Padel Terms Explained: The Padel Glossary for New Players

Your first padel game usually comes with a second language. Someone yells "globo," your partner asks if you want to play "Australian," and the scorekeeper mentions a "Star Point" you've never heard of.

Most of it is Spanish, because that's where the modern game grew up. The good news is you only need a couple dozen terms to follow what's happening, and most of them describe ideas you already know from tennis or pickleball.

This glossary is grouped by situation instead of strictly A to Z, so the terms you'll hear together sit together. Where a term means different things in different places (and a few do), we've said so.

The Terms You'll Hear in Your First Week

If you only learn ten, learn these:

Padel Court Terms

Pista. The court. A regulation padel court is 20 meters long and 10 meters wide, which is about 66 by 33 feet. It's fully enclosed.

Cristal (glass). The glass walls at the back and along part of each side. They're part of the playing surface, not a boundary you have to avoid.

Malla (fence or mesh). The metal mesh that makes up the rest of the enclosure. Balls bounce off it much less predictably than off glass.

Red (net). The net is 88 cm (about 34.6 in) high in the center and 92 cm (about 36 in) at the posts.

Wall heights. The back walls are 4 meters high: 3 meters of glass plus 1 meter of mesh on top. Most of the side walls are 3 meters. Those two numbers matter later when we get to por tres and por cuatro.

Service line. The line on each side, 6.95 meters from the net, that you serve from behind.

Revés and derecha (sides of the court). These are the Spanish words for backhand and forehand, but players also use them for the two halves of the court. The revés side is the left side, and the derecha (or drive) side is the right side, looking from your own baseline. Most regular partners pick a side and stay on it.

Out-of-court play. On courts built with open doorways and enough clear space outside, the ball can leave the court over the wall or through the door and a player can run out and play it back. Not every court is built for this, so check before you sprint out the door.

Padel Scoring Terms

Padel uses tennis scoring: 15, 30, 40, game, with sets to six games and a tiebreak at 6-6. The difference is what happens at 40-40.

Deuce (iguales). 40-40. What happens next depends on the format you're playing.

Advantage (ventaja). The traditional tennis rule. You need to win two points in a row from deuce.

Golden Point (punto de oro). At 40-40, one deciding point wins the game. The receiving pair chooses which player receives it. The World Padel Tour adopted it from its 2020 season, and it's still the default in a lot of social play because it keeps games moving.

Star Point. The newest format, and the one that confuses people most right now. From the first deuce, you play up to two advantages as normal. If the game reaches deuce a third time, one deciding point (the Star Point) settles it, and the receiving pair picks the side. The International Padel Federation (FIP) added it to the rules for 2026, and it's used on the Premier Padel pro tour and in USA Padel-sanctioned tournaments.

So if someone says "golden point" and someone else says "Star Point," they're not describing the same thing. For a casual match, agree on the deuce rule before the first serve. It saves an argument at 40-40.

Love. Zero, same as tennis.

Break. Winning a game on your opponents' serve.

Super tiebreak. A tiebreak played to 10 points (win by two) instead of 7, often used in place of a deciding third set.

Let (repetición). The point is replayed. The most common one is a serve that clips the net and still lands in the correct box.

Serving Terms

Underhand serve. Every padel serve is underhand. You stand behind the service line, bounce the ball, and hit it at or below waist height, diagonally into your opponents' service box. You get two attempts, like tennis.

Double fault. Missing both serves. You lose the point.

Serve into the fence. A serve that bounces in the box and then hits the mesh is a fault. A serve that bounces in and hits the glass is fine. This one catches a lot of new players.

Australian formation. Both players on the serving team start on the same side of the court, and the server crosses over after serving. Pros use it mostly so each player can end up on their preferred side (often keeping the left-side player on the left). You'll see it explained online as a way to hide a weak backhand. That can be a side benefit, but positioning is the main reason.

