Padel Etiquette: The Unwritten Rules on Bangkok Courts

Why manners matter more in padel

Quick take. Turn up on time in court shoes, feed easy balls in the warm-up, wait for the returner before you serve, call your own faults, roll the balls back to the server and leave the court on time for the next group. A few of these are in the official rules; most are simply how good club players behave.

Padel is always doubles, on a court of 20 by 10 metres closed in by glass. Four people share a small space, often with friends of friends you met on a booking app ten minutes earlier. That is a big part of the fun in Bangkok, and it is also why etiquette matters: one player who serves before you are ready, or never admits the ball touched them, can spoil an hour for everyone.

Below are the unwritten rules most experienced players follow, plus the handful that are written into the International Padel Federation (FIP) Rules of Padel, so you know which ones are manners and which ones cost you the point.

Before you step on court

• Be on time. Courts are booked in fixed slots and the next group will not wait. Arrive about five minutes early to change shoes, so the first ball is hit at the start of your booking.
• Wear proper court shoes. Padel or tennis shoes with a herringbone or omni sole grip the sandy turf. Running shoes slip, and can damage the surface. Our guide to padel shoes in Bangkok lists where to buy them.
• Take off rings, bracelets and dangling earrings. In a glass box with fast rackets they are a safety risk.
• Bring balls when it is your turn. In a regular group, take turns bringing a fresh tube.
• Bags on the ground, not on the bench, so there is room for everyone to sit at the changeover.
• Pay your share. When one player books and pays for the court, send your share promptly and say thanks.

The warm-up

The FIP rules give an official match a compulsory three-minute "courtesy rally" before play. In a friendly game the warm-up usually runs a little longer, but the idea is the same: it is a courtesy, not a contest.

• Feed easy balls to your opponent's comfortable side, so rallies keep going.
• Don't smash in the warm-up. Save it for the match; use the time for volleys, lobs and the bandeja.
• Share the time. After a couple of minutes, switch who you are hitting with, so all four players get touches at the net and at the back.

During the point

• Check the returner is ready before you serve. A quick look or eye contact is enough. Serving while your opponent is still walking back is the fastest way to start an argument. (Our serve rules guide covers the written rules.)
• Talk to your partner. Call "mine" or "yours" early and clearly; it avoids racket clashes. More in how to talk to your padel partner.
• Call your own faults. If the ball touches you, your clothes or your racket handle, say so at once, even if nobody else saw it. If you are not sure whether the ball bounced twice before you hit it, give the point to the other side.
• Celebrate, but kindly. A fist pump or a "vamos" is part of padel. Celebrating an opponent's mistake, or sarcastic clapping, is not.
• Don't freeze anyone out in a friendly game. Hitting every ball to the weaker player is a tactic in a competition, but in a social Americano it makes the game dull for everyone. (See Americano vs Mexicano for how those games work.)
• Phones stay in the bag. The messages can wait until the changeover.

Etiquette or rule? The common moments

What happens	Official FIP rule	Good etiquette
The ball touches you or your clothes	You lose the point	Call it yourself, straight away
You or your racket touch the net while the ball is in play	You lose the point	Own up, even if nobody saw
You hit the ball twice, or both partners hit it	You lose the point	Call it, don't argue
A ball from the next court rolls in and could get in the way	Let: play the point again	Shout "ball!" at once and roll it back
You put an opponent off by accident	Let the first time; a second time loses the point	Say sorry
Your shot clips the net cord and wins	The point stands	Raise a hand to say sorry
Your smash hits an opponent	The player hit loses the point	Check they are fine; no celebration

Between points and games

• Send the balls back to the server. Roll them along the ground or toss them gently underarm. Don't fire them across the court, and don't leave the server chasing them.
• Keep the pace steady. The rules allow up to 20 seconds between points and 90 seconds when you change ends, which happens after the first, third and every odd game. Nobody minds a quick drink at the changeover in Bangkok's heat (see our guide to playing padel in the heat), but don't stretch it.

After the match

• Tap rackets or shake hands with all three players and say "good game", whatever the score.
• Leave on time. Pick up your bottles and rubbish so the next group can start their booking on the minute. Talk over the match off court.
• Thank whoever organised it. Booking a court and finding four players is real work.
• Stay for a drink if you can. In Bangkok, the drink after the game is where a lot of new playing partners are found.

The golden rule

Padel is a social game first. Be fair, call the ball honestly, and leave the court better than you found it. Do that and you will never be short of games. Find your next one on the tournaments and events page or pick a club from our list of Bangkok courts, and join the Bangkok Padel Community on Facebook to find partners at your level.

Sources

• FIP Rules of Padel (International Padel Federation)
• Padel Etiquette: The Unwritten Rules of the Court (Minter Dial)
• Padel Court Etiquette: The Unwritten Rules Every Player Should Know (Padel Browser)