Padel is a sociable sport, which means the unwritten rules matter as much as the written ones. None of this is complicated, but it makes the difference between being invited back and quietly not being invited back.
- Turn up ten minutes early. Warm-ups are part of the booking, not before it.
- Bring balls, or offer to. Rotating who supplies is the norm.
- Call your own lets honestly. Everyone notices who does not.
- If the ball goes to the next court, wait for their point to finish.
- Never coach a partner mid-point unless they asked you to.
- Play to the level of the weakest player, not the strongest.
- Clear the court on the hour. The next four people paid too.
- Put the balls back in the tube, not in your bag.
- Shake hands, at the net, every single time.
That is the whole list. Follow it and you will always find a fourth.
