Padel Rules and Scoring for Beginners in Cyprus

If you are new to padel in Cyprus, understanding a few core rules makes lessons and social games far more enjoyable. This guide covers the essentials; your padel coach will refine details as you play.

Court and format

Padel is almost always played as doubles on an enclosed court with glass and mesh walls. The walls are part of the game: after the ball bounces on your side, it may hit the wall and remain in play according to standard rules. The smaller court and slower ball than tennis mean longer rallies for beginners.

Scoring

Scoring follows the same point progression as tennis: love, 15, 30, 40, game. At 40–40 (deuce), many club matches use a deciding point to keep play moving; others play advantage—your coach or venue will confirm what they use. Games are normally played to win a set (first to six games, with a tie-break at six games all). Matches are often best of three sets in organised play; friendly games may stop earlier.

Serve basics

The serve is underarm and must bounce behind the service line before you strike it diagonally into the opponent’s service box. You have two serve attempts. If the ball hits the net and lands in the correct box, it is usually a let and you repeat the serve. Your coach will correct foot position and toss so your serve stays legal and consistent.

After the serve

Once the ball is in play, volleys and groundstrokes work like tennis in spirit, but walls change tactics: you can let the ball hit the back or side glass after bouncing on the ground, within the allowed pattern. Beginners often practise controlled rallies before adding competitive scoring.

Ready to play in Cyprus?

When the rules click, progress comes quickly. Book a coach through padel coach Limassol, padel coach Nicosia, or our Larnaca and Paphos pages—or read our first lesson guide and how to choose a padel coach on Coacharo.