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Rule 8: the return of serve

Source: FIP rulebook, revision 01.01.2026.

How do you return serve in padel?

  1. The receiving player must wait for the ball to bounce inside their receiving box and strike it before it bounces on the ground a second time.

  2. The pair receiving serve in the first game of each set decides which of its members receives first. That player will continue to receive the first service of each game until the end of the set.

  3. Each player receives serve alternately during the game. Once the order has been decided, it may not be altered during that set or tie-break.

  4. If during a game or tie-break the receiving order is altered, play must continue that way until the end of the game or tie-break in which the error occurred.

  5. If the receiving player or their partner is struck by the ball, or touches it with the racket before it has bounced, the point is awarded to the serving player.