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Can you play the ball off your own back glass on purpose?
You may hit the ball into your own glass so that it flies over the net. Not into your own mesh.
Their ball is deep and you have no room. Can you hit it into your own back glass and let it fly over the net from there?
You may hit the ball into your own glass so that it flies over the net. Not into your own mesh.
Why
A player may hit the ball against their own back or side glass so that it then crosses the net and lands in the opponents' court. The ball may not be played off your own metal mesh, and it must not bounce on your floor again after the wall. Called the contra-pared, this is the emergency shot for a ball that has pinned you against the glass, and at the top level it is also used deliberately to produce an awkward, floating ball. Beginners mostly meet it by accident, and are surprised to learn it counted.
What this means at your level
Beginner
When the ball is on you against the glass and you cannot turn, hit it firmly into the glass in front of you. If it goes over, it counts.
Intermediate
The contra-pared off the back glass needs to be hit hard and upward. A soft one never reaches the net.
Advanced
Off the side glass the contra-pared can be angled. It is legal, it is a low-percentage shot, and against a pair that crowds the net it wins the occasional point outright.
Common questions
Their ball is deep and you have no room. Can you hit it into your own back glass and let it fly over the net from there?
Yes, off your own glass, if it then crosses and lands in. You may hit the ball into your own glass so that it flies over the net. Not into your own mesh. A player may hit the ball against their own back or side glass so that it then crosses the net and lands in the opponents' court. The ball may not be played off your own metal mesh, and it must not bounce on your floor again after the wall. Called the contra-pared, this is the emergency shot for a ball that has pinned you against the glass, and at the top level it is also used deliberately to produce an awkward, floating ball. Beginners mostly meet it by accident, and are surprised to learn it counted.
Why not only off the side glass, never the back?
Both your back glass and side glass are allowed. Only your own mesh is not.
What should a beginner do here?
When the ball is on you against the glass and you cannot turn, hit it firmly into the glass in front of you. If it goes over, it counts.
How does this change for an advanced player?
Off the side glass the contra-pared can be angled. It is legal, it is a low-percentage shot, and against a pair that crowds the net it wins the occasional point outright.
What do the rules say?
A player may hit the ball against their own glass walls so that it crosses the net and lands in the opponents' court. The ball may not be played off the player's own mesh.
Puzzles like this one
The ball is coming off the back glass. When do you hit it?
Move back with the ball, let it pass you, hit it in front of your body.
beginnerCan you volley the return of serve?
The return of serve must bounce. It is the one ball in padel you are not allowed to volley.
beginnerThe ball bounced then hit your own back glass. Still in play?
One bounce on the floor, then any number of walls. Only a second floor bounce ends the point.