No, padel and paddleball are not the same sport. Padel is played on an enclosed glass court where the walls are part of every rally, with a stringless perforated racket and a tennis-like ball. Paddleball is an American racket sport played against a single handball-style wall (or inside a four-wall court), using a small solid paddle and a hollow rubber ball, where only the server can score. They share the word “paddle,” but that is close to where the resemblance ends.
Paddleball is also easy to confuse with paddle tennis (pop tennis), a completely different sport that borrows tennis scoring and is played on an open mini-tennis court. This guide is specifically about paddleball, the wall-based, handball-style game — not paddle tennis. If it is padel vs. other racket sports you are after, see our padel vs pickleball, padel vs squash and padel vs tennis comparisons.
Thinking of trying padel instead? All you need to start is a racket and a tube of balls. See our picks for the best padel rackets for beginners and the best padel balls — or grab a forgiving round-shape pick like the Babolat Contact.
