Padel rules, scoring, serving and wall play explained in plain English, with a beginner's guide and a glossary of padel terms used in Australia.
The Australian guide to padel
Padel is a doubles racket sport played on an enclosed court, with an underarm serve, glass walls you can play off, and tennis scoring. It is spreading fast in Australia. This site explains the rules in plain English, lists the venues I could verify in each city, and shows what padel really costs here, with a source for every fact.
By Daniel Kilkelly. Facts last checked November 2026.
Padel in Australia at a glance
- 20 × 10 mA padel court is 20 m by 10 m inside its walls, with a net 0.88 m high in the centre (International Padel Federation rules).
- 39I confirmed 39 open venues across the cities this guide covers in November 2026, with 14 in Sydney and 11 in Melbourne.
- $40 to $100Court hire at the venues that publish prices runs from about $40 to $100 an hour per court, or about $10 to $25 per player.
- 200Padel Australia reported more than 100 courts at the end of 2025 and said in August 2026 the sport was on track to pass 200 by the end of 2026.
New to padel? Start here
- What is padel? The sport in one page.
- Padel rules explained, including the serve and the walls.
- Find a venue near you in Perth, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast, Adelaide, Canberra or Newcastle.
- What to expect at your first session and what it costs.
Where to play padel in Australia
Padel venues in Perth, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast, Adelaide, Canberra and Newcastle, each checked against the venue's own website.
- 6Where to play padel in PerthSix open venues from Floreat to Yangebup, real court prices, and the indoor clubs on the way.
- 14Where to play padel in SydneyFourteen open venues from Alexandria to Minto, mostly indoor, with real prices and the clubs opening next.
- 11Where to play padel in MelbourneEleven open venues, two FIP tournaments in January 2026, and real class and court prices.
- 5Where to play padel in Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine CoastFive open venues across SEQ, real class and court prices, and the long list of clubs announced for 2026 and 2027.
- 1Where to play padel in AdelaideOne established indoor venue in Thebarton, new courts at Playford, and three more projects in the pipeline.
- 1Where to play padel in CanberraSix indoor courts at Fyshwick, the prices, the clinics and how to get into the Canberra scene.
- None yetPadel in Newcastle, NSWNo open venue in Newcastle yet. The nearest is on the Central Coast, and two projects are in planning.
Guides by topic
What padel racket, balls and shoes to buy in Australia, typical prices in AUD, and the shops that sell padel gear here.
Official padel court dimensions in metres, glass and mesh walls, indoor versus outdoor courts, what a court costs to build in Australia and why clubs are opening.
How padel compares with tennis, pickleball and squash on court size, equipment, rules, cost and how hard each is to pick up.
How to book a padel court, what lessons involve, what to expect at your first session and what it costs to play padel in Australia.
Why trust this guide?
Every rule comes from the International Padel Federation's official rulebook. Every venue is checked on its own website or booking page, and every price has a source and a date. I do not rank venues, take payment for listings or use affiliate links. Read my editorial policy and see the full list of sources.
- Editorial policy
- Sources
- Facts last checked November 2026