Can you hit the ball on the other side of the net in padel?

Usually not: if you hit the ball before it has crossed the net to your side, you lose the point (FIP Rule 13f). There is one important exception. If your shot bounces correctly in the opponents' court and comes back over the net (usually through backspin or wind), they may reach over and play it on your side, as long as they don't touch the net, posts or your court (FIP Rule 14g).

What the rules say

Four rules work together here.

• FIP Rule 13f: a pair loses the point if a player hits the ball before it has crossed the net. The ball must come to you; you can't go and meet it on the other side.
• FIP Rule 14g: if a ball bounces correctly in a pair's court and then goes back over the net to the hitter's side (typically through backspin or wind), the receiving pair may play it on the other side. That is only valid if they don't touch the net, the posts or the other court with their body, clothing or racket, and the return otherwise meets the normal conditions of a correct return (14a–f).
• FIP Rule 13a: touching the net, posts, tension cable or any part of the opponents' court while the ball is in play loses the point, whatever the reason.
• FIP Rule 13n: jumping over the net during the point loses the point.

It is worth being clear about what the FIP rulebook does not address. There is no separate rule about reaching over the net in general, and nothing specific about a follow-through that carries your racket across the net plane. What the rulebook does cover is where the ball is when you hit it (13f) and whether you touch the net or the other court (13a). Those two tests answer almost every real situation.

Real match situations

1. Poaching a weak volley above the net

Your opponent pops up a soft volley right on top of the net. You lean in and hit it while it is still on their side. That is a lost point (FIP Rule 13f), even if your shot is unreturnable. Wait half a second for it to cross, then put it away.

2. Your follow-through crosses the net

You hit a high ball on your own side of the net and, on the follow-through, your racket passes over the net without touching it. The rulebook doesn't specifically cover follow-throughs. The ball was struck on your side, so 13f isn't broken, and nothing touched the net or the other court, so 13a isn't broken either. Play continues. If your racket clips the tape, though, you lose the point under 13a.

3. A drop shot with heavy backspin comes back

Your opponents play a drop shot that bounces on your side and, with backspin, drifts back over the net to their side. You may reach over and play it there (FIP Rule 14g), as long as your body, clothing and racket stay off the net, the posts and their court. Your shot then has to be a correct return in the usual way.

4. Reaching over and touching their ground

Same situation, but to reach the ball you plant your racket on the ground on their side for balance. That is touching the opponents' court while the ball is in play, so you lose the point (FIP Rule 13a). Rule 14g is explicit that the exception only applies without that contact.

5. A net cord that drops on your side

Your opponent's return clips the net and dribbles over, landing a few centimetres from the net on your side. That is a correct return (Rule 14e). You can play it, but carefully: the ball is right by the net, so a lunge that brushes the tape loses the point (13a).

6. Hurdling the net for a spinning ball

A ball spins back hard and lands well inside the opponents' court. You can't reach it from your side, so you jump over. That is a lost point under Rule 13n, however athletic it looks.

Common misconceptions

• “Your racket can never cross the net.” The rulebook has no such rule. The tests are where you hit the ball (13f) and whether you touch the net or the other court (13a).
• “You can hit the ball as soon as it's above the net.” The ball has to have crossed the net (13f). A ball sitting on top of the tape on their side is not yet yours.
• “A ball that spins back over the net is automatically a winner.” Not if the receiving pair reaches over and plays it legally under Rule 14g.
• “You can run round the net post to chase a ball.” The FIP rulebook doesn't address a ball crossing outside the posts, and going round the net usually means leaving the court. At clubs where out-of-court play isn't authorised, being outside the court when you hit loses the point (Rule 13p). Our guide to out-of-court play explains when that changes.

Social games vs official matches

In official matches the umpire decides whether the ball had crossed the net when you hit it. That is a judgement call, often made in a fraction of a second. In social games, the convention is that the player who hit the ball is honest about it, and that genuine doubt goes in favour of the hitter or leads to a replay, as you prefer. Agree on that before you start.

The rule on balls that come back over the net (14g) also catches many club players by surprise. Before a match against new opponents, it is worth a quick check that everyone knows a spinning ball can be played over the net. It prevents arguments later.

Tactical tips

• Be patient at the net. When a ball floats up on the tape, let it come to you. The extra moment rarely costs you the winner, and it never costs you the point under 13f.
• Use the spin-back ball, but stay clean. If a drop shot is coming back over, a gentle reach and tap is enough. Big swings near the net are how players touch it.
• Know your distance. Positioning a step or two back from the net, rather than right on it, gives you room to let balls cross and still attack them. Our pages on the volley and positioning in doubles go into detail.

Frequently asked questions

See our guide can you touch the net in padel for more on net contact, or the full rules of padel.

Sources

• FIP Rules of Padel (official rulebook)