A standard pickleball court is 44 feet long and 20 feet wide, inclusive of the width of the lines. The recommended playing area for pickleball (including run-off areas around the court) is 64 feet by 34 feet.
Pickleball Court Dimensions
The size of a pickleball court, according to the IFP (International Federation of Pickleball) official handbook, ‘shall be a rectangle measuring 20 feet wide and 44 feet long for both singles and doubles matches.’
The official USA Pickleball website confirms this: 44 feet long from baseline to baseline, and 20 feet wide from sideline to sideline. Any shot that lands outside of this space is considered out of bounds.
In meters, these measurements translate to: 6.10m wide and 13.41m long.
The USAPA (United States of America Pickleball Association) recommended that outdoor pickleball courts are set up at a north-south angle. If they run east-west, it can cause one pickleball player to always be looking directly into the sun.
Official pickleball rules state that the net height should be 36 inches at the sides by the net posts and 34 inches at the center.
The Pickleball Playing Area
A pickleball court consists of six discrete areas, split equally on each side of the net by court lines.
Each side of the court has three sections: The left service area, the right service area, and the non-volley zone.
The two service areas are each 15 feet long by 10 feet wide, separated by the centerline. The non-volley zone (the area from the non-volley line to the net) is seven feet long by 20 feet wide.
Variations in Pickleball Court Dimensions
There are occasionally variations to the standard dimensions of a pickleball court.
For instance, when playing wheelchair/adaptive pickleball, the court is expanded to fit the needs of the players.
A wheelchair/adaptive pickleball court is recommended to have a playing surface of 44 feet wide (13.41 meters) and 74 feet long (22.55m) by the USAPA. The net size remains the same as for standard pickleball play.
The USAPA recommends a slightly expanded area for wheelchair/adaptive pickleball play in a stadium court: 50 feet (15.24 meters) wide and 80 feet (24.83 meters) long.
How does a Pickleball Court Compare to other sports?
Pickleball vs Tennis
Pickleball uses the same type of court surface as indoor (hard) tennis courts, but the dimensions are quite different. A singles tennis court is 78 feet long by 27 feet wide, making it considerably longer (though not that much wider) than one used for pickleball.
A doubles tennis court is slightly wider, at 36 feet wide. Interestingly, unlike tennis, pickleball rules use the same court dimensions for singles play and doubles play.
Pickleball vs Badminton
A doubles badminton court and a pickleball court are the same sizes.
However, a badminton court is divided differently, with tram lines all around the court (with the side trams only in play during a doubles badminton match) and no non-volley zone. It does, however, have a centerline.
Pickleball vs Racquetball
A racquetball court is set up very differently than a pickleball court, with completely different court lines. Racquetball courts are slightly smaller (20 feet by 40 feet) and entirely surrounded by walls.
Pickleball vs Other Sports
A basketball court is much larger than a pickleball court, measuring at over 91 feet long by 49 feet wide.
A volleyball court is similarly large, typically measuring 78 feet long and either 27 feet wide for singles or 36 feet wide for doubles. Volleyball courts are also made out of a variety of surface materials.
How High is a Pickleball Net?
A pickleball net has a specific height as outlined by the USAPA and IFP rules. At the sides of the court, the net should be 36 inches in height. It should measure 34 inches high at the center. A center strap can be used for easy adjustment of the net height.
This makes a pickleball net slightly shorter than a tennis net, which should measure 36 inches in height at the center.
The net divides the court between the pickleball players, with the goal of the game getting the ball over the net and past your opponent using a pickleball paddle.
