This week's puzzles
Seven positions from the last seven days, with the options; the answers and the one-line reasoning are on the last page. Print it for the club noticeboard, the coaching session or the car on the way to the tournament.
1. Your lob hits their back glass before it bounces. Point? Sunday, 4 October 2026 · beginner
You lob and the ball flies straight into the back glass on their side without touching the floor first. Whose point?
- Theirs: floor first, then walls
- Replay it
- Yours. The walls are in play once the ball is over
2. The rebound comes out fast and you are too close. What now? Monday, 5 October 2026 · intermediate
You misjudged the pace and the ball comes off the glass fast, right at you, with no room to swing. What is the best recovery?
- Let it go past and take it on the second bounce
- A short, compact block upward: get it high and deep, no swing
- Swing anyway and hope
3. Your serve clips the net and lands in the box. What now? Tuesday, 6 October 2026 · beginner
Your first serve touches the top of the net, drops over and bounces inside the correct service box. What happens?
- Good serve: play on
- Let. You replay that serve
- Fault. The serve cannot touch the net
4. Your partner is pulled wide to the left at the net. Where do you go? Wednesday, 7 October 2026 · beginner
You are both at the net. Your partner has to move wide to volley a ball by the left glass. What do you do?
- Slide to the middle with them, same distance apart
- Drop back to the baseline to cover the lob
- Stay where you are and cover your side
5. You are moving forward behind your lob. When do you stop? Thursday, 8 October 2026 · intermediate
Your lob is good and you and your partner are advancing. At what moment do you stop moving forward?
- You do not stop: keep going to the net
- As they make contact, wherever you are
- When you reach the net position, and not before
6. Can you serve without bouncing the ball first? Friday, 9 October 2026 · beginner
A friend serves by dropping the ball and hitting it before it touches the floor, like a soft tennis serve. Is that a legal padel serve?
- Yes, but only on the second serve
- Yes, if it is underarm and lands in the box
- No: the ball must bounce on the floor before you strike it
7. The server stays at the back after serving. What return punishes it? Saturday, 10 October 2026 · intermediate
The server hits and stays on the baseline instead of coming in. Their partner is at the net. What is the best return?
- Drive at the net player
- Deep through the middle, and take the net
- A lob over the server, as always
Answers
- A Floor first, then walls. A ball into their glass before the bounce is out. https://thebandejalab.com/puzzle/ball-hits-the-glass-on-the-full/
- B Too close to a fast rebound: shorten the swing to a block, lift it high and deep. Then fix your position. https://thebandejalab.com/puzzle/the-ball-that-comes-off-the-glass-too-fast/
- B A net-cord serve that lands in the box is a let: replay it, no fault counted. https://thebandejalab.com/puzzle/serve-clips-net-lands-in/
- A Move with your partner, like a rope between you. Wide on one side means the other slides to the middle. https://thebandejalab.com/puzzle/move-together-side-to-side/
- B Advance, then split-step exactly as they hit. Where you are does not matter; when you stop does. https://thebandejalab.com/puzzle/advancing-when-to-stop/
- C Bounce, then hit. A padel serve struck before the ball has touched the floor is a fault. https://thebandejalab.com/puzzle/serve-hit-out-of-the-air/
- B Server stays back? Return deep and firm, then take the net. A split pair is a gift. https://thebandejalab.com/puzzle/the-return-when-server-stays-back/
The Bandeja Lab, https://thebandejalab.com/. Free to print and hand out; please leave the address on.