Padel Overheads: Bandeja, Vibora and the Rest

This is where padel vocabulary gets serious, because padel has a whole family of overheads where tennis and pickleball mostly have one: the smash. Coaches often say padel has eight overhead variations. These are the ones worth knowing.

Bandeja. The signature padel shot. Spanish for "tray," because the racket position looks a bit like a waiter carrying one. It's a controlled overhead hit with slice, aimed deep so the ball stays low off the back glass. The goal isn't to win the point. It's to keep you at the net when your opponents lob.

Vibora. "Viper." Often confused with the bandeja, and fair enough, since they start from a similar position. The vibora is hit harder and with more side spin, so the ball skids awkwardly off the side glass. Think of the bandeja as holding your ground and the vibora as holding it while pushing back.

Remate (smash). "Finish." The full-power overhead. In padel, a flat smash from the middle of the court often just bounces off the back glass and comes back to your opponents at a comfortable height, which is why players reach for the other options so often.

Kick smash. A smash hit with topspin so the ball kicks up hard off the back glass. Hit well, it bounces out of the court or back toward the net.

Por tres (x3). "For three." A kick smash that bounces off the back glass and leaves the court over the 3-meter side wall. It's a winner unless your opponents can chase it outside.

Por cuatro (x4). "For four." A flat smash, usually from close to the net, hit down so hard it bounces up and out over the 4-meter back wall.

Rulo. "Roll." A topspin overhead usually aimed into the side mesh, where the bounce is hard to predict. Some coaches compare it to a relaxed kick serve.

Gancho. "Hook." An overhead with a higher contact point and little spin, often used when a lob drifts slightly behind you. It's a quieter, more controlled shot than it sounds.

Wall Shots

The walls are what make padel padel. Two terms come up constantly:

Salida de pared. "Coming off the wall." Letting the ball bounce, hit the glass and then playing it as it comes back to you. Reading these rebounds is usually the biggest jump from beginner to intermediate.

Contrapared. Hitting the ball into your own back or side wall so it rebounds over the net. It's a last-resort recovery shot when the ball has gotten past you.

A few more you'll hear as you improve:

Bajada (bajada de pared). "Bringing down." When a high ball comes off the back glass, you attack it on the way down instead of just getting it back.

Cuchilla. "Knife blade." An attacking cross between a bajada and a vibora, hit with side spin.

Doble pared. When the ball hits two walls before you play it. Doble pared que abre (side wall, then back wall) "opens" toward the middle. Doble pared que cierra (back wall, then side wall) "closes" toward the side.

The rule to remember: on your opponents' side, the ball has to bounce on the floor before it hits any wall. If it hits their glass or mesh first, it's out.

Groundstrokes, Volleys and Touch Shots

Derecha. Forehand.

Revés. Backhand.

Volea. Volley, hit before the ball bounces. Padel has no kitchen, so you can volley right at the net.

Bloqueo. A block. A short, compact volley that absorbs a hard shot instead of swinging at it.

Globo. The lob. In tennis, a lob often feels like a desperation shot. In padel, it's the main way to push the net team back and take the net yourself.

Chiquita. "Little one." A soft, low ball from the back of the court that dips at the feet of the players at the net, so they have to volley up. It's the shot you play to set up a move forward.

Dejada. A drop shot. Soft, usually with backspin, landing just over the net.

Dormilona. "Sleepy one." A delicate drop at the net, hit with backspin so the ball barely clears and dies on the other side. It's often played against a ball that's come back toward the net after an opponent's smash. Heads up: one well-ranked glossary describes the dormilona as a backspin smash that bounces back over the net. That's not how coaches and pros use the term. It's a touch shot, not a smash.

Chancletazo. From chancla, a flip-flop, so roughly "a smack with a flip-flop." An aggressive, flat forehand put-away hit by a player very close to the net when they get an easy ball. The name comes from the sound and the swing.

