A Padel Player’s Vocabulary: Understanding the Terminology

As a sport, padel has been gaining popularity around the world, and with good reason! It’s a fun, fast-paced game that combines the best elements of tennis and squash. While it may seem like just another racket sport, there is a whole new vocabulary to learn. In this padel glossary, I’ll explain some of the most important terms for anyone interested in picking up the sport.

The court

In padel, there is a court split down the middle by a net. The court itself is smaller than a traditional tennis court, but larger than a squash court. Here are some terms you’ll need to know to navigate the court:

• Baseline: The line at the back of the court.
• Service box: The box on each side of the court where the ball must land to start a point.
• The T: The intersection of the service boxes where most serves are aimed.
• The walls: Padelfeatures glass walls around the court, that are considered in play, apart from the back wall (as in tennis).

The game

Like other racket sports, padel is scored in a particular way. Here are the essential terms to understand how to score in padel:

• Point: The smallest unit of scoring in padel.
• Set: A set is when a player reaches 6 points with a lead of 2 points. If the result is 6-5, the set needs to be won by 2 games to 1.
• Match: A match is normally played over the best of 3 or 5 sets.
• Advantage: If the game score is 40-40, the next point wins the game. However, if the player who had scored the 40, loses the point, the score goes back to deuce.

The shots

This padel glossary would not be complete without a rundown of the shots you’ll need to master to play this sport:

• Serve: The serve starts the point and must go underhand into the service box diagonally opposite from the server. The return must be played off the bounce.
• Volley: When someone hits the ball before it bounces, it’s called a volley. It’s a staple shot in padel and is generally played near the net.
• Smash: A smash is a high shot usually played near the net, aimed towards the opponent’s feet.
• Bandaja: A shot that goes off the back wall before crossing the net.
• Chiquita: A short, sliced shot that surprises opponents by bouncing twice on their side of the court.

Conclusion

Learning the vocabulary of padel is an essential step in mastering this fun and challenging sport. Use this padel glossary to start learning the terms you’ll need to know to communicate with other players on the court. Get out there, hit some balls and have fun exploring all that padel has to offer!