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Padel glossary: 50 terms, from americano to vibora, with the Spanish shot names

By the Lobwell Padel team. Updated 1 November 2026.

Short answer: Most padel terms are Spanish: globo is a lob, remate a smash, bandeja a sliced overhead, vibora a faster side spun one, chiquita a soft ball to the feet, and salida de pared a shot played after the ball comes off the wall. The court is called la pista, the glass el cristal and the mesh la reja. The racket is officially a racket, though many players call it a pala, or a bat.

A player in dark kit leaps with one leg kicked back to smash a ball under the roof lights of an indoor arena.
Photo: Harpagornis, CC BY-SA 4.0

Racket or bat?

Both, depending on who you ask. The FIP rules use the word racket throughout, and so do UK retailers and the LTA. In Spanish it is la pala, which means paddle or shovel, and many British players call it a bat, which describes it fairly well: it is solid, stringless and no longer than 45.5 cm. On this site we say racket, to match the official rules.

The court

The word padel itself comes from the Spanish pádel. In English it is spelt with one d and an e, which separates it from paddle tennis, a different American sport.

Court terms
Term Spanish Meaning
Court La pista The 10 by 20 metre playing area and its walls
Glass El cristal The glass walls, 3 m high at the back
Mesh or fence La reja, la malla The metal mesh; gives an unpredictable bounce
Back wall Pared de fondo The end wall behind each pair
Side wall Pared lateral The walls along each side
Service line Línea de saque 6.95 m from the net
Service box Cuadro de saque Where the serve must land
Right side Drive The deuce side; the drive player is the right side player
Left side Revés The advantage side; often the stronger smasher
A blue outdoor padel court framed by black steel and glass on a paved corner beside a club building.
Photo: Globetrotter19, CC BY-SA 3.0

Shots from the back

  • Globo: the lob. A high, deep ball over the net players.
  • Salida de pared: a return played after the ball comes off the back or side wall.
  • Doble pared: a ball that has hit two walls before you play it.
  • Contra pared: you hit the ball into your own wall so it rebounds over the net.
  • Chiquita: a soft, low ball that dips at the net players' feet.
  • Bote: the bounce. A segundo bote is a second bounce, which ends the point.
  • Pasada: a passing shot down the side.
  • Drive and revés: forehand and backhand groundstrokes.

Shots at the net and overheads

  • Volea: volley.
  • Dejada: drop shot or drop volley that dies just over the net.
  • Bandeja: a controlled, sliced overhead at head height. The name means tray.
  • Vibora: a faster overhead with side spin. The name means viper.
  • Remate: smash.
  • Por tres: a smash that bounces high out of the court over the side wall (the 3 m wall).
  • Por cuatro: a smash that goes out over the back fence (the 4 m wall).
  • Rulo: a topspin smash that kicks up off the glass.
  • Gancho: a hooked overhead hit near the net.
  • Bajada: an attacking overhead hit after the ball rebounds high off your own back wall.
  • Bloqueo: a block volley against a hard hit ball.
Players on a floodlit green outdoor padel court at night, seen through the glass back wall.
Photo: Cristina Marqués de Frutos, CC BY-SA 4.0

Scoring and formats

Our padel scoring guide explains golden point and Star Point in more detail.

Scoring terms
Term Meaning
Golden point (punto de oro) At 40-40, one deciding point; the receivers choose who receives
Star Point FIP 2026 option: advantage is played until the third deuce, then one deciding point
Advantage Tennis style: win two points in a row from deuce
Tie-break At 6-6, first to 7 points with a two point lead
Super tie-break Replaces a third set; first to 10 with a two point lead
Americano Social format where partners rotate and individual points are totalled
Mexicano Like an americano, but pairings for each round depend on the scores so far
Let A serve that clips the net and lands in the box; replayed

Kit terms

How these materials change the feel of a racket is explained in the padel racket core guide.

  • EVA: ethylene vinyl acetate, the foam core inside most rackets.
  • 3K, 12K, 18K: carbon weaves with 3,000, 12,000 or 18,000 filaments per strand.
  • Balance: where the weight sits. Low means head light, high means head heavy.
  • Overgrip: the thin wrap on top of the handle you change every few weeks.
  • Cordón: the wrist cord, compulsory under FIP rules, up to 35 cm long.
  • Protector: clear or coloured tape along the top of the frame against scrapes.
  • Herringbone: the zig zag sole pattern on padel shoes.

Positions and tactics words

For how these fit together in a real game, read padel doubles tactics and padel shots explained.

  • La red: the net. Going to the net is the main goal in padel.
  • Fondo: the back of the court.
  • Tierra de nadie: no man's land, the area around the service line where you should not stand.
  • Paralelo: a shot straight down the side.
  • Cruzado: a cross court shot.
  • Al centro: down the middle, between the two opponents.
  • Cambio: the call to switch sides with your partner when a lob goes over one of you.

Questions people ask

What does por tres mean in padel?

A smash that bounces high and flies out of the court over the 3 metre side wall. Por cuatro means it went out over the 4 metre back fence.

What is a pala in padel?

Pala is the Spanish word for the padel racket. English rules and shops call it a racket; some players call it a bat.

What is the reja?

The metal mesh fencing around the court. Balls off the mesh bounce unpredictably, unlike balls off the glass.

What does drive side mean?

The right hand side of the court for a pair, usually played by the player with the steadier forehand. The left side is called revés.

Sources

Keep reading

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