Padel speaks Spanish. The sport grew up in Spain and Argentina, and its vocabulary came with it — which is why, on a court in Boca Raton, you will hear American players call for a bandeja or curse a vibora without a second thought. Most of these words have no exact English equivalent, so the international padel community simply does not translate them.

This glossary covers the 40 terms I actually hear on court and in match commentary: the shots, the court itself, the scoring language and the professional tour. Each entry gives the plain-English meaning first, then the literal Spanish where it helps the word stick. If you are new to the sport, read it alongside the rules guide — together they cover everything you need for your first match.

Contents

The shots

Bandeja

The bandeja is a controlled overhead shot hit with slice, somewhere between a smash and a volley — and it is the signature shot of padel. You play it when the opponents lob you: instead of smashing and surrendering the net, you carve the ball deep and flat, land it near the back glass and keep your net position. The word is Spanish for "tray", because the racket face travels flat, like a waiter carrying one. If you learn a single Spanish padel word, learn this one.

Vibora

The vibora (víbora) is the bandeja's aggressive sibling: a harder overhead with heavy side-spin that cuts diagonally downward, so the ball stays low and skids off the glass instead of sitting up. Spanish for "viper" — the name describes both the whipping motion and the bite.

Bajada

A bajada is an attacking shot hit downward from a high contact point, typically after the ball comes off the back wall or a short lob sits up. Spanish for "descent": you take the ball at the top and bring it down hard.

Chiquita

A chiquita is a soft, low tactical shot played from the back of the court to the feet of an opponent standing at the net. It forces an awkward upward volley and buys your pair time to advance. Spanish for "little girl" — a small shot with a big job.

Dejada

The dejada is padel's drop shot: a soft touch that barely clears the net and dies before the opponent can reach it. Risky against fast pairs, lethal against tired ones.

Gancho

A gancho is a defensive overhead hit with a very high contact point, used to recover or hold the net position when the lob is too good for a bandeja. Spanish for "hook", after the arm's hooking motion.

Rulo

A rulo is a topspin overhead rolled over the shoulder rather than crushed — the ball dips fast and accelerates off the court or the glass. Less power, more deception.

Contrapared

The contrapared is the last-resort shot that makes new spectators gasp: a defending player hits the ball against their own back wall hard enough that it rebounds over the net into the opponents' court. Legal, spectacular and genuinely useful.

Salida de pared

Salida de pared — "wall exit" — is playing the ball after it rebounds off the back or side wall. It is the fundamental defensive skill of padel and the thing tennis players find hardest to learn: you turn, let the ball pass you, and play it off the rebound.

Por tres

A por tres is a kick smash that bounces high and leaves the court over the side wall, which stands about three meters tall — hence "by three". Once the ball is out of the enclosure, the point is over in most amateur settings. The showpiece finish of padel.

Bote pronto

The bote pronto is a half volley: the ball is struck immediately after the bounce, on the rise. Usually a defensive necessity rather than a choice.

Globo (lob)

The globo is the lob — and in padel it is not a desperation shot but the most important tactical weapon in the game. Lifting the ball over the pair at the net forces them back, wins your pair the net, and resets the point on your terms. Good padel is, to a surprising degree, a lobbing contest.

Remate (smash)

The remate is the smash: a hard overhead meant to finish the point, either through the glass rebound or out of the court entirely. In padel the smash is a calculated risk — mistime it and the walls return it to your opponents.

Volea (volley)

The volea is the volley: any ball struck before it bounces, almost always from the net position. Padel is won at the net, so the volley is the sport's bread and butter.

Derecha (forehand)

Derecha is the forehand, the groundstroke on your dominant side. Literally "right" in Spanish — lefties, as ever, adapt.

Revés (backhand)

Revés is the backhand, the groundstroke on the non-dominant side. Padel backhands are almost always one-handed and compact — the solid racket does not reward big swings.

The court and equipment

Pista

The pista is the padel court: 20 by 10 meters (about 66 by 33 feet), enclosed by glass and metal mesh, with all four walls in play. See the rules guide for the full layout.

Pala

The pala is the padel racket: solid, stringless and perforated, with a foam or EVA core between composite faces. In everyday Spanish the word means "paddle" or "shovel", but on a padel court it only ever means the racket. Choosing one is a subject of its own — covered in the gear guide.

