Can You Hit the Fence in Padel?

No. If the ball hits the metal fence on the receiver’s side after the bounce, the serve is a fault.

On serve, the ball must:

• bounce inside the correct service box
• then either stay in play or hit the glass

If it touches the cage (metal fence) before the second bounce, the point is lost by the server.
This rule applies even if the serve initially lands perfectly inside the box.

During a rally, the cage can only be hit after the ball has bounced on the opponent’s court.

In other words:

• Bounce on court → cage is allowed
• Direct hit into the cage → point lost

This is a core padel rule and applies equally to glass and fence: the bounce on the ground always comes first.

Yes — but only indirectly.

Some advanced shots are designed so that the ball bounces first and then reaches the fence, making it difficult to return. One example is the rulo, a soft, sliced shot usually played near the net that curves after the bounce and finishes into the side fence.

What matters is not intention, but sequence:

• the bounce must always happen before the cage is hit

If the ball goes straight into the fence without touching the court, the point is immediately lost.

You are allowed to play the ball after it hits your own cage, as long as the ball has already bounced on your side of the court.

This usually happens in defensive situations when the ball:

• bounces near the back
• hits the glass
• then reaches the fence

After that, you may return it normally before the second bounce.
This rule often surprises beginners, but it’s fully legal and part of padel’s defensive toolkit.

Many disputes come from mixing up glass and fence rules.

Glass is generally more forgiving and commonly used.
The cage is stricter — especially on serve.

If there’s ever doubt during a friendly match, the safest rule of thumb is simple:
no bounce = no cage.