Pickleball is well-known for being a low-impact sport that is easy to get into. It’s easier on the joints compared to other sports like tennis—mainly because of the smaller court size and lower net height. If you’re looking to make your own pickleball court at home and need information on the dimensions of a pickleball court, you’ve come to the right place!
In this blog post, we’ll explore the official rules for court size and layout. We’ll also be including some tips on how to make the most out of your limited space at home.
What Is Pickleball?
Pickleball is a racket sport that combines elements from tennis, ping pong, and badminton. Players use wooden or composite paddles to hit a perforated plastic ball around the court that can be indoors or outdoors. The ball is hollow inside with holes all around the surface, much like a whiffle ball.
As a sport, pickleball is very easy to get into. It is less demanding on the joints and muscles compared to other sports, while still giving the same health benefits. To learn the rules of how to play this increasingly popular sport, check out our article here.
Pickleball Court Dimensions
In this section, we’ll talk about all the standard dimensions of a pickleball court—from net height, to playable areas, to outside the court. Here’s a diagram to help you visualize as you read through our guide.
What Is the Pickleball Court Size?
The standard dimensions of a pickleball court are 44 feet by 20 feet (13.4 meters by 6 meters) for both doubles and singles. But, that’s not all there is to it! You also need some space for players to move around outside the court.
The USA Pickleball Official Rulebook recommends adding a 10-foot surrounding margin on all sides of the court. This means that the minimum playing surface area of a pickleball court is actually 30 feet wide by 60 feet long (9.1 meters by 18.2 meters).
But depending on your reason for building a pickleball court, the recommended surface dimensions might vary. See the table below:
| Purpose | Width – feet (meters) | Length – feet (meters) |
| New Construction | 34 (10.36) | 64 (19.5) |
| Tournament Play | 34 (10.36) | 64 (19.5) |
| Wheelchair Play | 44 (13.41) | 74 (22.56) |
| Stadium Court | 50 (15.24) | 80 (24.38) |
Choose the pickleball court dimensions that suits your purpose. Then draw lines that are 2 inches (5.08 centimeters) wide to mark the boundaries of the whole pickleball court. Make sure they are drawn in the same color. You want the lines to be clearly visible on the court surface for players, referees and spectators to see.
What Are the Parts of a Pickleball Court?
After you’ve marked out the entire court, you’ll next need to divide the pickleball court into different parts. The measurements below are according to the standard dimensions of a pickleball court.
Net
Like other racket sports, the pickleball net is placed right at the center of the court. It divides the court into two areas—one side for each team. It is 34 inches high at the center and 36 inches high at the sidelines, made of nylon or polyester, and is supported by two metal posts on each end.
As mentioned earlier, pickleball nets are lower in height compared to other racket sports. This is one of the reasons why pickleball is a low-impact sport that even seniors and people in wheelchairs can enjoy. Here’s a table comparing the net height of a pickleball court to that of tennis and badminton.
| Sport | Net height at the center | Net height at the sidelines |
| Pickleball | 34 inches (0.8 meters) | 36 inches (0.9 meters) |
| Tennis | 36 inches (0.9 meters) | 42 inches (1.06 meters) |
| Badminton | 61 inches (1.55 meters) | 61 inches (1.55 meters) |
Baselines
The baselines make up the backmost lines of the court, 22 feet (6.7 meters) from the net. They are 20 feet (6.09 meters) long and run parallel to the net. They basically mark the two ends of the court. Players are required to stand behind this line to do their serves.
Sidelines
The sidelines run perpendicular to the net. They extend 22 feet (6.7 meters) on each side of the court, starting from the net and going all the way to the baselines. They are used to mark the boundaries of the court’s outer width.
Non-volley zone (NVZ)
The non-volley zone (NVZ) is also known as the kitchen. It is found right beside the net, on both sides. This is a uniquely pickleball concept, so you won’t find an area called the kitchen in any other sport.
Two sidelines and the non-volley line mark the boundaries of this rectangular area of the court. So, it measures 7 feet by 20 feet (2.1 meters by 6.09 meters) respectively.
Centerline
As the name suggests, the centerline runs down the center of the court, starting from the non-volley zone to the baseline. This makes the centerline 15 feet (4.5 meters) long. It is flanked by the sidelines, and is used to divide the player court into the odd and even (left and right) service courts.
Service court
The service court is the area beyond the NVZ, bounded by the baseline, sideline, and centerline. It is divided into the left/odd and right/even service courts.
This court area isn’t actually where serving players are supposed to hit their serves. As previously mentioned, serves are supposed to be made behind the baseline, outside the pickleball court. The area is called a service court because that’s where the ball is supposed to land after a serve is made.
Serves have to be made diagonally across the court from where the serving player is standing. This means right court to right court, and left court to left court. For doubles pickleball, the server’s partner can stand anywhere they like on their side of the court, as long as they can’t interfere with the serve in any way.
Why Pickleball Court Dimensions Are Important
You need to clearly mark a pickleball court’s boundaries and lines because they help determine whether a fault has been committed or not. A fault is a rule violation that, when committed, stops the play and results in the following actions:
- If the receiving team commits the fault, the serving team earns a point.
- If the serving team commits the fault, it results in the server’s loss of serve or side out.
Here are some basic rules or faults that involve pickleball court dimensions.
- Out of bounds: If the ball lands completely outside of the court boundaries, is considered out of bounds. This means the sidelines, baseline, and centerline. The ball is also considered out of bounds if it lands on the non-volley zone (NVZ) or line during a serve.
- Net fault: A net fault is when the ball touches the net (including the net posts and net tape) before it lands in the court.
- NVZ fault: A player who does a volley while standing inside the kitchen or anywhere on the kitchen line commits an NVZ fault. Yes, even if all that’s touching the line is the tip of their shoe.
- Foot fault: The server must stand behind the baseline (including the imaginary extension of the sidelines and centerline) when doing a serve. Touching the baseline or stepping inside the serving court before the ball is hit are not allowed.
- Let serve: You commit a let serve if your ball hits the net and then lands in the service court. The referee or line judges usually call out this fault.
Conclusion
Knowing the dimensions of a pickleball court are important, not just for building your own pickleball court, but also for avoiding unnecessary faults and rule violations. You need to always be aware of the court’s boundaries so you know where to step, and where to avoid stepping. Don’t worry, they’re marked by bright 2-inch lines, so you can’t miss them!
Now, grab your pickleball paddle and head outside. It’s time to give those little bright balls a whack!
