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Your serve hits the receiver's partner before it bounces. Point?
A serve that touches an opponent before bouncing is your point, whoever it touches.
Your serve, on the full, clips the receiver's partner who is standing near the middle. What is the call?
A serve that touches an opponent before bouncing is your point, whoever it touches.
Why
Once the serve is struck the ball is in play. If it touches either opponent, the receiver or their partner, before it has bounced, the point goes to the serving pair, exactly as with body contact in any rally. The receiving pair may position themselves anywhere on their side, including the receiver's partner standing forward and central, but they do so at their own risk: a serve that finds them is a point. Note that this is not the same as a serve that bounces in the box and then hits a player, which is also the server's point.
What this means at your level
Beginner
If you are the receiver's partner, stand wide of the diagonal so the serve cannot reach you. Near the side glass on your half is the usual spot.
Intermediate
A serve down the middle that flirts with the partner's position is a legitimate tactic. It also pins them to one spot.
Advanced
A partner who stands very central to cut off the server's first volley is gambling. Punish it once with a serve at their body and the gamble ends.
Common questions
Your serve, on the full, clips the receiver's partner who is standing near the middle. What is the call?
Yours. It touched an opponent before bouncing. A serve that touches an opponent before bouncing is your point, whoever it touches. Once the serve is struck the ball is in play. If it touches either opponent, the receiver or their partner, before it has bounced, the point goes to the serving pair, exactly as with body contact in any rally. The receiving pair may position themselves anywhere on their side, including the receiver's partner standing forward and central, but they do so at their own risk: a serve that finds them is a point. Note that this is not the same as a serve that bounces in the box and then hits a player, which is also the server's point.
Why not fault. You must serve into the box?
The ball never reached the box because it touched an opponent first. Body contact decides it, not the box.
What should a beginner do here?
If you are the receiver's partner, stand wide of the diagonal so the serve cannot reach you. Near the side glass on your half is the usual spot.
How does this change for an advanced player?
A partner who stands very central to cut off the server's first volley is gambling. Punish it once with a serve at their body and the gamble ends.
What do the rules say?
If the serve touches the receiver or the receiver's partner before bouncing, the serving pair wins the point.
Puzzles like this one
You have served. Where do you go?
In padel you serve in order to get to the net. Serve, then go.
intermediateThey cannot play the side glass. Where do you serve?
Serve at the weakness you have found, not at the space you can see.
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.