Can you hit the ball straight into your opponents' glass?
No. If your shot hits the opponents' glass, metal fence or anything else on their side before it bounces on their ground, you lose the point (FIP Rule 13g). Your ball has to bounce in their court first; after that it can hit any wall or the fence and stay in play (FIP Rule 14c). It is one of the most common mistakes new players make, especially on smashes and volleys.
Your shot must bounce on the opponents' ground before it touches their glass or mesh. Glass first, floor second is a lost point (Rule 13g). Floor first, then glass or mesh, is a perfectly good shot (Rule 14c).
What the rules say
Padel is a game of walls, but the walls belong to different people at different moments. The rules treat your own walls and the opponents' walls in completely different ways.
Your shot must bounce first on their side
A return is correct when it bounces directly in the opponents' court, or when it hits a wall of your own court first and then bounces in theirs (FIP Rule 14b). Once it has bounced there, it may hit their fence or walls (FIP Rule 14c) and the opponents have to deal with it.
Their walls before the bounce: point lost
If you return the ball, directly or off your own walls, and without bouncing it strikes the opponents' walls, their metal fence or any element not part of their court, you lose the point (FIP Rule 13g). 13g also covers "any element not related to" the court, which takes in the ceiling and lights.
The net cord doesn't save it
If your return touches the net or posts and then goes straight into the opponents' wall, fence or an unrelated element without bouncing, that is a point lost too (FIP Rule 13h). Compare that with a net cord that drops into their court: that one is fine (FIP Rule 14e).
The corner is good
A ball that bounces in the corner where the wall meets the floor in the opponents' court is a correct return (FIP Rule 14i). That is the only real grey zone, and the rule settles it for the hitter.
| Your shot | Verdict | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Bounces in their court, then hits their glass | Good, rally continues | 14c |
| Bounces in their court, then hits their mesh | Good, rally continues | 14c |
| Hits their glass or mesh without bouncing | Point lost | 13g |
| Hits your own glass, then bounces in their court | Good | 14b |
| Hits your own glass, then their glass without bouncing | Point lost | 13g |
| Clips the net, then hits their wall directly | Point lost | 13h |
| Clips the net, then bounces in their court | Good | 14e |
| Bounces in the floor-wall corner | Good | 14i |
Ball bounces on the opponents' ground first, then hits their glass, mesh or both. Or it comes off your own glass and bounces in their court (Rules 14b, 14c, 14i).
Ball hits the opponents' glass, mesh, ceiling or lights before bouncing on their side, including after a net cord (Rules 13g, 13h).
Real match situations
The flat smash into the back glass
You get a short lob and hit it flat and hard. It flies over the opponents' heads and hits their back glass full, then bounces. Verdict: point lost (FIP Rule 13g). This is why good players hit the smash down into the court so it bounces first and then rebounds off the glass.
The volley into the side mesh
At the net you angle a volley sharply. It doesn't touch their floor and clatters into their side fence. Verdict: point lost (FIP Rule 13g). Angled volleys need to land in the court before the side wall, not after.
Your own back glass, then theirs
Under pressure, you play the ball against your own back glass to get it out. It flies the full length of the court and hits the opponents' back glass on the full. Verdict: point lost. Rule 13g explicitly covers balls returned off your own walls. Using your own glass is legal (14b), but the ball still has to bounce on their side before touching their walls.
The net cord that kicks into their glass
Your drive clips the tape, pops up and drops straight onto their side glass without touching the floor. Verdict: point lost (FIP Rule 13h). If it had dropped onto their floor first, it would have been a correct return (14e).
The opponent who volleys a ball that was going out
Your lob is too long and is heading straight for their back glass. The opponent at the net instinctively reaches up and volleys it. Verdict: that counts as a correct return by you, and the rally continues (FIP Rule 14a). Rule 14a says a ball the opponents volley, or that touches their body, clothing or racket, is a correct return.
The ball that hits the opponent first
Your overhit drive is about to hit their back glass on the full, but it hits the opponent standing in front of it first. Verdict: your point (FIP Rule 13k). A ball that touches a player's body or equipment other than the racket loses them the point, and Rule 13k makes no exception for a ball that was going out. More in what happens if the ball hits you.
Common misconceptions
- "Glass is glass, so it's always in play." Only your own glass can be used before the bounce (14b). The opponents' glass only comes into play after the ball bounces on their side (14c, 13g).
- "The serve works the same way." Not quite. A serve must bounce in the receiver's box, and after that the glass is fine but the metal fence is a fault (FIP Rule 7e). In a rally, both glass and mesh are fine after the bounce.
- "A net cord gives you a second chance." No. Net cord then their wall, without a bounce, is still a lost point (13h).
- "If the opponent touches it, it doesn't matter where it was going." Right, and that cuts both ways. Once they volley it, it is a correct return (14a), so they can't then claim it would have hit the glass.
- "The ceiling is neutral." Before the bounce, hitting the ceiling or lights is a lost point under 13g. After the bounce, the ball leaving the court via the ceiling or lights is a correct return (FIP Rule 14d). See ball hits the ceiling.
Social games vs official matches
With an umpire, glass-before-floor calls are made for you. In social games, the opponents usually have the best view of their own back glass, but it is often clearer to the hitter's partner at the net. The fair convention is simple: if you saw your own ball hit their glass on the full, say so. A ball that hits the glass and floor so close together that nobody can tell is where many groups agree to replay the point; that is a club convention, not an FIP rule.
Tactical tip: let it go
Because of Rule 13g, the best defensive skill against an overhit ball is doing nothing. If a lob or drive is clearly going to hit your glass before bouncing, step aside and let it. The moment you volley it or it touches you, you have made it a good shot for the opponents (14a, 13k). The more you trust your read, the more free points you collect.
On the attacking side, aim to land the ball in the court with enough depth to reach the glass after the bounce. That is what makes deep balls so hard to defend: the opponents have to read the bounce and the rebound.
Frequently asked questions
Can the ball hit the side glass in padel?
Yes, as long as it bounces in the opponents' court first (FIP Rule 14c). You can also play off your own side glass before the ball crosses the net (FIP Rule 14b).
Can you hit your own wall in padel?
Yes, your own glass walls can be used, provided the ball then bounces in the opponents' court (Rule 14b). Your own mesh is not allowed (Rule 13l). Details in playing the ball off your own wall.
Is it a point if the smash hits the back glass before the floor?
No. The smasher loses the point, because the ball struck the opponents' wall without bouncing (FIP Rule 13g).
What if the ball hits the net post and then their wall?
If it goes from the net or post straight into the opponents' wall or fence without bouncing, the hitter loses the point (FIP Rule 13h).
What if the ball lands exactly where the glass meets the floor?
A ball bouncing in that corner is a correct return (FIP Rule 14i).