GUIDES

Guides for players and organisers

New to padel? Start with the beginner guides. Running a session? Jump to the organiser guides. Everything else lives in general guides.

Beginner Guides

Never played, or just had your first go? Start here.

What is padel? A quick intro to the sport — what it is, how it's played, with a video to watch it in action. Getting into padel How to actually get started — booking a session, what to expect, and finding your feet. Basic rules Serving, the walls, faults, and how a game is actually won — explained simply. How to serve in padel The 6 rules that make a serve legal, lets vs faults, and the questions beginners ask most. Padel shots & strokes explained The lob, volley and bandeja to learn first, plus víbora, chiquita, bajada and smash decoded. Padel levels What the level numbers mean, and why a levelling session is worth asking for. What to wear What you actually need for your first session — and what you can just borrow. Can you play padel with tennis balls? They look identical. Here's why swapping them changes the game — and the rare times it's fine.

Guides for Event Organisers

Running the session? These are the ones you'll actually use.

Set up a social game Not sure where to start? Pick how you want it to feel, no jargon needed first. Americano or Mexicano? Answer 5 quick questions and we'll tell you which format suits your group. Player guide: how our padel social works A two-minute guide to share with your group chat before a session — plus a ready-made WhatsApp message with the date, venue and live game code. How to set up an Americano Working out courts and points, running round 1, and tracking the leaderboard — plus the free tool that does it for you. How to set up a Mexicano Same as an Americano, plus the adaptive round-by-round pairings that keep matches close. Group leaderboard Playing with the same social group regularly? Save each tournament and we'll keep a leaderboard of your last 10 games with a podium and optional player insights — best partners, form and more. No account needed.

General Guides

The rest — scoring, formats, and finding somewhere to play.

Scoring The tennis-style 15-30-40 game, golden point, and the social count-to-16 style too. What is an Americano? What the format actually is, how scoring works, and how many players you need. What is a Mexicano? The more competitive cousin of the Americano — pairings adapt to keep matches close. Find a club How to find courts and social sessions near you, and what to expect when you book. FAQ The questions beginners ask most, answered simply, in one place.

Also looking for the kit checklist or the padel glossary? They're over in Tools.

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