Can you touch the net in padel?
No: if you, your racket or anything you wear or carry touches the net, the posts or the tension cable while the ball is in play, your pair loses the point (FIP Rule 13a). The same applies to touching any part of the opponents' court. The key word is “while the ball is in play”: once the point has been decided, the net is just a net again.
Touching the net, posts or tension cable with your body, racket, clothing or anything you carry loses the point, as long as the ball is still in play (FIP Rule 13a). Jumping over the net during a point also loses it (13n). After the point is over, touching the net doesn't matter.
What the rules say
Three rules cover the net directly.
- FIP Rule 13a: a pair loses the point if a player, their racket, or anything they wear or carry touches the net, the posts, the tension cable or any part of the opponents' court while the ball is in play.
- FIP Rule 13b: an exception for courts where out-of-court play is authorised. There, the vertical post dividing the door openings is a neutral zone above 0.92 m, and any player may touch or hold it.
- FIP Rule 13n: a pair loses the point if any player jumps over the net during the point.
To apply 13a you need to know when the ball is “in play”. FIP Rule 12 says the ball is in play from a valid serve until a let is called or the point is decided. That means the ball is still in play after your winning shot bounces, until it has bounced twice, gone out, or the point has been settled some other way.
Notice what is not on the list. The ball touching the net is not a problem in itself: a return that touches the net or posts and lands in the opponents' court is a correct return (FIP Rule 14e). The rule is about players and their equipment, not the ball.
Rule 13a also mentions “any part of the opponents' court”. Rule 12 defines the parts of the court as the ground, the inside of the walls, the metal mesh fence including its frame, the net and the posts. So reaching across and touching the opponents' ground or glass with your racket while the ball is live costs you the point in the same way.
Touching the net after the point has been decided; the ball itself touching the net; standing very close to the net without contact; on authorised out-of-court courts, holding the dividing door post above 0.92 m (Rule 13b).
Touching the net, posts or tension cable with your body, racket, cap, sleeve or anything you carry while the ball is in play (Rule 13a); touching the opponents' court; jumping over the net during the point (Rule 13n).
Real match situations
1. Winning volley, then you brush the net
You punch a volley at the net. It bounces in the opponents' court and is clearly unreachable, but before it bounces a second time your momentum carries your racket into the net tape. The ball was still in play, so you lose the point (FIP Rule 13a). This is the most common net-touch in club padel.
2. You touch the net after the ball has bounced twice
Same volley, but you only stumble into the net after the ball has bounced twice on the other side. The point was already yours (Rule 13c), so the ball is no longer in play and the touch doesn't count.
3. Your cap falls into the net
You lunge for a drop shot and your cap flies off and lands against the net while the rally continues. Rule 13a includes anything a player wears or carries, so your pair loses the point. The same applies to a towel, a spare ball falling out of a pocket, or a loose sweatband.
4. Your follow-through hits the post
You hit a wide ball near the side of the court and your racket clips the net post on the follow-through. Posts are named in Rule 13a, so if the ball is still in play, you lose the point.
5. The opponent touches the net first
Your opponent at the net touches the tape with their racket while reaching for your lob, then you smash the next ball into the net. The point ended the moment they touched the net, because the ball was in play (Rule 13a). It's your point, and the later smash doesn't matter.
6. Jumping the net to chase a ball
A ball bounces on your side and spins back over the net. Your instinct is to hurdle the net to chase it. Don't: jumping over the net during the point loses it (FIP Rule 13n). Rule 14g does allow you to reach over and play a ball that has spun back, but only without touching the net, posts or the opponents' court. Our guide on hitting the ball on the other side of the net explains that rule.
Common misconceptions
- “It only counts if your racket touches the net.” Your body, clothing and anything you carry count too (Rule 13a).
- “Once I've hit a winner, I can touch the net.” Not until the point is decided. The ball stays in play until it has bounced twice or the point ends another way (Rule 12).
- “Touching the net post is fine, it's only the net that counts.” The posts and the tension cable are both named in Rule 13a.
- “If the touch didn't affect the shot, play on.” The rule doesn't depend on whether the touch made a difference. Contact while the ball is in play loses the point.
- “The ball can't touch the net during a rally.” It can. A return that touches the net and lands in the opponents' court is good (Rule 14e). Only on the serve does a net touch mean a replay (Rule 9.1).
Social games vs official matches
With an umpire, net touches are called by the umpire. In social games, the convention is that the player who touched the net calls it on themselves. They are usually the only one who felt a light brush on the tape, and calling your own touch is one of the unwritten courtesies of club padel.
Two things are worth agreeing before you play. First, whether the door-post exception in Rule 13b applies at all: it only exists where out-of-court play is authorised, and most clubs don't authorise it. Second, how you treat genuine doubt. If nobody saw clearly whether a net touch happened before or after the second bounce, most club players replay the point. That is a convention, not an FIP rule, but it keeps the game moving.
How to stop touching the net
- Volley from a step back. Standing pinned against the net leaves no room for your follow-through. A position roughly two metres from the net lets you cover more balls and finish your swing safely. Our volley guide covers the set-up.
- Shorten the follow-through on put-aways. A compact punch volley needs very little finish. Long, flowing swings at the net are how rackets end up in the tape.
- Brake before the net. On drop shots and short balls, plan your last step so your weight stops before the net, not into it.
- Secure loose items. Keep spare balls out of your pockets or in a pocket that closes, and avoid loose caps if you play a lot at the net.
Frequently asked questions
Is touching the net a fault in padel?
It is not called a fault, but the effect is the same: your pair loses the point if any player touches the net, posts or tension cable while the ball is in play (FIP Rule 13a).
Can you touch the net after the point is over?
Yes. Rule 13a only applies while the ball is in play. Once the point has been decided, touching the net has no consequence.
What if my clothing touches the net?
That counts. Rule 13a covers anything a player wears or carries, so a sleeve, cap or towel touching the net while the ball is in play loses the point.
Can you jump over the net in padel?
Not during a point. Jumping over the net while the point is being played loses it (FIP Rule 13n).
Can I hold the post between the doors?
Only on courts where out-of-court play is authorised. There, the vertical post dividing the door openings is a neutral zone above 0.92 m (FIP Rule 13b). Otherwise the normal rules apply.
For every other way to lose a point, see our full rules of padel.