Does the server's partner have to stand at the net?

No. The rulebook allows it expressly: the receiver, the partner of the receiver and the partner of the server may stand anywhere in their own half of the court. Only the server is tied down, he has to stay behind the service line. Standing at the net is common practice because it wins position, not because it is required.

As a returner, can I stand right at the net and volley the serve?

You can stand wherever you like — in your own half of the court. But volleying the serve is not allowed. The ball must bounce first before being struck. Standing too close to the net tempts you into exactly this violation and risks losing the point automatically.

Who takes the ball when it lands directly between us?

The player who can reach it with a forehand — with two right-handers, usually the one on the left side. The key is to establish this before the match: if both move for it and both hit it, the point is lost immediately. One exception: if only one hits the ball and the other only touches their partner's racket, it is not an error.

Why is the diagonal so bad when at least one of us is at the net?

Because a single net player cannot cover both the middle and the long line simultaneously, while the partner at the baseline is too far away to help. The opponent simply chooses which gap to attack — they do not need to pass the net player.

Does the server have to rush to the net right after the serve?

No, and most recreational players cannot pull it off cleanly anyway. It makes more sense to build the point through a Globo or Chiquita and advance as a pair together, rather than charge at the net alone while the partner stays at the baseline.

Padel Positioning: Net, Baseline and Movement

Opening Position on Serve: The Starting Formation That Gives Away or Secures an Advantage

One possible starting setupA serves diagonally; B is closer to the net. The letters show the four players; the other three positions are not required by the rules.

The serve has two tactically decisive moments: the stroke itself and the seconds immediately after, when the pair sets its position. After every point the server switches to the other service box, no matter which side won the point (Rule 6, Point 5). The server stays behind the service line and strikes the ball at or below waist height. The receiver, the partner of the receiver and the partner of the server may stand anywhere in their own half of the court (Rule 3, Point 2). Only the server is tied down — he has to stay behind the service line.

Practice, though, tells a different story. The net player on the serving team almost always moves into position while the serve is still in flight. This is not required, but the tactical payoff is immediate. While the serving pair starts with one player already at the net, the returning pair has to earn that better position through at least two consecutive good strokes. This edge is often why serving games are tactically easier to hold than return games.

Beginners often miss this effect because they see the serve as just the server's action. In truth, the positioning that wins the point starts here. A serving pair that moves to the net organized and in sync from the first moment, rather than watching the ball, gains seconds that the other team has to chase down.

Opening Position on Return: Start at the Baseline to Get to the Net

The returner must let the serve bounce first; taking it directly from the air is not permitted and costs the point immediately. This single rule shapes the entire starting setup of the returning pair. Standing too close to the net creates temptation or time pressure — the ball might be struck too early, violating the rule. That risk is hard for any team to accept.

For this reason, both players on the returning pair usually position themselves at the baseline in practice, not diagonal like the serving pair. This is not a requirement, but it flows almost inevitably from the return rule. The returner must also match the server's rhythm; once they attempt to return the ball, claiming "I was not ready" is no longer valid. From this defensive starting position, the real task begins: the path forward.

The return position is therefore not the end of a strategy but the starting point. The game is built from the ground up around advancing — whoever begins at the baseline and wants to reach the net needs clear plans to get there.

Moving to the Net: A Point Has Two Parts — The Stroke and the Steps That Follow

The net is not conquered by a single good stroke. It is taken by forcing the opponent to abandon it. Two classic strokes accomplish this: The Globo is a high, deep lob over the backhand shoulder of the opponent's net player, forcing them to retreat. The Chiquita is a soft, flat ball to the feet of the opponent's net players, forcing an upward volley. Both strokes are only half the action.

The other half consists of the steps that follow immediately. A player who hits a good Globo and then stops in the court, uncertain or waiting for the opponent's next ball, has thrown away the advantage the stroke just created. The feet must move with the ball — this is not a detail of technique. It is the core tactic of the attack.

Once the net is held, it is kept not through aggressive strokes but through good timing. When a lob comes over the net player's head, the Bandeja — a controlled, sliced stroke at shoulder height — is the answer, not an attempt to smash. This feels wrong to beginners, but it keeps position instead of losing it.

Pair Positioning as One Unit: Both Forward or Both Back — the Diagonal Is the Most Expensive Mistake

Stay connected as a pairA and B are partners. When they need to retreat, both move together. The arrows show coordinated movement, not fixed distances.

A pair moves as if joined by a single rod. When one player moves forward, the other must follow. When the ball pulls left, both move left. This synchronization is not optional — it is the foundation everything else rests on.

An error that shows up regularly in this teamwork, from frequent observation, is the diagonal: one at the net, one at the baseline, and this as a permanent state rather than a brief transition during approach. The diagonal costs so much because it leaves two attack surfaces open at once — the middle and the long line — and a single net player cannot cover both simultaneously. The partner at the baseline is too far away to help. The opponent simply has to pick which gap to attack, not how to pass the net player.

