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Get coaching
This page explains what governing bodies, standards bodies and researchers publish. It is not a substitute for lessons from a qualified coach or for medical advice.
Lessons come before kit
We suggest a first padel season starts with lessons from a qualified coach, and this guide recommends no club, coach or shop. No FIP-level coach certification structure was found for this site. The Padel Paper reported on 5 July 2023 that the LTA's first padel coaching qualification was a five-day Padel Instructor course, and the RSPA (formerly the USPTA) has certified padel instructors since 2024, according to search summaries. The routes are on how people learn, and the game itself on padel.
The racket: what the FIP rules set
A padel racket has a head and a handle and a perforated face, not strings. The FIP Rules of Padel (review applying from 1 January 2026) set these limits:
| Part | FIP Rules of Padel 2026, "The Padel Racket" |
|---|---|
| Overall length (head plus handle) | At most 45.5 cm |
| Head | At most 26 cm wide and 38 mm thick, with a 2.5 percent tolerance on thickness when measured |
| Handle | At most 20 cm long, and at most 50 mm wide and 50 mm thick |
| Holes in the face | Unlimited number; cylindrical, 9 to 13 mm across in the central area; within 4 cm of the edge they may be larger or shaped differently, up to 20 mm |
| Faces | Flat; may be smooth or rough |
| Attachments | Only to limit deterioration or vibration or to distribute weight, reasonable in size and position; no reflective surfaces, sound elements, or devices that could communicate with, warn or instruct the player during a game |
The rules also say rackets must be made in accordance with the FIP's "Annex Padel Rackets Homologation". That annex, and any public list of certified rackets, could not be found for this site, so unlike the ball list below there is no racket list here to check against. Any racket can be compared with the published limits in the racket size checker, which does not check approval, materials or the cord. Racket weight and balance descriptions are makers' claims, and fitting is not described here.
The wrist cord is compulsory
Under the FIP rules, a racket must have a non-elastic wrist cord of at most 35 cm, fixed to the handle and worn around the wrist, and its use is obligatory. The FIP describes the cord as protection against accidents; that is the FIP's wording, and the cord is not presented here as preventing injury. A pair loses the point if a player breaks the cord or drops the racket. The FIP rules contain no eyewear requirement; the wrist cord is the safety item they make compulsory.
Balls: FIP certification
The FIP rules say balls used in official competitions are those the FIP approves. Its document "FIP Certifications: Approved Balls" (2026) sets out the scheme:
- Ball approval testing began on 1 April 2017, and certification must be renewed every two years.
- Only FIP-certified balls may be used in FIP official-calendar events, including FIP championships, Premier Padel, the CUPRA FIP Tour and FIP Promises, and in all FIP-recognised competitions.
- Testing is done by FIP-accredited laboratories on 24 balls drawn at random from 72 submitted, and the FIP may withdraw approval if balls differ from the samples or fall short of the rules.
- The list in the document read ran to 41 entries, approved between September 2024 and 18 August 2026; the online version on the FIP site prevails over any printed copy.
- Organisers must announce the ball brand and model, and the number of balls per match, in advance.
The rules describe a rubber ball 6.35 to 6.77 cm across, weighing 56.0 to 59.4 g, that bounces 135 to 145 cm when dropped from 2.54 m. All balls on the list are the Standard type, pressurised or pressureless.
Playing at altitude: the FIP documents disagree
The FIP allows a different ball at altitude, with a bounce over 121.92 cm and under 135 cm, but its documents give three thresholds. The Rules of Padel 2026 say above 1,000 m; the certification document's extract of the rules says above 800 m; and its technical notes say the pressureless and High Altitude balls are for play above 1,219 m. This site cannot say which applies. Organisers must announce the ball brand and model in advance.
Shoes, eyes and the court
The sections of the FIP rules read for this site set no footwear specification, and no governing-body source on padel shoe soles was found. Makers' claims about padel-specific soles were not collected, so none is reported, and no shoe is presented as preventing injury; see court shoes.
ASTM F3164-24, the racket-sport eye protector standard, names racquetball, squash, tennis and pickleball in its title; padel is not among them. A 2023 systematic review of padel injuries (Dahmen and colleagues) found one study reporting eye contusion in about 1.7 percent of injuries. The full research is on padel, squash and badminton injury research, and the FIP's rules on glass walls, padding and clear space on court and facility safety.
One regulator alert involving padel kit was found: an EU alert of August 2022 over a phthalate in a padel racket's handle tape, seen in a reproduction of the weekly report and not confirmed against the Safety Gate database. Details are on recalls.
Our picks by category
Padel rackets
Padel rackets with a perforated face and a fixed wrist cord. The FIP Rules of Padel 2026 cap length at 45.5 cm, width at 26 cm and thickness at 38 mm, and make the cord compulsory. The FIP racket homologation annex was not found, so no racket list is given. Weight and balance claims are the maker's.
Best for: New players, choosing with a coach
Padel balls
Padel balls. FIP official-calendar events, Premier Padel included, use only FIP-certified balls, listed on the FIP site, with certification renewed every two years. At altitude the FIP documents give three different thresholds.
Best for: Every player; official events use FIP-certified balls
Padel shoes
Court shoes for padel. No FIP footwear rule was found, sole claims are the maker's, and no shoe is presented as preventing injury.
Best for: Every player, fitted in person
Padel bags
Padel racket bags. No rule or standard governs them.
Best for: Anyone carrying a racket and balls
Sources
- FIP, Rules of Padel (review of application 1 January 2026)
- FIP, Certifications: Approved Balls (2026)
- The Padel Paper, LTA padel coaching qualifications (5 July 2023)
- RSPA (formerly USPTA), brand FAQ (search-result summary)
- Dahmen, Emanuel, Fontanellas-Fes, Verhagen, Kerkhoffs and Pluim, Incidence, prevalence and nature of injuries in padel: a systematic review, BMJ Open Sport and Exercise Medicine 2023
- ASTM, F3164-24 Standard Specification for Eye Protectors for Racket Sports (store page, updated 27 November 2024)
- Certifico, reproduction of the RAPEX weekly report of 12 August 2022 (alert A12/01135/22)