Pickleball is a paddle sport that over the last 50-plus years
Uniform play in pickleball relies heavily on everyone following the same rules, but the court must also held to exacting specifications. It doesn’t matter if the court is built specifically for pickleball or if you’re using an existing basketball, badminton or tennis court – the dimensions will be the same, and that includes net height.
The court is rectangular: 20 feet wide and 44 feet long. Unlike tennis where there are different lines for singles and doubles games, pickleball courts maintain the same lines in either situation. The net should be 34 inches at the middle and 36 inches at the sides.
DIMENSIONS & MEASUREMENTS
A pickleball court is a rectangle, 20 feet wide and 44 feet long. The dimensions are the same for singles and doubles. The total playing area is 30 feet wide and 60 feet long; this gives players room to volley balls that bounce within the lines, but travel beyond them, which is why the USAPA recommends extending the dimensions out to 34 feet by 64 feet whenever possible. When measuring the actual court, you must measure from the outside of the tapelines, not from the inside of them.
LINES & AREAS
The lines are to be two inches wide and of a contrasting color to the court surface, which helps to avoid visual confusion. Generally made of tape for indoor play and paint for outdoor courts, the lines consist of the baselines, which are parallel to the net and at the end of the court; the sidelines, which are perpendicular to the net and run from baseline to baseline; the non-volley zone lines, which run parallel to and seven feet from the net, extending out to the sidelines; the centerlines, which run down the middle from the non-volley zone line to the baseline.
NET
When using a tennis net to play pickleball, it has to be lowered to 34 inches at center. Pickleball nets are also 36 inches high at the baselines. The net is 20 feet long, and the mesh size has to be small enough to prevent a pickleball from going through it. A center strap located in the middle of the net is used to easily adjust the net to the proper height and hold it in place. The net must also be constructed with a two-inch white binding edge, as this will provide a clear visual outline of the barrier. The cable that holds the net in place will run through the binding. Holding the cable up are posts, which should be placed one foot outside of the sidelines.
