Padel vs Squash: Court, Serve and Scoring

Padel is played on a 65.6 ft by 32.8 ft (20 m by 10 m) enclosed court, squash on a 32.0 ft by 21.0 ft (9.75 m by 6.4 m) singles court. Padel scores 15, 30, 40; squash scores one point per rally to 11 (FIP rules; World Squash). At Wildcard Sport, we research federation rulebooks and official specifications.

Court, Serve, Scoring and Equipment

Start with the court, because its size is the first measured difference. The squash singles court is smaller than the padel court on both measures. The World Squash court specifications give it as 32.0 ft by 21.0 ft (9.75 m by 6.4 m). The FIP rules give a padel court as 65.6 ft by 32.8 ft (20 m by 10 m).

The serve is the second difference. Under the FIP rules, a padel server must bounce the ball on the ground and hit it at or below waist level, with at least one foot in contact with the ground. Under the World Squash singles rules, a squash server drops or throws the ball and strikes it, with one foot in contact with the floor inside the service box.

Scoring is the third difference. Padel points run 15, 30, 40, then game. Squash awards one point for every rally, and each game runs to 11 points.

Equipment is the fourth. The FIP rules cap the padel racket length, describe a perforated racket face, and publish limits for the padel ball. The World Squash singles rules require the racket, ball and court to meet World Squash specifications in Appendix 5.

How the Courts Compare

The FIP rules give a padel court as 65.6 ft by 32.8 ft (20 m by 10 m), measured inside the playing area, with a 0.5 percent tolerance. That area is 2,153 sq ft (200 m²). The World Squash court specifications give a singles squash court as 32.0 ft by 21.0 ft (9.75 m by 6.4 m), with a floor area of about 672 sq ft (62.4 m²).

The World Squash court specifications also give a squash doubles court of 32.0 ft by 27.6 ft (9.75 m by 8.42 m). Against that doubles width, the padel court is 5.2 ft (1.6 m) wider. The squash doubles court uses a 13.0 in (330 mm) tin, while the singles court uses the standard tin described in the walls section below.

The FIP rules say all padel court lines are 2 in (5 cm) wide. The padel service line sits 22.8 ft (6.95 m) from the net on each side, according to the FIP rules. The squash service box is a square with 5.2 ft (1.6 m) internal sides, bounded by lines on three sides and a side wall on the fourth.

Enclosure and Court Walls

The FIP rules require a padel court to be completely enclosed. The end walls stand 13.1 ft (4 m) high. Each end has a first section of 9.8 ft (3 m), made of any transparent or solid material, topped by 3.3 ft (1 m) of metal fence.

The sides can use stepped walls. The FIP rules describe a first step 9.8 ft (3 m) high by 6.6 ft (2 m) long and a second step 6.6 ft (2 m) high by 6.6 ft (2 m) long, with metal fencing completing the enclosure (Variant 1). The minimum clear height over a padel court is 19.7 ft (6 m). The FIP rules suggest 26.2 ft (8 m) for new facilities.

The World Squash court specifications set lines on the walls instead. The front wall line is 15.0 ft (4,570 mm) high. The front-wall service line is 5.8 ft (1,780 mm) high. The back wall line is 7.0 ft (2,130 mm) high. The short line sits 14.0 ft (4.26 m) from the back wall and runs across the full court width.

The front wall tin is 18.9 in (480 mm) high under the standard specification. A lowered 16.9 in (430 mm) tin is preferred for PSA-sanctioned tournaments. The same specification says glass back walls became popular around the mid-1960s and that four-sided glass show courts are now common for tournaments.

The FIP rules allow cement, synthetic material or artificial grass for a padel court.

Serving Rules Side by Side

A padel server bounces the ball on the ground first, then hits it at or below waist level. At least one foot must stay in contact with the ground at contact. The serve goes diagonally over the net into the opposite service box. The first serve goes to the receiver's left-side box, and the serves then alternate (FIP rules).

A squash server drops or throws the ball and strikes it, with one foot in contact with the floor inside the service box. A good serve hits the front wall between the service line and the out-line. Unless the receiver volleys it, the ball must bounce first in the opposite quarter-court (World Squash singles rules).

A squash serve that breaks those conditions is a fault, and the receiver wins the rally. Squash allows one serve per rally, with no second serve.

Both sports require the server to have a foot on the ground when the ball is struck. Beyond that, the two serves differ on the ball's first bounce and the target area.

Scoring and Match Length

The padel score runs 15, 30, 40 and game. At deuce, organizers can choose Advantage, Star Point (a deciding point after the third deuce) or Golden Point (a deciding point at deuce), according to the FIP rules. A padel match is best of three sets, and a tie-break is played at 6 games all. If the match reaches one set all, the third set can be replaced by a tie-break to 7 points with a 2-point margin, or by a super tie-break to 10 points.

The squash score counts rallies. The winner of each rally scores a point and serves next. Each game runs to 11 points, and at 10 all play continues until one player leads by 2 points (World Squash singles rules). A squash match is normally best of 5 games, but it may be best of 3.

Squash also sets time limits between games. The warm-up lasts a maximum of 4 minutes, and players change sides after 2 minutes. Intervals last a maximum of 1 minute after the warm-up and a maximum of 2 minutes between games. A squash match is normally officiated by a Referee, or by a Referee and a Marker.

Interference, Lets and Clearing

Squash has a defined set of rules for interference during a rally. A striker who believes interference occurred requests a let by calling "Let, please," and that request includes a request for a stroke. A stroke, where the rally goes to the striker, is awarded when the opponent was not making every effort to avoid interference, or when the striker would have made a winning return.

