In short: in padel doubles you move as one unit, never independently. Both partners go up to the net to attack and both drop back to defend, staying roughly level and about three metres apart. The player the ball is closest to takes the middle, and when you are stuck deep, the lob is what buys you time to climb forward again.
Most beginners lose points not because their shots are weak, but because their feet are in the wrong place. One partner charges the net while the other lingers at the back. Now there is a gap the size of a bus down the middle, and any decent opponent will drill the ball straight through it.
The one rule that fixes half your errors
Stay connected. If your partner steps forward, you step forward. If they retreat, you retreat. Think of an invisible rope about three metres long tying you together. Break that link and the court splits into two undefended halves.
Two legal formations exist. Both players up at the net, or both back near the glass. The mixed shape, one up and one back, is a temporary transition, not a place to camp.
Who takes the middle
The middle is where most balls land, and where most partnerships freeze. The default: whoever has the forehand there plays it. For two right-handers, that is usually the player on the left. Agree on it before the match so nobody hesitates.
One clean word saves the point. Call "mine" or "yours" early and loud. Silence produces the classic double, both players watching the ball drop between them.
Attack up, defend back
The net is the attacking zone. From there you hit down into your opponents' feet and dictate the rally. The back of the court, near the glass, is the defending zone, where you play the ball off the walls and wait for a chance. Winning padel is mostly a fight to reach the net and stay there. Learning the bandeja in padel matters here, because it is the shot that lets you hold your net position instead of being pushed back by a deep lob.
- Both up, both back: never leave one partner stranded alone.
- Move as a unit, staying level and about three metres apart.
- Forehand player takes the middle by default.
- Call "mine" or "yours" on every shared ball.
- Lob when you are pinned deep and need time to advance.
- Retreat together the moment a lob clears your head.
When to throw up the lob
The lob is your reset button. When opponents own the net and you are trapped at the back, a deep lob over their heads forces them to turn and chase, which drops them back and hands you the chance to walk forward. Aim it deep, toward the corners, so it dies in the glass. If you are just starting out, our guide to padel for beginners covers the footwork habits that make these transitions second nature.
Padel rewards patience more than power. The pair that keeps its shape and lobs at the right moment usually beats the pair with the bigger smash. For the sport's full rules and history, the Padel entry on Wikipedia is a solid reference.
Pick a side, agree who owns the middle, and practise moving forward and back together until it feels like one body.