Padel and squash both put you inside a box of walls. But the walls do opposite jobs. In squash, a wall is the target. In padel, the target is the floor on the other side of the net, and the walls are your second chance once the ball has bounced.
If you play squash and you're about to try padel, that one difference explains most of what will feel odd. Here's how each game works, then a transfer guide: what your squash game gives you, and what you'll need to unlearn.
Padel vs squash at a glance
| Squash | Padel | |
|---|---|---|
| Players | One against one (singles rules) | Two against two, doubles only |
| Court | 9.75 m x 6.4 m, four walls | 20 m x 10 m, glass and mesh, net across the middle |
| Where your shot must go | Front wall, above the tin and below the out-line | Over the net, bouncing in the other court |
| Order | Wall first, then floor | Floor first, then wall |
| Serve | One foot in the service box, struck to the front wall between the service line and the out-line | Bounce it, hit it at or below waist height, diagonally into the service box |
| Scoring | Every rally wins a point, games to 11, win by 2 | Tennis scoring: 15, 30, 40, sets to six games |
| Racket | Strung, up to 686 mm long | Flat, perforated face, up to 45.5 cm, wrist cord required |
A padel court covers just over three times the floor of a squash court, so you can't play one on the other.
How the walls work in squash
Every squash shot has the same destination: the front wall. Under the World Squash singles rules, a good return has to reach the front wall before it bounces on the floor. It can get there directly or off any other wall first. It has to land above the tin and below the out-line.
The tin is the strip along the bottom of the front wall. On a standard court its top is 480 mm off the floor, and the World Squash court specification says a lowered 430 mm tin is preferred at PSA sanctioned tournaments. The front wall out-line sits at 4.57 m. Hit the tin and the ball is down. Hit the line or above it and it's out.
Once the ball comes off the front wall, your opponent can let it bounce once and take it off the side or back wall. You both share one space, so squash has detailed rules on getting out of the way. After your follow-through you have to give the other player a fair view, access to the ball, room to swing and a clear path to the front wall.
How the walls work in padel
Padel flips the order. Your shot must cross the net and bounce in your opponents' court before it touches their walls. If it hits their glass or mesh on the full, you lose the point (FIP Rule 13.1 g).
After that first bounce, the walls join the rally. The ball can come off the glass or the mesh and it stays in play until it bounces a second time (Rule 12.3).
Your own side has a twist. You can play the ball into your own glass and let it rebound over the net, as long as it then bounces in their court (Rule 14.1 b). But if your shot touches the mesh on your side, the point is gone (Rule 13.1 l). Our guide on whether the ball can hit the fence goes through every surface if you want the full list.
And there's a net in the middle. Nobody shares your half except your partner, so you never have to clear for an opponent.
The short version: squash is wall, then floor. Padel is floor, then wall.
Squash to padel: what helps
You already read the back wall. Letting the ball come off the back wall and turning to play it is normal in squash. The LTA's back glass guide calls playing off the back glass one of the hardest skills to master for people new to padel. Its padel rating system also places competent tennis and squash players who are new to padel at 3.5, half a point above the 3.0 statement about being able to use tactics like playing off the wall.
You think in angles. Padel even borrowed one of your shots. The LTA's padel glossary says the boast is "a term borrowed from squash": an angled shot off the side glass before the ball goes over the net, often played when the ball is tight in the corner. Same idea, with a net in the way.
You don't give up on a ball behind you. In squash, a ball that has gone past you can come back off the back wall, and in padel it can do the same after it bounces. You already turn and chase it without thinking.
Squash to padel: what to unlearn
1. Aiming at a wall. This is the big one. Every squash habit says strike the ball firmly into a wall. In padel, a shot into their glass on the full is a lost point. Aim for the floor in front of the glass instead.
2. Hitting down at a low target. In squash, the lowest good shot clears a tin less than half a metre high. In padel the ball has to rise over a net that is 0.88 m in the middle and 0.92 m at the posts, then drop into the court. The shape of your shots changes.
3. Going hard off the back glass. When the ball comes off the back wall in squash, you still have a whole front wall to hit. In padel, the LTA's back glass guide points out that after the rebound the ball is already travelling towards the net, so you often only need to "touch it over the net". It also says to pick control over power, and to move much closer to the glass when the ball is slow.
4. The serve. In squash you drop or throw the ball and strike it to the front wall between the service line and the out-line. In padel you bounce the ball in your box, hit it at or below waist height with a foot on the ground, and send it diagonally into the service box. If it bounces in and then hits the mesh before bouncing again, it's a fault (Rule 7.1 e).
5. Playing alone. Squash is you, one opponent and the whole court. Padel is half a court and a partner. Only one of you can hit each ball. If you both touch it, the point is lost (Rule 13.1 o).
6. The racket. A squash racket can be up to 686 mm long and is strung. A padel racket has a flat, perforated hitting face, is no longer than 45.5 cm, and has a cord you must wear around your wrist.
Which should you play?
Singles squash needs two people. Padel needs four, and the score runs like tennis, best of three sets. Squash scores every rally, with games to 11 and matches over three or five games. If you can only find one opponent at short notice, squash is easier to book. If you want a game with three friends, padel is built for it.
For the full padel rulebook, our padel rules guide has it in one place. If you're new to the game, start with our beginner's guide to padel. And if tennis is your other sport, here's padel vs tennis.
After the game
I make clothes for after padel, not for playing in. Check what your club asks for on court.
Off court, our heavyweight tees use 305 g/m2 cotton (100%) and come cut oversized and unisex. For a regular look, go one size down. Pick any two of the £48 designs and checkout charges £90. They're all in the 2 for £90 edit.
When it gets colder, our sweatshirts are £60. The Sunday Padel Club Sweatshirt is a Padelism original since 2025, and the Coffee Padelism Repeat Sweatshirt is a 350 g/m2 cotton blend. UK delivery is free on orders of £75 and over.
FAQ
Do squash players pick up padel quickly? They start with a feel for balls coming off the back wall. The LTA rating system puts competent squash players who are new to padel at 3.5, above the 3.0 statement about using tactics like playing off the wall. The main thing to relearn is that in padel the ball must bounce in the other court before it touches their walls.
Can you play padel on a squash court? No. A squash court is 9.75 m by 6.4 m with no net. A padel court is 20 m by 10 m, enclosed by glass and mesh, with a net across the middle. That's just over three times the floor area.
Can the ball hit the wall before it bounces in padel? On your side, yes. You can play it off your own glass, as long as it then crosses the net and bounces in the other court. On their side, no. If your shot hits their glass or mesh before bouncing, you lose the point.
How is padel scored compared with squash? Squash uses rally scoring: every rally wins a point, games go to 11 and you need a two-point lead at 10-all. Padel uses tennis scoring, 15, 30, 40 and game, with sets to six games and matches usually best of three sets.