If a rally ends in a let, the server serves again from the same box. After a follow-through, a player must clear so the opponent has a fair view of the ball, access to it, and space for a reasonable swing. A good return must hit the front wall above the tin and below the out-line, after any side or back walls, and it must not touch the tin.

Rackets and Balls

The FIP rules set a padel racket length limit of 17.9 in (45.5 cm), measured as head plus handle. The head width is capped at 10.2 in (26 cm), and the thickness at 1.5 in (38 mm). The racket face is perforated, with holes 0.35 to 0.51 in (9 to 13 mm) across in the center area. A non-elastic cord of at most 13.8 in (35 cm) must be fixed to the handle.

The padel ball is 2.50 to 2.67 in (6.35 to 6.77 cm) in diameter and weighs 1.98 to 2.10 oz (56.0 to 59.4 g). A new padel ball must bounce 53.1 to 57.1 in (135 to 145 cm) when dropped from 100 in (2.54 m) onto a hard surface (FIP rules).

The World Squash singles rules require the squash racket and ball to meet World Squash specifications in Appendix 5, as the World Squash Singles Rules 2025 state.

Governing Bodies

The FIP publishes the padel rules cited here. World Squash publishes the singles rules and the court specifications. The squash singles rules are the 2025 edition. The court specifications are a 2017-dated document.

The World Squash court specification says squash is believed to have evolved from the game of Rackets at Harrow School around 1830.

Dimension by Dimension

Padel figures are from the FIP rules and squash figures from World Squash.

Dimension	Padel (FIP rules)	Squash (World Squash)
Governing body	FIP	World Squash
Court length	65.6 ft (20 m)	32.0 ft (9.75 m), singles
Court width	32.8 ft (10 m)	21.0 ft (6.4 m), singles
Court floor area	2,153 sq ft (200 m²)	About 672 sq ft (62.4 m²), singles
Enclosure or walls	Completely enclosed; end walls 13.1 ft (4 m) high	Front wall line 15.0 ft (4,570 mm) high; back wall line 7.0 ft (2,130 mm) high
Net or front-wall tin	Net 34.6 in (0.88 m) at center, 36.2 in (0.92 m) at ends	Tin 18.9 in (480 mm); 16.9 in (430 mm) preferred for PSA-sanctioned tournaments
Serve contact	Bounce on the ground, hit at or below waist level, one foot on the ground	Drop or throw, strike, one foot on the floor inside the service box
Serve target	Diagonal into the opposite service box	Front wall between service line and out-line, bounce first in opposite quarter-court
Points within a game	15, 30, 40, game	One point per rally
Game and deuce rule	Deuce options: Advantage, Star Point, or Golden Point	Game to 11; at 10 all, win by 2
Match length	Best of 3 sets; tie-break at 6 games all	Normally best of 5 games; may be best of 3
Ball	2.50 to 2.67 in (6.35 to 6.77 cm); 1.98 to 2.10 oz (56.0 to 59.4 g)	Must meet World Squash specifications (Appendix 5)
Racket	Maximum 17.9 in (45.5 cm) long; perforated face; cord up to 13.8 in (35 cm)	Must meet World Squash specifications (Appendix 5)

More Padel Comparisons

For other padel comparisons, see padel vs tennis, padel vs pickleball and padel vs racquetball.

Which One Fits You

Pick padel if you want the larger court and the enclosed layout the FIP rules require. The FIP rules give a padel court 2.05 times the length and 1.56 times the width of a squash singles court. Its serve bounces first and is struck at or below waist level, and its score counts 15, 30, 40 and game.

Pick squash if you want the smaller singles court and a score that moves one point per rally. Each squash game runs to 11 points, and the rules allow one serve per rally with no second serve. A squash match is normally best of 5 games.

Padel basics: padel rules page and padel scoring page. If you are still choosing, see the new sport quiz.

Frequently Asked Questions

Squash vs Padel: How Do the Rules Differ?

The measured rules differ in four places. Padel has a larger court, a bounce-first serve at waist height, and a score that counts 15, 30, 40 and game. Squash has a smaller court, a point-per-rally score that runs to 11 points, and one serve per rally.

Squash vs Padel: Which Has the Bigger Court?

Padel has the bigger court. The FIP rules give a padel court of 65.6 ft by 32.8 ft (20 m by 10 m), which covers 2,153 sq ft (200 m²). The World Squash court specifications give a singles squash court of 32.0 ft by 21.0 ft (9.75 m by 6.4 m), with a floor area of about 672 sq ft (62.4 m²). The padel floor area is about 3.2 times the squash singles area (200 m² divided by 62.4 m²).

How Does Scoring Differ Between Padel and Squash?

Padel counts points as 15, 30, 40 and game. At deuce, organizers can choose Advantage, Star Point or Golden Point. Squash counts one point per rally, and each game runs to 11 points. At 10 all, play continues until one player leads by 2 points (World Squash singles rules). A squash match is normally best of 5 games, and a padel match is best of 3 sets.

How Many Players Are on a Squash Court?

Two players in singles (World Squash singles rules).

Does Squash Have a Second Serve?

No. Squash allows one serve per rally. A serve that fails the rules is a fault, and the receiver wins the rally (World Squash singles rules).

Which Governing Bodies Write the Rules?

The FIP publishes the padel rules. World Squash publishes the squash singles rules and the squash court specifications.