GLOSSARY
Padel glossary
Padel terms and life at Distrito Pádel, explained clearly: strokes, rules, tournaments, training and the club.
Book and buy your products through
A
- Academy levels
- The Distrito Pádel academy organizes learning into four levels: beginner (first steps), basic (technique and consistency), intermediate (tactics and strategy) and advanced (competitive level).
- Americano
- The americano is an informal tournament format in which the pairs change every round, so everyone plays with and against everyone. Each player scores individually and whoever collects the most points wins.
B
- Backhand
- The backhand is the stroke hit on the non-dominant side of the body. It is harder to learn than the forehand and is worked on from the first training levels.
- Bandeja
- The bandeja is an overhead stroke played with control rather than power. It carries slice, keeps the ball low after the bounce and lets you hold your position at the net.
C
- Category
- The category is the playing level that groups players of similar ability in a tournament or league, so matches are balanced. It is chosen by level and, in some tournaments, by ranking.
- Chiquita (soft low ball)
- The chiquita is a soft, low stroke played at the opponents' feet when they are at the net. Its goal is to stop them from attacking and to move forward toward the net.
D
- Distrito Pádel
- Distrito Pádel is a padel club and sportsbar in Bogotá, located at Carrera 58 # 169 - 02, Britalia neighborhood. It brings together five panoramic courts, an academy, tournaments, memberships, X4 Sportsbar, a kids zone, BBQ, coworking and private parking.
- Distrito Ranking
- The Distrito Ranking is Distrito Pádel's standing, in which players earn points in the club's tournaments. Each tournament states in its fact sheet the points it awards.
- Doubles
- In padel, doubles is the usual format: two pairs face each other, with two players per side. Almost all matches, tournaments and leagues are played in this format.
F
- Fact sheet
- A tournament's fact sheet is the document that gathers its essential details: categories, dates, registration fees, prizes and rules. Distrito Pádel publishes the fact sheets of its tournaments and leagues.
- Forehand
- The forehand is the basic padel stroke hit with the racket on the dominant side of the body, after the ball has bounced. It is one of the first strokes you learn.
- Friendly match
- A friendly match is an informal padel match with no official competition or standings. It is the most common way to play with friends or with other club players.
G
- Game, set and match
- A padel match is played as best of three sets. A set is won by reaching six games with a two-game lead, and if it is tied at six it is decided by a tie-break. Each game is scored as in tennis: 15, 30, 40 and game.
- Golden point
- The golden point is the rule that decides a game when it reaches deuce (40-all): instead of playing advantages, a single decisive point is played. The receiving team chooses who returns, and whoever wins that point wins the game.
L
- Lob
- The lob is a high stroke that goes over the opponents at the net. It is used to recover position, buy time or push the opponents back from the net.
M
- Membership
- A membership is a club access plan with benefits such as unlimited courts at certain hours, group classes and discounts. Distrito Pádel offers four: Basic, Prime, Legión Lite and Legión Pro.
- Mondo court
- Mondo is a brand of sports surfaces. The five panoramic courts at Distrito Pádel have a Mondo surface, designed for comfortable play at every level.
P
- Padel
- Padel is a racket sport played in pairs on an enclosed court with glass walls and metal mesh. The ball can bounce off the walls after bouncing on the floor, which makes the game longer and more tactical than tennis. Scoring is the same as in tennis.
- Padel academy
- A padel academy is a training program with coaches and defined levels, where you train continuously rather than in one-off classes. The Distrito Pádel academy serves adults and kids, from beginner to advanced level.
- Padel ball
- The padel ball looks like a tennis ball but has lower internal pressure, so it bounces less. That difference makes the game more controlled and gives the walls an important role.
- Padel clinic
- A padel clinic is a one-off guided training session for a group or team. It is used in corporate events and celebrations to add padel to the plan.
- Padel club
- A padel club is a club dedicated to padel, with courts, training, competition and social spaces. Distrito Pádel defines itself as a padel club and sportsbar.
- Padel court
- A padel court measures 20 meters long by 10 meters wide and is split by a central net. It is surrounded by glass walls and metal mesh, and its surface is synthetic turf or similar. Panoramic courts have glass all around their perimeter.
- Padel league
- A padel league is a competition played over several weeks or months, with a match schedule. Each pair earns points for its results and the final standings decide the winners.
- Padel racket
- The padel racket is the sport's solid, stringless, perforated racket. It is usually made of carbon or fiberglass with a rubber core, and its size is limited by the rules.
- Padel tournament
- A padel tournament is a competition by categories, usually with direct elimination, played over one or several days. Players register in pairs and compete for prizes and ranking points.
- Pair
- The pair is the team of two players who compete together in a padel match or tournament. In tournament registrations the fee is usually charged per pair.
- Panoramic court
- A panoramic court is a padel court with glass walls all around, so the game can be seen from any side. Distrito Pádel has five panoramic courts with Mondo surface in Bogotá.
- Prime and off-peak hours
- Prime and off-peak hours are the booking time slots for the Distrito Pádel courts. Prime hours are the busiest and off-peak hours the quietest; memberships give different conditions in each.
R
- Ranking
- The ranking is the standing of players or pairs according to the points accumulated in tournaments and leagues. It is used to organize categories and recognize the best results.
- Rules
- The rules are the set of regulations of a tournament, league or service at the club. Distrito Pádel publishes the rules of its tournaments, the academy and the cancellation policies so you can read them before registering.
S
- Serve
- The serve is the stroke that starts every point. It is hit below the waist, after bouncing the ball, and must land in the opposite service box, diagonally.
- Smash
- The smash is a powerful overhead stroke hit above the head to close the point. It demands good positioning and is one of the most spectacular strokes in padel.
- Sportsbar
- A sportsbar is a bar where you eat, drink and watch sports events on screens. At Distrito Pádel, the sportsbar is X4 and it sits next to the courts.
- SportSpace
- SportSpace is the platform and app Distrito Pádel uses to book courts and academy classes, register for tournaments and buy memberships. It is available on Google Play and the App Store.
T
- Third half
- The third half is the custom of sharing food and drinks with opponents and teammates after playing. At Distrito Pádel that moment is lived at X4 Sportsbar.
- Tie-break
- The tie-break is the decider played when a set reaches six games all. It is played to seven points, with a two-point lead, and whoever gets there first wins it.
V
- Víbora
- The víbora is an overhead stroke similar to the bandeja, but more sideways and with more spin. It is more aggressive and is used to bother the opponent without going for a final smash.
- Volley
- The volley is a stroke in which the ball is returned without letting it bounce, usually close to the net. It is used to finish points and pressure the opposing pair.
W
- Wall rebound
- In padel, the ball may touch the walls after bouncing on the floor of your own or the opponent's court. It is the rule that defines the game and sets it apart from tennis.
- Wall return
- The wall return is the stroke used to send the ball back after it rebounds off a wall. It is one of the most characteristic actions in padel and is trained from the basic level.
X
- X4 Sportsbar
- X4 Sportsbar is the Distrito Pádel sportsbar: it offers food, drinks and broadcasts in an atmosphere with the courts in the background. It is the place to hang out after the match.
PLAY AT DISTRITO