The same danger lurks when advancing: If one player moves forward and the partner stays at the baseline, the newly gained net position is worthless before the point can use it. A brief diagonal during transition is almost unavoidable, but it should only be a moment, not the standard. In practice, a lateral distance of roughly two to three meters between the two is a workable guideline.

Side Selection by Dominant Hand: Right Builds Up, Left Closes Out — and Why It Is Only a Convention

With two right-handers, the left side is typically the backhand court; the player on this side handles more middle balls with a forehand and finishes points more often. The right side builds play, holds steady, and covers the long line. This is a common convention from coaching practice, not a rule of the game.

It cannot be justified by saying a ranking position dictates where a player stands. It exists only because someone has to manage the middle, and the partner needs to be comfortable with that. With two left-handers, a mixed pair, or two players with the same favored side, these assignments do not apply — those are separate cases with their own solutions, not exceptions to a fixed rule.

The side recommendation is therefore always tied to handedness, never a universal truth. What works depends on the players themselves, not on a chart.

The Ball in the Middle: An Agreement Made Before the Match, Not During the Rally

Balls that land directly between both players belong to whoever can reach them with a forehand — with two right-handers, usually the player on the left side. That is a clear rule of thumb from coaching practice, but practice reveals a different problem: there is no time to figure it out during the rally.

This agreement must be settled before the match begins, not debated during a point. From this necessity come two classic error patterns: Either both players rush for the ball and both hit it, which costs the point immediately. Or neither moves because both think the other is handling it — and the ball drops between them.

A clear agreement before the first service game prevents both mistakes. This is not a tactical fine point. It is basic organizational hygiene.

Responding to the Opponent's Lob: Hold Position Rather Than Retreat, Together Rather Than Alone

When a deep lob comes over the net player's head, the first instinct is usually to back away and smash. In most cases, that is the wrong move. A hard, flat ball tends to sit up and the opponent regains the initiative — the position is lost again.

The better path is the Bandeja: turn sideways, move back under the ball, and return it sliced at shoulder height without completely giving up position. This is not defensive technique. It is position management — you do not lose the better ground while the ball is being played.

Only the player taking the ball moves back; the partner does not stay in place but shifts their own position as well. The pair remains on one line instead of splitting apart into a diagonal. When the lob is so deep that both must retreat, they do so together and in sync.

A shorter lob that only sets the opponent back a few steps calls for a different response: A smash (Remate in Spanish) or Víbora — a more sharply sliced, forceful cousin of the Bandeja — is the better choice here. Your position is not at risk, so you can attack.

Typical Setup Mistakes Beginners Make: Four Recurring Patterns

The first error is the diagonal: one at the net, one at the baseline, as a standing position rather than a transition. The second is standing too close to the net. The basic position there is roughly two to three meters from the net in practice — anyone closer has no time to reposition backwards against a lob. The quick lob becomes an unavoidable error.

The third error, familiar from coaching practice, is an unresolved middle. Balls sit unclaimed or both players rush for the same one because it was never settled who takes the middle balls. This is pure lack of communication.

The fourth error is a return played from too close to the net. A returner who stands too far forward drifts toward volleying the serve — which the return rule forbids. This is not impulsiveness. It is badly positioned impatience.

All four errors share one common root: they do not arise from a poor stroke. They arise because the position before the stroke was already wrong. Whoever understands that has grasped the heart of positioning.

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Frequently asked

Does the server's partner have to stand at the net?: No. The rulebook allows it expressly: the receiver, the partner of the receiver and the partner of the server may stand anywhere in their own half of the court. Only the server is tied down, he has to stay behind the service line. Standing at the net is common practice because it wins position, not because it is required.
As a returner, can I stand right at the net and volley the serve?: You can stand wherever you like — in your own half of the court. But volleying the serve is not allowed. The ball must bounce first before being struck. Standing too close to the net tempts you into exactly this violation and risks losing the point automatically.
Who takes the ball when it lands directly between us?: The player who can reach it with a forehand — with two right-handers, usually the one on the left side. The key is to establish this before the match: if both move for it and both hit it, the point is lost immediately. One exception: if only one hits the ball and the other only touches their partner's racket, it is not an error.
Why is the diagonal so bad when at least one of us is at the net?: Because a single net player cannot cover both the middle and the long line simultaneously, while the partner at the baseline is too far away to help. The opponent simply chooses which gap to attack — they do not need to pass the net player.
Does the server have to rush to the net right after the serve?: No, and most recreational players cannot pull it off cleanly anyway. It makes more sense to build the point through a Globo or Chiquita and advance as a pair together, rather than charge at the net alone while the partner stays at the baseline.