Padel glossary: the terms you will hear on court

Padel has a vocabulary of its own, a mix of tennis terms, words from Spain and Argentina and very Mexican expressions. Most of it is used in Spanish even by English speakers, so this glossary gives the Spanish term with an English explanation. If someone shouts "¡bandeja!" or "¡por 4!" at your first game and you do not know what they mean, this is for you. Terms are grouped by topic and, within each topic, in alphabetical order.

The court and equipment

• Cancha: the court, 20 by 10 metres, enclosed by walls and mesh. In Mexico it is always cancha.
• Cordón: the racket's wrist strap. Wearing it is mandatory.
• Cristal or vidrio: the transparent tempered-glass walls. On older courts they are concrete.
• Cuadro de saque: each of the two service boxes between the net and the service line, where the serve must bounce.
• Línea de saque: the service line, parallel to the net and 6.95 metres from it.
• Malla or reja: the metal mesh that closes the court above and beside the walls. A ball that hits the mesh bounces unpredictably.
• Overgrip: the thin tape wrapped over the racket handle to improve grip.
• Pala: the padel racket, solid, perforated and with no strings.
• Punto dulce: the sweet spot, where the ball comes off best. Its size and position depend on the racket's shape.
• Redonda, lágrima and diamante: round, teardrop and diamond, the three main racket shapes, from most control to most power.

Positions and tactics

• Drive: the player on the right side of the court. It is also the word for a forehand.
• Revés: the player on the left side. It is also the backhand.
• Cruzado: a cross-court shot, from one side to the other.
• Paralelo: a straight shot, down the side wall.
• Por el centro: down the middle, between the two opponents, to create doubt. One of the most effective shots in amateur padel.
• Subir a la red: moving up to about two metres from the net to attack. The pair moves up and back together.
• Tierra de nadie: no man's land, the middle of the court between the back and the net, where defending is very hard.

Shots

• Bajada de pared: an attacking shot on a ball that comes high off the back wall, hit hard before it drops.
• Bandeja: an overhead with slice and moderate pace, used to answer a lob without giving up the net.
• Chiquita: a soft, low ball that drops at the feet of opponents at the net, forcing them to hit up.
• Contrapared: hitting the ball against your own wall so it crosses the net. A defensive resource.
• Dejada: a drop shot that lands just over the net and barely bounces.
• Globo: a lob, a high ball over opponents at the net that sends them back.
• Rulo: a smash with heavy topspin that bounces and kicks hard towards the back wall.
• Remate: the smash, the overhead hit with maximum power.
• Remate por 3: a smash that bounces and leaves the court over the side wall.
• Remate por 4: a smash that bounces and leaves the court over the back wall.
• Salida de pared: returning a ball after letting it come off the wall. The core skill of padel.
• Víbora: an overhead more aggressive than the bandeja, with side slice that makes the ball come off the wall low.
• Volea: a volley, hitting the ball before it bounces, usually near the net.

Serve and scoring

• Doble falta: a double fault, missing both serve attempts. Point to the other pair.
• Iguales: deuce, when both pairs reach 40 in a game.
• Juego: a game, the unit of a set. Won with four points (15, 30, 40, game) and a two-point margin, or with the golden point.
• Let: a serve that clips the net and lands in the correct box. It is replayed.
• Punto de oro: the golden point. At deuce a single point decides the game, and the receiving pair chooses the side.
• Set: won by reaching six games with a two-game margin. At 6-6 a tie-break is played.
• Súper tie-break: a 10-point tie-break that replaces the third set in many amateur matches.
• Tie-break: the 7-point decider played at 6-6 in a set.
• Ventaja: advantage, the point won after deuce. If the pair with advantage wins the next point, they take the game.

Club life

• Americana: a social event where you sign up alone and change partner every round. Scoring is individual.
• Mexicana: a variant of the americana where pairs are set by the current standings.
• Partido abierto: an open match, usually posted in an app, that players who do not know each other can join at a similar level.
• Reta: an informal match. "Echarse una reta" means playing just for fun; the word also names the "winner stays on" format.
• Nivel: level, the number that sums up how well you play. On MeetAndPlay it runs from 0 to 7.
• Clase: a lesson with a coach, one-to-one or in a group, to learn or improve technique.
• Torneo: a tournament with an entry fee, a draw and prizes. It may be an internal club event, regional, or with a federation ranking.

Things you will hear

• "¡Tuya!" / "¡Mía!": "yours" / "mine", telling your partner who takes the ball. Shout it before, not after.
• "¡Pared!": "wall!", telling your partner to let the ball pass because it will come off the wall.
• "¡Fuera!": "out!", the ball will leave the court or hit the opponents' mesh directly. Better not to touch it.
• "¡Quieto!": "stay!", telling your partner to hold their position.
• "Cambio": "switch", changing sides with your partner during the point, for example after a lob.

Missing a term?

Padel changes fast and every club has its own words. If you hear one that is not here, ask on court: padel players always have time to explain a shot. And if you want to put all this into practice, find a match at your level on MeetAndPlay.