The walls are what make padel padel. The core rule: your shot must bounce on the floor of your opponents' side before it touches their walls or fence. If it hits their glass or fence first, the shot is out.
On your side
- After the ball bounces on your side, it can hit your back or side walls and you can still play it before it bounces a second time.
- You can play the ball into your own walls to get it back over: the contrapared.
Glass vs fence
- The glass gives a predictable rebound. The metal fence (reja) gives a random one, which is why serves that hit the fence after bouncing are faults.
Playing outside the court
On courts with exits, a ball that bounces out over the walls (for example a por tres) can sometimes be chased and returned from outside. Many UK venues don't allow it for safety, so check local rules.
Related: bajada · all padel terms