Last updated: 3 October 2026
Reviewed by Jordan Morley, FA Level 2 Football Coach
The padel serve is underhand — the ball must be struck at waist height or below, unlike tennis’s overhead serve. The server bounces the ball then hits it diagonally into the opponent’s service box, where it must bounce before hitting the glass walls. The serve is gentler than tennis, making the game more accessible to beginners. A fault is called if the serve hits the wire fence directly, or if the ball lands outside the service box.
- Underhand, at or below waist height
- Ball bounces in server’s half before being struck
- Must land in diagonal service box
- Cannot hit the wire fence on serve
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Open the Padel Serve Rules Reference →In practice
The padel serve's underarm, below-waist-height requirement (after the ball bounces) deliberately limits how much of an advantage the serving side gets — unlike tennis, where a dominant serve can be a standalone weapon, padel's serve is designed mainly to start the point fairly, putting far more emphasis on positioning, wall use and net play throughout the rally than on serve power.
FAQ
Why must padel serves be hit underarm?
The underarm, below-waist rule intentionally limits serve power, keeping the serve a fair point-starter rather than a dominant weapon, and shifting strategic emphasis to rally play, positioning and wall use.
Does the ball need to bounce before a padel serve?
Yes — the server must bounce the ball once within the service box before striking it underarm, a key rule difference from tennis's direct overhead serve.