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.
Key points
- 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 →