back off the net or buy yourself time. Often called the most important shot in padel — see our padel shots guide for why.
Like an Americano, but the pairings adapt: round 1 is random, then each round the players are ranked by their running score and re-paired to keep matches close — strongest with weakest, against the two in the middle. The more competitive of the two social formats. Read what a Mexicano is, see how to set one up, or jump straight into our organiser.
The rectangular box on the diagonal opposite side of the court that a serve has to land inside. Miss it and it's a fault — see our full serve guide for every rule.
A block of games — win 6 games (by 2 clear) to take a set, and win 2 sets to win the match. See our scoring guide for the full breakdown, including the golden point and tie-break.
An aggressive overhead shot hit hard — usually off a lob or a bounce — aimed at winning the point outright. See how it compares to a bandeja in our padel shots guide.
The ideal contact area in the middle of the racket face, giving the best combination of power and control.
An overhead shot similar to the bandeja but hit with sidespin, often used to attack down the line rather than simply keep the point alive. More in our padel shots guide.
Hitting the ball before it bounces. Allowed freely in general play, but not on a return of serve — the serve always has to bounce once inside the service box before the receiver can touch it. One of the two shots worth learning first — see our padel shots guide.
The enclosed glass and mesh panels around the court — the mesh sections are often just called "the cage". Once the ball's bounced on your side, it can go off a wall before you return it, as long as it only bounces once on the ground first.
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