Padel is one of the fastest-growing racket sports in the world, especially in Spain, Latin America, the Middle East and the UK. It is usually played in doubles on an enclosed court where the ball can be played off the glass walls, which makes it very different from badminton’s open court and shuttle that must never touch the floor.
Badminton vs padel in brief
- Court: padel 20 m x 10 m enclosed by walls; badminton 13.4 m x 6.1 m open court
- Net: padel 0.88 m at centre; badminton 1.524 m
- Object: pressurised padel ball that bounces; shuttle that never bounces
- Walls: in play in padel; badminton has none
- Scoring: padel uses tennis scoring; badminton uses rally scoring to 21
- Format: padel is almost always doubles; badminton is singles or doubles
Side-by-side comparison
| Padel | Badminton | |
|---|---|---|
| Court | 20 m x 10 m, enclosed by glass and mesh walls | 13.4 m x 6.1 m, open |
| Net height | 0.88 m at centre, 0.92 m at posts | 1.524 m at centre, 1.55 m at posts |
| What you hit | Pressurised ball similar to a tennis ball | Shuttlecock, 4.74 to 5.50 g |
| Equipment | Solid, perforated bat with no strings | Strung racket |
| Bounce and walls | Ball bounces once; can be played off the walls | No bounce, no walls |
| Serve | Underarm, after a bounce, struck at or below waist height, diagonal; two attempts | Underarm, below 1.15 m, diagonal; one attempt |
| Scoring | Tennis scoring (15-30-40), often with a golden point at deuce; sets with tiebreaks | Rally scoring to 21, best of 3 |
| Usual format | Doubles | Singles and doubles |
How the walls change the game
In padel, after the ball bounces on your side you can let it rebound off the back or side glass and then return it. That gives defenders a second chance and makes rallies long and tactical; points are usually won by patience and positioning at the net rather than raw power. Badminton has nothing like this: every shot must be intercepted in the air, so attack and speed of movement matter more.
Difficulty
Padel is easier to start. The underarm serve, short bat, smaller court and forgiving walls mean beginners have fun quickly, which is a big part of its popularity.
Badminton is harder to play well. Hitting a fast-decelerating shuttle out of the air takes timing and footwork, and the game becomes very athletic at club level.
Fitness
Both are good workouts. Badminton singles is the more intense of the two, with constant sprinting and lunging; padel doubles has more pauses and less ground to cover per player. See badminton benefits.
Cost and access
Padel courts are expensive to build and usually bookable at dedicated clubs, so court hire is often pricier. Badminton courts are common in schools, leisure centres and community halls. Equipment costs are similar at entry level: a padel bat and balls versus a badminton racket and shuttles.
Which should you choose?
| Choose padel if you… | Choose badminton if you… |
|---|---|
| Want a social doubles game that is easy to start | Want a faster, more athletic sport |
| Like tactical rallies using walls | Like smashing and playing at the net |
| Have a padel club nearby | Have a sports hall or badminton club nearby |
| Come from tennis and like the scoring | Want singles as well as doubles |
FAQ
Is padel harder than badminton?
Padel is easier to start; badminton is harder to master and more physically demanding.
Is padel the same as paddle tennis or platform tennis?
No. Padel uses a glass-walled 20 x 10 m court; platform tennis is played on a raised aluminium deck with wire screens, mainly in the north-east US. See badminton vs platform tennis.
Can you play padel on a badminton court?
No. Padel needs its own enclosed court with walls.
More comparisons: badminton vs tennis, pickleball vs badminton and badminton vs squash.
