Was that serve above the waist? Did it touch the mesh? Is a net cord a let if it then hits your partner? Each of those has a numbered answer in the rulebook.
This page answers those, and only those. It's a checklist of every condition a serve has to meet, then a table of what happens when something odd goes on. Every line comes from the International Padel Federation (FIP) rulebook that applies from 1 January 2026, with the rule number next to it. Where I use an older worked example, I say so. Padelism is not affiliated with the FIP or the LTA.
How to hit a better serve is a different job. That's in my padel tips for beginners.
The fault checklist
Run through it in the order the serve happens. Miss any box and it's a fault.
Before you hit
- Right side, right turn. The first point of every game is served from the right. Then you swap sides each point (Rule 6.5). Who serves first for your pair is set at the start of each set and can't change mid-set (6.8).
- Stance. One foot behind the service line, between the side wall and the imaginary line running on from the centre line. Stay there until the ball is served (6.1).
- Feet off the lines. Don't touch the service line, the imaginary centre line or the service box in front of you until you've hit the ball (6.3).
- The bounce. Drop the ball inside the box you're serving from. It can't drift over the service line or the imaginary centre line before you strike it (6.2).
At contact
- Height. The ball is at or below your waist when you hit it (6.4). Bend your knees and it's your waist at that moment that counts, not your standing waist. That one is a worked case in the 2017 edition (Rule 6, Case 1).
- One foot down. At least one foot touches the ground as you hit (6.4).
- Make contact. A serve exists the moment you hit the ball or try to (6.6). Swing and miss, and it's a fault (7.1 b).
In flight
- Diagonal. The ball goes across the net to the box diagonally opposite (6.5).
- Clear of your own team. If the serve hits you, your partner, or anything either of you is wearing or carrying, it's a fault (7.1 d). Your partner at the net needs to know that.
- Clear of your own walls. A serve that hits your own glass, fence or a light before crossing the net is a fault. That's a worked case in the 2017 edition (Rule 7, Case 1).
On landing
- In the box. The first bounce lands inside the receiver's service box. Lines are good (7.1 c).
- No mesh before the second bounce. After landing, the ball can hit the glass and stay live. If it touches the metal fence before bouncing again, it's a fault (7.1 e). The LTA's rules page puts it the same way. Every other wall and fence call is on my can the ball hit the fence page.
- Not straight out of the door. On a court with no out-of-court play, a serve that bounces in and goes directly out through the door is a fault (7.1 f).
Two faults in a row and the point goes to the receivers (13.1 q).
Is it a let? The outcome table
Padel has two words here. A "net" is a serve that clips the net and is retaken. A "let" is a replay for other reasons. The effect on your serve count is the same, so I've treated them together.
| What happened | The call | What happens next | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clips the net or a post, lands in the box, stays off the mesh | Net | Retake that serve | 9.1 a |
| Clips the net, lands in the box, then touches the mesh | Fault | Next serve, or point lost if it was the second | 9.1 a, 7.1 e |
| Clips the net, lands outside the box | Fault | As above | 7.1 c |
| Clips the net, then hits any player | Net | Retake that serve | 9.1 b |
| Hits the receiver or their partner before bouncing (no net) | Point to the server | Next point | 8.5 |
| Hits the server's partner | Fault | As above | 7.1 d |
| Receiver wasn't ready and didn't try to play it | Let | Retake. A fault can't be called | 6.10, 6.11, 9.2 a |
| Receiver wasn't ready but swung at it | No let | The serve stands as played | 6.11 |
| A ball from the next court rolls on | Let | Replay the point, if called straight away | 10.1 b, 10.1 e |
| The ball splits | Let | Replay the point | 10.1 a |
| Clips the net, lands in, then goes out through the opening | Let only where out-of-court play is allowed. Otherwise a fault | Depends on the court | 2017 edition, Rule 9, Case 1 |
| Served from the wrong side | Not a let | Switch sides when spotted. Points stand, and a first-serve fault still counts | 6.7 |
| Wrong player served | Not a let | Right player serves when spotted. Points stand. One earlier fault is wiped | 6.9 |
How many serves you get back
This is the bit people get wrong. Under Rule 9.2, a net or let on your first serve means you start again with two serves. A net or let on your second serve gives you that second serve again, and only that one. A fault that came before stays on the board.
Same logic if you discover you've been on the wrong ends after a first-serve fault. Fix the ends, and you only have one serve left (5.3).
The "not ready" rule, in plain words
The server waits until the receiver is ready. The receiver can't stall, though. Rule 6.10 says they have to keep up with the server's rhythm within reason.
The test is simple. If the receiver made any attempt to return it, they can't claim they weren't ready (6.11). If they genuinely weren't ready and let it go, it's a let, and nobody can call it a fault.
Calling it without an umpire
The rulebook assumes someone in a chair. Your Thursday game doesn't have one. Two rules still apply.
First, call it at once. Rule 10.1 e says a player who plays on loses the right to a let. Second, be sure. Under 10.1 f, ask for a let that isn't one and the point goes against you.
A simple fix: before the first ball, agree that the receiving pair calls the box and the mesh, since they're watching it land. The serving pair calls their own feet and height. It can save a lot of 30-40 standoffs. For who calls everything else, from the back glass to a split decision between partners, there's my line-call code for social padel.
For the rest of the rulebook on one page, from scoring to the stuck ball, see my padel rules cheat sheet. Coming from tennis, where you can jump into your serve? Tennis habits that lose padel points covers what to unlearn.
The one shot where the line counts
In a rally, the lines on the court floor don't decide anything. A ball that lands anywhere on the other side's floor is good (Rule 14.1 b). The serve is the exception. It's the only shot where a painted line is the difference between in and out.
That question sits on our Focus tee, with WAS IT IN WAS IT OUT set out like an eye chart. The story behind the design is its own page. It's a 100% cotton heavyweight tee at 305 g/m2 with an oversized fit, so size down if you'd rather it sat regular. It's £48, or any two £48 tees for £90 at checkout through the 2 for £90 range. Two tees also takes you past £75, so UK delivery is free. It's a tee for the bar afterwards, not the court. The other designs are in tees.
FAQ
Is a net cord serve a let in padel? Only if it then lands in the right box and stays off the metal fence before its second bounce. Then you retake the serve (FIP Rule 9.1 a). If it clips the net and touches the fence, or lands outside the box, it's a fault.
What happens if the serve hits the receiver before it bounces? The server wins the point (Rule 8.5). The same goes if it hits the receiver's partner or either of their rackets. The exception is a serve that clipped the net first, which is retaken (9.1 b).
Can the receiver say they weren't ready? Yes, but only if they didn't try to play it. A genuine "not ready" means the serve is retaken and can't be called a fault. Once the receiver has swung at the ball, the claim is gone (Rule 6.11).
If my second serve clips the net, do I get two serves again? No. A net or let on the second serve gives you just the second serve again. You only get both serves back when the let happens on your first serve (Rule 9.2).
