Padel and pickleball are both easy-to-learn racket sports usually played in doubles, but they feel very different. Padel is played on an enclosed court with glass walls you can use after the ball bounces, with tennis scoring. Pickleball has no walls, a non-volley zone called the Kitchen, a two-bounce rule and games to 11 where only the serving team scores. Pick padel if you like fast rallies and angles; pick pickleball if you want the simplest start.
USA Pickleball calls pickleball the fastest-growing sport in the US, and the LTA says padel is one of the fastest growing sports in the world, so it's no surprise they get compared. Both are social, quick to pick up and mostly played as doubles. I read the LTA's padel pages and USA Pickleball's how-to-play guide. Here's how they compare, rule by rule.
Padel and pickleball at a glance
| Padel | Pickleball | |
|---|---|---|
| Usually played as | Doubles, on courts built for four | Doubles or singles |
| Court | Enclosed, with glass walls, roughly 25% smaller than a tennis court | Open court with a non-volley zone either side of the net |
| Serve | Underarm, after one bounce | Underhand or a drop serve, hit crosscourt |
| Walls | You can play the ball off the walls after it bounces | No walls in play |
| Special rule | The ball must bounce on the other side before it hits a wall | Two-bounce rule and the Kitchen |
| Scoring | Like tennis: 15, 30, 40, game; six games with a two-game lead for a set | Only the serving team scores; games to 11, win by 2 |
| Kit | A padel bat made of EVA foam with holes, and a ball | A paddle and a pickleball |
How padel plays
The LTA describes padel as a mix between tennis and squash. Points start with an underarm serve after one bounce, the ball has to bounce on your opponents' side before it touches the walls, and once it's bounced on your side you can play it off the glass. That's the bit that makes padel feel so different: a ball you'd have lost in tennis can come back off the wall, so rallies keep going and you learn angles fast.
The courts are built for four. The LTA says around 90% of padel courts in the world are doubles-specific, so turn up expecting to play with a partner. For a first bat, the LTA suggests a round shape, because it gives beginners the most control.
How pickleball plays
USA Pickleball's guide keeps the rules short. The serve is underhand, below the waist, or a drop serve, hit crosscourt and landing beyond the Kitchen line. Then comes the two-bounce rule: the serve must bounce and the return must bounce before anyone can volley. The Kitchen, officially the non-volley zone, is the 14-foot area around the net, 7 feet on each side, and you can't volley while standing in it.
Scoring's the part that confuses newcomers. Only the serving team can score, in doubles each player serves before the serve passes across, and the score is called as three numbers, which is why games start with the call 0-0-2. Most games go to 11 and you have to win by 2.
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Picking between the two
- You've played tennis or squash: padel will feel familiar, and the walls reward the reflexes you already have.
- You want the gentlest start for a mixed group: pickleball's short rules and slower first bounces make it easy for everyone.
- You want to play singles: pickleball, because padel courts are mostly built for doubles.
- You like strategy at the net: pickleball's Kitchen rule makes placement matter more than power.
- You want the most court time per booking: padel's walls keep the ball in play longer.
Already playing a sport like this? My guide to getting started with golf covers another one you can learn later in life, and this calisthenics plan for beginners builds the strength that keeps you on court.
My advice on padel or pickleball
Try both. An hour on court tells you more than any guide, and the right one is the one you'll keep booking. If you're choosing a regular game for friends, colleagues or clients, padel's doubles format and walls make it the more social of the two; pickleball is ahead on ease of starting and on finding a game for one or two people. Whichever you choose, get the serve rules right from the first session, because that's what new players most often get wrong.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the main difference between padel and pickleball?
Padel is played on an enclosed court where you can use the walls after the ball bounces, with tennis scoring. Pickleball has no walls, a non-volley zone called the Kitchen and games to 11 where only the serving team scores.
Is padel or pickleball easier for beginners?
Both are designed to be easy to pick up. Pickleball's two-bounce rule slows the start of every point, while padel's walls keep rallies going, so beginners often find each easy in a different way.
Can you play padel singles?
Some courts are built for singles, but the LTA says around 90% of padel courts are doubles-specific, so most padel is doubles.
What is the Kitchen in pickleball?
It's the non-volley zone, the 14-foot area around the net, 7 feet on each side. You can't volley while standing in it.
How is padel scored?
The LTA says padel scoring follows tennis: 15, 30, 40, game, with a set won by reaching six games with a two-game lead.
