Basics
Padel glossary: 24 terms every beginner should know
On court you will quickly hear words no tennis textbook contains: bandeja, víbora, globo, americano. Most terms come from Spanish — the language of padel’s homeland. Here is a short dictionary so you understand your partners from game one.
Contents
Find a court →In short
- Bandeja and víbora are padel’s signature overhead shots; a beginner just needs to know what they are.
- Golden point is the deciding point at 40:40.
- Globo is a high lob over the opponents — a beginner’s main tactical weapon.
- Americano and mexicano are popular amateur tournament formats.
Terms are grouped by topic: game and scoring, shots, court and positioning, game formats. No need to memorise — read once and everything will click on court.
01Game and scoring
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Golden point | The deciding rally at 40:40: whoever wins the point takes the game. |
| Deuce | The 40:40 score. In the classic format play continues until a two-point lead. |
| Tie-break | A mini-game to 7 points at 6:6 in a set; the winner takes the set 7:6. |
| Let | A replayed rally after outside interference (a stray ball on court, etc.). |
| Net | A serve that clips the net but lands in the correct box: the serve is replayed. |
| Love | Zero in the score: “40–love” = 40:0. |
02Shots
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Bandeja (“tray”) | A soft, controlled overhead: it does not finish the rally but keeps your position at the net. |
| Víbora (“viper”) | A more aggressive bandeja with side spin — the ball skids away after the bounce. |
| Smash (remate) | A powerful overhead to finish the point; often hit so the ball leaves the court after bouncing. |
| Globo | A high lob over opponents at the net. The most useful tactical shot for beginners. |
| Chiquita | A quiet, low shot at the feet of net players — awkward to attack. |
| Bajada | An attacking shot on a ball that bounced off the glass at a comfortable height. |
| Volley | A shot before the bounce. Forbidden only when returning serve. |
| Salida (“exit”) | The ball (or player) leaving the court through the side openings to continue the rally. |
03Court and positioning
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Glass (cristal) | The back and side glass walls: after a floor bounce the ball stays in play off them. |
| Metal fence (malla) | The mesh part of the enclosure; rebounds are unpredictable, and in a serve it is a fault. |
| Service box | The zone the serve must reach diagonally. |
| No man’s land | The middle of the court between net and back line — the worst place to stand. |
| Drive / revés side | The right and left sides of a pair: drive is the forehand side, revés the backhand side. |
| Por tres / por cuatro | Winning a point with a shot that sends the ball out over the enclosure (over the 3 m or 4 m section). |
04Game formats
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Americano | A tournament format where pairs change every round and points go to an individual tally. |
| Mexicano | An americano variant: pairs are formed by the current round ranking. |
| Open game | An open match you can join via an app or the club front desk. |
| Pozo | A “pot” training format with player rotation across courts. |
FAQ: common questions
Do I need to know all the terms before my first game?
No. For the first game golden point, volley and globo are enough. The rest sticks by itself as you play.
Why are the terms Spanish?
Padel was born in Mexico and grew up in Spain, so the international terminology is Spanish and used worldwide without translation.
Bandeja or víbora — which to learn first?
Bandeja: it is the basic controlled overhead. The víbora is its advanced version, learned later.
What is “padel-tennis”?
Just another name for the same sport — padel.
Ready to get on court?
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