Padel Glossary

Padel Guide: How to Play · Shots Explained · Glossary

Padel comes from Spain and Argentina, so a lot of its language is Spanish. Here's what you'll hear on court.

The game

Americano – a social format where you rotate partners each round and track individual points.
Mexicano – like an Americano, but partners and opponents are matched on current standings each round.
Deuce – 40-40 in a game.
Golden point (punto de oro) – at deuce, the next point wins the game. The receiving team picks which side to receive on.
Fault – an illegal serve, such as missing the box or hitting the mesh after the bounce.
Let – a serve that clips the net and lands in the box. It's replayed.
Tiebreak – played at 6-6 in a set. First to 7 points, winning by 2.
Double bounce – the ball bouncing twice on your side. You lose the point.

Glass (cristal) – the glass back and side walls. Ball rebounds are predictable.
Mesh / fence (reja, malla) – the metal fencing. Rebounds are unpredictable.
Service box – the area between the net and the service line on one side of the centre line.
Service line – the line about 7m from the net that the server stands behind.
Drive side – the right side of the court (for the player standing in it).
Reves side – the left side of the court. Also called the backhand side.
Exits / open court – gaps in the side walls that let players run outside to retrieve a ball.

Full explanations and video tutorials for each shot are on Padel Shots Explained.

Bajada – an attacking shot hit at height after the ball comes off the back glass.
Bandeja – a controlled sliced overhead used to keep the net. Spanish for "tray".
Bloqueo – a block volley that absorbs a hard ball.
Chiquita – a soft, low shot to the feet of the net players.
Contrapared – hitting the ball into your own wall so it rebounds over the net.
Cruzado – a cross-court shot.
Dejada – a drop shot that dies just over the net.
Doble pared – a ball that hits two walls before you play it.
Drive – forehand.
Gancho – a quick hook overhead into the side mesh, usually from the left side.
Globo – a lob.
Paralelo – a shot straight down the line.
Por cuatro (x4) – a flat smash near the net that bounces out over the 4m back wall.
Por tres (x3) – a smash that bounces, hits the back glass and exits over the 3m side wall.
Remate – a smash.
Resto – return of serve.
Reves – backhand.
Rulo – a kick (topspin) smash that bounces high off the glass.
Salida de pared – playing the ball after it comes off the back glass.
Saque – the serve.
Vibora – an aggressive overhead with heavy slice and sidespin. Spanish for "viper".
Volea – a volley.

Pala – Spanish for padel racket.
Round shape – sweet spot low and central. More control and forgiveness. Best for beginners and control players.
Teardrop shape – the all-rounder. A balance of power and control.
Diamond shape – sweet spot high on the face. Maximum power on overheads, less forgiving.
Balance – where the weight sits. Head-heavy adds power; low or even balance adds control and manoeuvrability.
Core (EVA / foam) – the inner material. Soft cores give more comfort and ball output; hard cores give more control and power for fast swings.
Carbon / fibreglass face – the outer layer. Carbon is stiffer and more powerful; fibreglass is softer and more forgiving. Numbers like 3K, 12K or 18K refer to the carbon weave.
Overgrip – a thin replaceable wrap over the handle for grip and sweat absorption.
Wrist strap (cordon) – the cord on the handle. It must be worn on your wrist.
Demo racket – a racket you can play with before buying. Find a DemoPadel location.

New to the game? Start with How to Play Padel →