Where to stand: padel positioning for doubles
Most club points aren't lost on bad shots. They're lost on bad positions: one player up, one back, and a gap down the middle big enough to drive a bus through. Fix where you stand and your results improve before your technique does.
The one rule: move as a pair
Imagine you and your partner are tied together with a 3-metre rope. When one of you moves forward, the other does too. When one of you is pushed back by a lob, you both go back. Padel doubles is played side by side, not one up and one back like many social tennis doubles.
The reason is geometry. If one player is at the net and the other at the back, the opponents simply hit into the diagonal gap between you, and nobody can reach it.
The two home positions
At any moment of a point, your pair should be in one of two places:
Roughly two to three metres from the net, close enough to volley at the feet of the opponents and far enough back to cover a lob.
A metre or two in front of the back glass, giving you space to let balls come off the walls.
The space between, around the service line, is a transition zone. Pass through it, but don't stay there. A ball at your feet in mid-court is the hardest shot in padel.
Win the net, hold the net
The pair at the net is usually the pair winning the point. Your aim at the back is to get to the net; your aim at the net is to stay there.
- From the back: a good, deep lob over the net players is your ticket forward. As soon as your lob passes them, move up together.
- At the net: when you get lobbed, answer with a bandeja or víbora and stay forward. Only go all the way back when the lob is too good.
Who takes the middle?
Balls down the middle cause more arguments than any other shot. Agree a simple rule before the match:
- For two right-handers, the player on the left side has the forehand in the middle and usually takes it.
- On lobs down the middle, the player whose forehand or overhead side covers it calls and takes it.
- Whoever is further forward takes a volley in the middle, because they can hit it earlier.
- Talk: "mine", "yours", "go". A one-word call loses fewer points than a silent collision.
Left side or right side?
Padel pairs pick a side and usually keep it for the whole match, receiving from the same box every time. The rules only fix this within a set, so you can swap at the start of a new one.
The right side (often called the drive side) suits the steady, consistent player who builds the point, plays the low balls and keeps errors down.
The left side (often called the revés side) suits the more aggressive player, usually the one with the stronger overhead, because for right-handers the forehand and smash cover the middle from the left.
Neither side is "better". The best pairs combine one patient player and one finisher.
Follow the ball sideways
When the ball goes wide to one side of the opponents' court, shift across together, about the width of a step or two. The player nearest the ball covers the line; the partner slides towards the middle. Picture your pair as a wall that slides left and right, always facing where the ball is.
Positioning checklist
- After every shot, check: are we level with each other?
- At the net: 2–3 m off it, racket up, ready for a lob.
- At the back: give yourself room in front of the glass.
- Don't stand still in no-man's-land around the service line.
- Lob, then move forward together. Get lobbed, then decide together.
- Call every middle ball.
Positions when you serve
When your pair is serving, you start as close to the attacking position as the rules allow:
- The server stands behind the service line, serves and then moves forward towards the net, ready for the return.
- The server's partner starts at the net in the other half of the court, already in the attacking position, watching for a weak return to volley.
Within one or two shots, both of you should be level at the net. That's why serving pairs win so many points in padel: the serve is easy, but it lets you take the net straight away.
Positions when you receive
- The receiver stands far enough back to let the serve bounce and, if needed, come off the back glass.
- The receiver's partner usually stands near the service line on the other side, ready to drop back if the serving pair attacks.
The most common return is a lob or a low ball at the feet of the server coming in. A good lob over the net player is the receiving pair's best way to swap roles and take the net.
Common positioning mistakes
- One up, one back. The classic tennis doubles habit. In padel it opens the diagonal.
- Standing too close to the net. You get lobbed every time. Two to three metres gives you time to turn.
- Standing on the back glass. You have no room to let the ball come off the wall. Step forward.
- Watching your own shot. Move as soon as you hit it.
- Silent middles. Call every ball down the centre.
Frequently asked questions
Where should I stand at the net in padel?
Roughly two to three metres from the net, level with your partner, racket up. Close enough to volley, far enough back to deal with a lob.
Should we play one up, one back in padel?
No. Padel pairs move side by side: both at the net or both at the back. One up and one back leaves a diagonal gap.
Which side should the better player play?
The left side usually suits the more aggressive player with the stronger overhead. The right side suits the steady, consistent player. The best pairs combine both.