---
title: "Padel Glossary — padel.how"
url: "https://padel.how/glossary/"
description: "Plain-language padel glossary with strokes, rules, court parts, racket terms, match vocabulary and common equipment words."
locale: "en"
---

## Direct answer

> Plain-language padel glossary with strokes, rules, court parts, racket terms, match vocabulary and common equipment words.

# Padel Glossary


Common padel terms explained in plain language, grouped by first letter for quick lookup.


## A


### Ace


A serve that wins the point without the receiver touching the ball.


### Advantage


The point after deuce that puts one team one point from winning the game.


### Approach shot


A shot played while moving forward to take or recover the net.


## B


### Bajada


A shot played after the ball drops from the back glass, often with controlled pace.


### Balance


How the racket's weight feels: head-heavy for power, lower balance for maneuverability, or balanced in between.


### Bandeja


A controlled overhead used to keep the pair high on court without taking smash-level risk.


## C


### Chiquita


A soft short ball into the front court to move opponents and open the next shot.


### Continental grip


A neutral grip used for serves, volleys, bandejas and many defensive shots.


### Counter smash


A smash or overhead response played after defending an opponent's attacking ball.


## D


### Deuce


A tied game score at 40-40, where a team must win the deciding sequence.


### Drive


A forehand shot, often used for controlled balls from the side wall or open court.


### Drop shot


A soft shot designed to land short and make opponents move forward.


## F


### Fault


An illegal serve or shot that does not meet the rules.


### Flat shot


A shot with little spin, usually hit with a direct racket path.


## G


### Gancho


A compact hook-style overhead used when the ball is slightly behind the hitting shoulder.


### Glass


The back and side walls that keep the ball in play after a legal bounce.


### Golden point


A deciding point used in some formats instead of advantage scoring.


## L


### Let


A point or serve that must be replayed under the rules.


### Lob


A high shot used to push opponents away from the net and reset court position.


## N


### Net game


Attacking play from the volley zone, where teams usually control the point.


## O


### Overgrip


A thin grip layer wrapped over the handle to adjust feel, tack and thickness.


## P


### Poach


A move where one player crosses into a partner's side to attack a ball.


## R


### Rally


The sequence of shots played after the serve until the point ends.


### Rulo


A lifted attacking shot aimed over a defender toward the back corner.


## S


### Second serve


The backup serve after a first-serve fault.


### Side wall


The glass or wall on the side of the court, used in many rebounds.


### Smash


An overhead power shot that can finish the point, force a bad return or bring the ball back over the net.


### Spin


Rotation on the ball that changes bounce, skid and control.


### Split step


A small timing hop used to get balanced before reacting to the next ball.


### Sweet spot


The most forgiving hitting zone of the racket face.


## T


### Tiebreak


A game used to decide a set when the score reaches the tournament's tied-set rule.


## V


### Vibora


A sharper, sidespin overhead that skids after the bounce and glass.


### Volley


A shot hit before the ball bounces, normally from the net area.


## W


### Wall rebound


The ball's bounce from the glass after it has bounced legally on court.