What happens if the ball hits you in padel?

If a ball hit by your opponents touches any part of your body or clothing other than your racket, your pair loses the point (FIP Rule 13k). The rule makes no exception for a ball that was going out or for a player standing outside the court. The same applies if your own shot hits you or your partner (13j). The serve has its own rules, which can give the point to the server, make it a fault or lead to a replay.

What the rules say

During a rally

• FIP Rule 13k: a pair loses the point if the ball hit by the opponents touches any part of a player's body or equipment other than the racket. The rule makes no exception for a player standing outside the court or for a ball that was going out: the ball is still in play until it lands (Rule 12).
• FIP Rule 14a: from the hitter's side, it is a correct return if the opponents volley it, or if the ball touches the opponents' body, clothing or racket. Touching the racket is simply a volley; touching anything else is a point to the hitter under 13k.
• FIP Rule 13j: a pair loses the point if, after a player hits the ball, it touches that player, their partner, or anything they wear.

On the serve

• FIP Rule 8.5: if the serve hits either receiving player or their racket before it bounces, the point goes to the server. The receiver must let the serve bounce (8.1), so blocking it on the full, even by accident, costs the point.
• FIP Rule 7d: if the serve hits the server, their partner, or their equipment, it is a fault.
• FIP Rule 9.1b: if the serve touches the net or posts and then hits a player or their equipment, it is a net, and the serve is repeated.

One detail is worth knowing: the only exception the rulebook makes in 13k is the racket. It doesn't carve out a separate exception for the hand holding the handle, so don't assume a ball off your fingers is safe.

Real match situations

1. A smash that was flying out hits you

Your opponent smashes hard. The ball is clearly going to clear the back glass without bouncing, which would normally win you the point. But it clips your shoulder on the way. Your pair loses the point (FIP Rule 13k). The direction of the ball doesn't matter once it touches you.

2. You are standing outside the court

On a court with open sides, you have stepped out through the gate to collect a ball, and the opponents' shot hits you there. Rule 13k makes no exception for a player outside the court, so your pair loses the point.

3. Your lob hits your partner at the net

You play a defensive lob from the back of the court and it hits your partner in the back. After you hit the ball, it touched your partner, so your pair loses the point (FIP Rule 13j). The same is true if your shot comes off the glass and hits you.

4. The serve hits the receiver on the full

Your serve is long and flat and hits the receiver's leg before bouncing. The receiver can't claim it was going out of the box: a serve that hits either receiving player or their racket before bouncing is the server's point (FIP Rule 8.5). The same would apply if it had hit the receiver's partner.

5. The serve hits your own partner

You serve and the ball clips your partner, who is standing at the net. That is a fault (FIP Rule 7d). If it was your second serve, you lose the point to a double fault (13q).

6. A net serve hits the receiver

The serve touches the net tape and then strikes the receiver before bouncing. Because it touched the net first, it is a net under Rule 9.1b, not a point to the server. Replay the serve.

Common misconceptions

• “If it was going out, it's my point.” Not once it touches you. Rule 13k makes no exception for a ball that was going out; it is still in play until it lands (Rule 12).
• “It only counts if it hits your body, not your clothes.” Rule 13k covers your body and equipment, and Rule 14a names clothing. A ball brushing your shirt is enough.
• “A ball off your hand counts as hitting the racket.” The exception in 13k is the racket. The rulebook doesn't extend it to your hand.
• “If your partner gets hit by your shot, you replay.” There is no replay. It is a lost point under 13j.
• “A serve that hits the receiver is a let.” Only if it touched the net first (9.1b). Otherwise it is the server's point (8.5).

Social games vs official matches

In official matches the umpire decides whether the ball touched a player. In social games, the honest convention is that the player who was touched says so, because the hit is often too light for anyone else to see.

The FIP rulebook doesn't regulate aiming at opponents during a rally, though its etiquette section bans hitting the ball at opponents when it is not in play and treats aggressive, unsportsmanlike behaviour severely. At club level, the common convention is to avoid hard shots at the head or face of a player standing close at the net, and to apologise if a ball hits someone. In official matches, Rule 2 lets the umpire allow up to five minutes' recovery for a player hit by the ball. A hard, low ball at the body of a well-positioned opponent is a normal tactical shot; a full-power smash at someone's face from two metres is not, and most clubs expect players to know the difference.

Practical tips

• Keep your racket up at the net. A racket held in front of your chest turns most body shots into volleys, which keep the point alive under 14a. Our volley guide covers the ready position.
• Don't duck into the ball. If you can't play a ball that's going out, move out of its path rather than crouching where it might clip you.
• Talk to your partner on lobs. Many 13j points come from a lob that hits the partner at the net. A quick call before you lob lets them step aside. See positioning in doubles.
• Servers, check your partner's position. A partner standing in line with your serve risks a 7d fault. Have them stand a little wider or closer to the net.

Frequently asked questions

More on the serve in our guide to serve and return, and on replays in net serve and let rules.

Sources

• FIP Rules of Padel (official rulebook)