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Your foot touches the service line as you serve. Fault?
Both feet behind the service line until the ball is struck. A toe on the line is a fault.
You bounce the ball and as you strike the serve your front foot is resting on the service line. What is the call?
Both feet behind the service line until the ball is struck. A toe on the line is a fault.
Why
The serve is the most rule-heavy shot in the game. Along with the underarm swing and the bounce, the server has to keep both feet behind the service line and at least one on the ground until the ball is hit. Stepping on or over the line before contact is a foot fault, and it costs a serve even when the ball lands beautifully. Most club foot faults come from walking into the serve: start still, hit, then go.
What this means at your level
Beginner
Set your feet a full shoe length behind the line before you bounce the ball. You will never be close enough to argue about.
Intermediate
The line is easy to drift onto when you are serving and rushing to the net. Hit first, then move: the two seconds you think you save are worth less than the serve.
Advanced
Serve from further back on purpose when you want the ball to arrive at the returner lower off the bounce, and from tight to the line when you want to reach the net a step earlier.
Common questions
You bounce the ball and as you strike the serve your front foot is resting on the service line. What is the call?
Fault: your feet must stay behind the line until you have hit. Both feet behind the service line until the ball is struck. A toe on the line is a fault. The serve is the most rule-heavy shot in the game. Along with the underarm swing and the bounce, the server has to keep both feet behind the service line and at least one on the ground until the ball is hit. Stepping on or over the line before contact is a foot fault, and it costs a serve even when the ball lands beautifully. Most club foot faults come from walking into the serve: start still, hit, then go.
Why not fine, as long as the ball lands in the box?
Where the ball lands is a separate test. A serve can land perfectly and still be a fault because of your feet.
What should a beginner do here?
Set your feet a full shoe length behind the line before you bounce the ball. You will never be close enough to argue about.
How does this change for an advanced player?
Serve from further back on purpose when you want the ball to arrive at the returner lower off the bounce, and from tight to the line when you want to reach the net a step earlier.
What do the rules say?
At the moment of striking the serve the server must have both feet behind the service line, at least one foot on the ground, and must not touch or cross the line.
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.