Plano. "Flat." A flat shot hit low over the net, usually after the bounce.

Passing shot. A ball that gets past the net players and out of their reach.

Willy. A shot played between your legs, facing away from the net. Usually a defensive escape, occasionally a highlight.

Social Formats and Slang

Americano. A social format where you rotate partners and opponents every round and add up your individual points. Great for meeting people at a new club.

Mexicano. Similar to an Americano, but pairings change based on the scores so far, so you end up playing people at a similar level.

Vamos. "Let's go." Encouragement, celebration, or both.

Punto eterno. A "never-ending point." Long rallies are normal in padel because the walls keep the ball alive.

Freezer. A tactic where a team hits nearly every ball to one opponent. It can wear that player down and leave their partner standing around cold.

Padel Racket Terms

Pala. The racket. It has a solid, perforated face with no strings, and a strap you wear around your wrist so it can't fly into the glass.

Shape. Round, teardrop or diamond. Shape mostly decides where the sweet spot sits and how forgiving the racket is. We go deep on this in our guide to padel racket shapes, but the short version: round for learning, teardrop for growing, diamond for finishing.

Core (EVA or foam). The material inside the racket. Harder cores feel firmer and more powerful when you hit them well. Softer cores feel more cushioned. Our post on padel racket core density covers the trade-offs.

Sweet spot. The part of the face that gives you the cleanest, most predictable response.

Balance. Where the weight sits. Head-heavy rackets add power but feel slower. Head-light rackets feel quicker in the hands.

Overgrip. A thin wrap that goes over the handle for tack and comfort. You replace it when it wears out.

If You're Coming From Pickleball

Some of this will feel familiar, and some of it will trip you up. A quick translation:

The biggest adjustment is usually the walls. Your instinct will be to hit the ball before it reaches the glass. A lot of the time, the better play is to let it come off the wall and give yourself more time.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a bandeja and a vibora?

Both are sliced overheads hit from a similar position. The bandeja is controlled and defensive, aimed to keep you at the net. The vibora is hit harder with more side spin, so it skids off the side glass and puts more pressure on your opponents.

What is golden point in padel?

At 40-40, the next point wins the game, and the receiving pair chooses who receives. Many clubs still use it for social play.

What is a Star Point in padel?

A scoring format added by the FIP for 2026. From deuce you play up to two advantages. If the game reaches deuce a third time, one deciding point (the Star Point) wins it. It's used on the pro tour and in USA Padel-sanctioned events.

What does "por tres" mean in padel?

"For three." It's a kick smash that comes off the back glass and leaves the court over the 3-meter side wall. "Por cuatro" is a flat smash that goes out over the 4-meter back wall.

Why are so many padel terms in Spanish?

The game was invented in Mexico in 1969 and grew into a major sport in Spain and Argentina, where most top professionals still come from. The vocabulary came with it.

What is a chiquita in padel?

A soft, low shot from the back of the court that lands at the feet of the players at the net. It forces them to volley up, which gives you a chance to move forward.

Can you hit the ball off the walls in padel?

Yes. You can let the ball bounce and come off your own walls before playing it, and you can hit it into your own walls to send it back. On your opponents' side, though, the ball has to bounce on the floor before touching their walls.

Final Thoughts

You don't need to memorize all of this before your first game. Learn the shots you'll actually play (globo, bandeja, volea, salida de pared), agree on golden point or Star Point before you start, and the rest will come from hearing it on court.

The one term worth taking seriously early is bandeja. It's the shot that separates padel from every other racket sport, and it's the one your partner will be shouting about.

When you're ready for your own pala, our padel racket range runs from the round, forgiving Mint Maitre for new players up to the diamond-shaped Majeste and Manouvre for advanced players. Every racket comes with a cover, SiliGrip Ringz™ on the handle, a Mint Super Strap and an edge guard. And if you need balls, our Cannonballz™ padel balls are FIP approved.