Cristal

The cristal is the tempered glass that walls the court. After the ball bounces on the ground it may rebound off the glass and stay in play — the rule that defines padel.

Pared

Pared simply means wall — any wall of the enclosure, glass or mesh. You will hear it in compounds constantly: salida de pared, contrapared.

Reja

The reja is the metal mesh section of the enclosure. Unlike the glass, the mesh returns the ball unpredictably, which is why balls played off the reja are so hard to defend.

Red (net)

Red is Spanish for net — the one word in this glossary that trips up every English speaker, because it has nothing to do with the color. "La pelota tocó la red" means the ball touched the net.

Serving, scoring and the match

Saque (serve)

The saque is the serve, and in padel it is always underhand: the ball must bounce once behind the service line and be struck at or below waist height, diagonally into the opposite service box. Two attempts, as in tennis.

Resto (return)

The resto is the return of serve. Because the underhand serve carries little power, the returning pair starts the point on nearly equal terms — one reason padel rallies run long.

Punto (point)

A punto is a single point. Padel scores points exactly as tennis does.

Juego (game)

A juego is one game: 15, 30, 40, game. Win six to take the set.

Set

A set is six games, with a tie-break at 6-6 in most formats. Matches are usually best of three sets.

Partido (match)

The partido is the match itself. In sports Spanish the word always means match, though dictionaries will also tell you it means a political party — context is everything.

Pareja (pair)

The pareja is the pair. Padel is a doubles sport almost without exception, and the pair — not the individual — is its basic competitive unit. Professional rankings track both players and pairs.

Iguales (deuce)

Iguales is deuce: 40-40. What happens next depends on the format — advantage, or the golden point.

Golden point (punto de oro)

The golden point is a single deciding point played at 40-40 instead of traditional advantage scoring; the receiving pair chooses which side receives. Professional padel adopted it to shorten matches, and most amateur play has followed.

Break

A break is winning a game against the serving pair, borrowed directly from tennis. Less decisive in padel than in tennis — the underhand serve protects the server far less.

Tie-break

The tie-break is the deciding game played to seven points (win by two) when a set reaches 6-6.

Remontada

A remontada is a comeback — overturning a match or set from a losing position. The word crossed over from Spanish soccer commentary and padel adopted it wholesale.

The professional game

FIP

The FIP — Federación Internacional de Pádel, the International Padel Federation — is the world governing body of the sport, founded in 1991 and based in Lausanne. It sanctions the professional tour and the world championships.

Premier Padel

Premier Padel is the main professional padel tour, run under the FIP. Its events visit Europe, the Middle East, the Americas and Asia — the state of the tour, and padel's push into the United States, is covered in the US padel scene.

Major

A Major is the top category of Premier Padel tournament, worth 2,000 ranking points to the winners — padel's equivalent of a Grand Slam.

P1

A P1 is the second tier of Premier Padel event, worth 1,000 ranking points.

P2

A P2 is a Premier Padel event worth 500 ranking points.

Ranking

The ranking is the official ordering of professional players and pairs by points earned on tour. Points decide tournament entry and seeding, exactly as in tennis.

Frequently asked questions

What is a bandeja in padel?

A bandeja is a controlled overhead shot hit with slice, between a smash and a volley. You play it after being lobbed, to send the ball deep while keeping your net position. Spanish for "tray", after the flat carry of the racket face.

What is a vibora in padel?

A vibora is an aggressive overhead with heavy side-spin that cuts diagonally downward, keeping the ball low off the glass. Spanish for "viper". It is the attacking counterpart of the more conservative bandeja.

What is the golden point in padel?

The golden point (punto de oro) is a single deciding point played at 40-40 instead of advantage scoring. The receiving pair picks the side. It is standard on the professional tour and in most amateur formats.

Why are most padel terms in Spanish?

Modern padel grew up in Spain and Argentina, so its vocabulary is Spanish. Shots like the bandeja, vibora and chiquita have no exact English equivalents, and players worldwide — including in the United States — use them untranslated.

Spotted a term I missed? It probably means I have not been beaten by it yet. The glossary grows as the sport does — the same way the rest of this site is written: from the court, not from a desk.