Padel Service Box: Dimensions & Rules
The padel service box is the target area the serve must land in. Understanding its dimensions and position — and what happens when serves land near the walls — prevents common rule errors.
Key takeaways
- Each service box is 3m wide by 6.95m long
- Serves are cross-court: right box serves to the diagonal left box
- Ball that bounces in the box and hits the back glass wall: valid serve
- Ball that bounces in the box and hits the side wall: also valid
- The service line is also the foot fault line
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The padel service box is the rectangular area on the opposite side of the net into which a valid serve must land. There are two service boxes per side (left and right), each measuring 3 metres wide by 6.95 metres long. The full court is 20 metres long and 10 metres wide, with the service boxes covering the area between the net and the service line.
The serve is cross-court: a server standing on the right side of the centre mark serves into the left service box on the opponent's side (the diagonal box), and vice versa. This mirrors tennis serving geometry.
A valid serve must bounce within the service box before any other contact. If the ball lands in the service box but then bounces into the glass back wall and rebounds, it remains a valid serve — the receiving player must play it after the bounce (or let the ball hit the wall and then play the rebound).
However, if a serve bounces in the service box and then hits a side glass or mesh wall (rather than the back wall), it is still a valid serve — the receiver must play it. This creates some complex situations near the corners of the service box.
The service line (the line parallel to the net that defines the back edge of the service box) is also the line the server must not cross before striking the ball. Stepping on or over this line is a foot fault.
Frequently asked questions
What if the serve hits the service box line?
Lines are in — a ball landing on the service box line is a valid serve. The full line is part of the service box.
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