# Padel guides, from rules to racket > Plain-English padel guides for UK players: the rules, how to serve, how to play, court dimensions, padel balls, padel vs pickleball and which racket to buy. Source: https://padelaiapp.com/guides Last updated: 2026-10-19 Everything a new or improving padel player asks, answered once and properly: the rules as the FIP writes them, how the serve works, how big the court is, what the ball is, how padel differs from pickleball, and which racket to buy. Written for players in the UK, with the measurements in metres and the prices in pounds where we can. - 22 guides - FIP rules, verified - UK English ## Start with the rules, finish with a racket - [Padel rules](https://padelaiapp.com/padel-rules): Scoring, the serve, the walls, lets and golden point, as the FIP rules state them. - [How to play padel](https://padelaiapp.com/how-to-play-padel): From booking a court to keeping score: the grip, the serve, four shots and the two rules. - [Padel serve rules](https://padelaiapp.com/padel-serve-rules): Underarm, below the waist, diagonal, two serves. Every serve rule plus the technique. - [Padel court dimensions](https://padelaiapp.com/padel-court-dimensions): Every measurement of a padel court, what the walls are made of, and what a court costs in the UK. - [Padel balls](https://padelaiapp.com/padel-balls): The FIP spec, how padel balls differ from tennis balls, and how long a can really lasts. - [Padel vs pickleball](https://padelaiapp.com/padel-vs-pickleball): Court, walls, ball, racket, scoring and cost compared, with every number verified. - [Best padel racket 2026](https://padelaiapp.com/rackets/best-padel-racket): Ten picks for club players, chosen on shape, balance and core rather than badge. - [Best padel racket for beginners](https://padelaiapp.com/rackets/best-padel-racket-for-beginners): Seven round, soft, low-balance rackets that forgive a first season, all under €200. - [Best padel racket for advanced players](https://padelaiapp.com/rackets/best-padel-racket-for-advanced-players): Eight pro-level rackets for league and tournament players, split by side and style. - [Best padel racket for control](https://padelaiapp.com/rackets/best-padel-racket-for-control): Eight round control rackets, what the control rating really measures, and which faces add spin. - [Best padel racket for intermediate players](https://padelaiapp.com/rackets/best-padel-racket-for-intermediate): Eight step-up rackets split by side: left-side finishers, right-side builders and all-rounders. - [Best padel racket for power](https://padelaiapp.com/rackets/best-padel-racket-for-power): Eight power rackets for the left-side finisher, what makes power, and which rough faces add spin. - [Best padel racket for tennis elbow](https://padelaiapp.com/rackets/best-padel-racket-for-tennis-elbow): Soft, round, low-balance rackets that send less shock up a sore arm, and what to avoid. - [Best padel racket under €100](https://padelaiapp.com/rackets/best-padel-racket-under-100): A strict list: eight rackets at €100 RRP or less, plus every other one that qualifies, sorted by rating. - [Cheap padel rackets](https://padelaiapp.com/rackets/cheap-padel-rackets): The best-rated rackets at the lowest prices, why last season is the value play, and where cheap stops being good. - [Best diamond padel racket](https://padelaiapp.com/rackets/diamond-padel-racket): Eight diamonds for the left-side finisher, and an honest list of who should not buy one. - [How to choose a padel racket](https://padelaiapp.com/rackets/how-to-choose-a-padel-racket): Seven decisions in the right order: level, side, shape, weight, core, arm and budget. - [Lightweight padel racket](https://padelaiapp.com/rackets/lightweight-padel-racket): The lightest rackets in a 1,418-model catalogue, from 280 g, and what padel racket weight really changes. - [Padel racket shapes explained](https://padelaiapp.com/rackets/padel-racket-shapes): Round, teardrop and diamond compared on 1,418 rackets: sweet spot, balance, power and who each suits. - [Best round padel racket](https://padelaiapp.com/rackets/round-padel-racket): Eight round rackets for control and a big sweet spot, from a €150 Nox to the Star Vie Kenta Pro. - [Best teardrop padel racket](https://padelaiapp.com/rackets/teardrop-padel-racket): Eight teardrops for the all-round player, from a €199 Head to the Coello Speed Pro X. - [Women's padel racket](https://padelaiapp.com/rackets/womens-padel-racket): What a women's model really changes, eight picks, and when a unisex racket is the better buy. ## Read in this order if you are new If you have never played, start with [how to play padel](https://padelaiapp.com/how-to-play-padel), which takes you from booking a court to your first game. Then read the [padel rules](https://padelaiapp.com/padel-rules) so the things that surprised you in that first game make sense, and the [serve rules](https://padelaiapp.com/padel-serve-rules), because the serve is where most beginners give away points. ### Then the court and the ball The [court dimensions](https://padelaiapp.com/padel-court-dimensions) guide explains the walls, the lines and why a padel court is a very different place from a tennis court. The [padel balls](https://padelaiapp.com/padel-balls) guide covers the one piece of kit everybody buys every month and almost nobody thinks about. If a friend keeps confusing the two sports, send them [padel vs pickleball](https://padelaiapp.com/padel-vs-pickleball). ### Then the racket Buy your first racket with the [beginner racket guide](https://padelaiapp.com/rackets/best-padel-racket-for-beginners), and your second with the [best padel racket](https://padelaiapp.com/rackets/best-padel-racket) guide. Both draw on the same catalogue of 1,418 rackets as our [brand pages](https://padelaiapp.com/rackets), and the [racket finder](https://padelaiapp.com/features/padel-racket-finder) in the app turns the same data into a shortlist for how you actually play. ### Where the facts come from Rules and measurements follow the International Padel Federation (FIP) rulebook, checked against the LTA's guidance for the UK. Racket specifications are the manufacturers' published figures. When a guide gives a price, a court count or a participation figure, it links to the source. ## Questions about getting into padel ### Where should a complete beginner start with padel? Book a court with a friend who has played, borrow a racket, and read how to play padel first. The rules matter less than you think on day one: the game is easy to start and hard to master, and most of what you need is to get to the net and let the ball bounce before it hits the glass. ### Are the padel rules the same in the UK as everywhere else? Yes. Padel is governed worldwide by the International Padel Federation (FIP), and the LTA, which runs padel in Great Britain, applies the FIP rules. Club nights sometimes simplify scoring with a golden point at deuce, which is also within the rules. ### How much does it cost to start playing padel? A court in the UK typically costs between about 30 and 60 pounds an hour, split between four players, and most venues hire rackets for a few pounds. A first racket of your own costs 60 to 150 pounds, and a tube of three balls around 6 to 9 pounds. Padel shoes are optional at first: clay-court tennis trainers work. ### Do these guides replace lessons? No. They explain the rules, the kit and the basics so a lesson is not wasted on them. For technique, the fastest route is a coach or a video of yourself: Padel AI scores six techniques from one match video and tells you which one to work on.