The service and the return

The service is one of the shots that differ the most between padel and tennis, since it's compulsory to serve from underneath. Players must keep both feet behind the baseline while serving, on the side of the court diagonally opposite the receiver’s box. Servers must bounce the ball on the ground within the service box from which they are serving, and then without stepping on any line, with at least one foot on the ground, they must hit at or below the waist level. Each player has two serves available to start each rally.

The ball served from the right side of the court passes diagonally over the net towards the opposite service box, and in order to be valid it must bounce within the lines. If it bounces out, or directly touches the lateral metal mesh or walls, the service is considered invalid, a fault is called out and the server tries with a second ball. The same applies when, after the first bounce, the ball touches the lateral metal mesh. If after the bounce the ball instead touches a wall - side or end - the service is considered valid and the rally begins.

The 'let' rule exists here too as in tennis: when the ball brushes the net and then bounces into the opponent's half of the cour, the service must be repeated, except if the ball ends up on the lateral metal mesh after bouncing. In that case, it is considered a “fault”.

Generally, returners position themselves halfway in between the service line and the end wall, close to the side wall. At the beginning of each set, players are free to decide which player serves first.