Pickleball Court Dimensions
One set of dimensions, two orientations. The regulation 20 ft × 44 ft pickleball court is used by every major body and pro tour — USA Pickleball (USAP), the Unified World Pickleball Federation (UWPF, formed by the June 2025 merger of IPF + WPF), PPA Tour, APP Tour, and Major League Pickleball (MLP). The PPA Challenger Series is testing a 17-ft narrowed singles court at four 2026 tournaments, but that's an experimental format — not the standard.
Print-and-pin pickleball court dimensions.
Every measurement labeled directly on the dimension arrows (bold main number + parenthetical context in the gap of the line) — court footprint (20 × 44 ft), non-volley zone (7-ft kitchen on each side of the net), service areas (15-ft deep, split by centerline), net heights (36 in. at sidelines, 34 in. at center), diagonal (48 ft 4 in. — handy for chalk-marking a driveway court), and USAP construction recommendations (2-in. line widths, 12-in. net post extension, 30 × 60 ft facility footprint with surround).
Marking & FAQ — Pickleball Courts
Every competitive body uses the same court, so there's only one set of numbers to learn. A pickleball court is 20 ft wide by 44 ft long — the same footprint as a doubles badminton court — with a 7-ft non-volley zone (the "kitchen") on each side of the net. Singles and doubles play on the identical court; only the serving and scoring rules change.
The kitchen is what makes pickleball pickleball: you can't volley (hit the ball out of the air) while any part of you is touching that 7-ft zone or its line. Everything else on the sheet — the 15-ft service areas split by a centerline, the 36-in. / 34-in. net, the 2-in. line widths — follows from those two rectangles.
How to lay out a regulation pickleball court
A 20 × 44 ft court fits inside a 30 × 60 ft total footprint with run-off. You can chalk one onto a driveway or tape one onto a gym floor in under an hour.
You'll need: 50-ft tape measure · Chalk line or marking paint / court tape · String for squaring corners · Pickleball net (22-ft post-to-post)
- Mark the outer rectangle. Lay out a 20 ft × 44 ft rectangle. Square it by checking the diagonals: corner to opposite corner must be 48 ft 4 in. Adjust until both diagonals match.
- Set the net line. The net runs across the middle, 22 ft from each baseline. Posts sit 12 in. outside each sideline; net height is 36 in. at the sidelines and 34 in. at the center.
- Mark the non-volley zones. Measure 7 ft from the net line toward each baseline and draw a line across the full 20-ft width. The rectangle between the net and that line is the kitchen.
- Add the centerline. From each baseline, draw a line down the middle (10 ft from each sideline) up to the non-volley line — not through the kitchen. This splits each side into the left and right service areas.
- Paint the lines 2 in. wide. All lines are 2 in. wide and are in-bounds (the court footprint is measured to the outside of the lines).
Frequently asked questions
How does a pickleball court compare to a tennis court?
A pickleball court is 20 by 44 feet — the same size as a doubles badminton court — while a tennis court is 36 by 78 feet for doubles. A pickleball court is roughly a quarter of the area. That size difference is why one tennis court can be converted into four pickleball courts, and why temporary pickleball lines are often taped onto an existing tennis surface.
How much space do I need for a backyard pickleball court?
The court itself is 20 by 44 feet, but you need run-off room around it. USA Pickleball recommends a minimum total playing surface of 30 by 60 feet, and 34 by 64 feet is more comfortable for recreational play. If you're fitting a court into a backyard or driveway, measure the total footprint rather than the lines — the buffer is what makes the court playable.
Is a pickleball court the same size as a tennis court?
No. A tennis court is 78 ft long and 27 ft (singles) or 36 ft (doubles) wide. A pickleball court is much smaller at 20 × 44 ft — roughly the size of a doubles badminton court.
Can you fit a pickleball court on a tennis court?
Yes. One tennis court has room for up to four pickleball courts, or you can overlay pickleball lines on a single tennis court for shared use.
What is the kitchen in pickleball?
The kitchen is the non-volley zone — the 7-ft area on each side of the net. You may not hit a volley (a ball out of the air) while standing in it or on its line.
How high is a pickleball net?
36 inches at the sideline posts and 34 inches at the center, where it's tensioned to sag exactly 2 inches.
Do the PPA, APP, and MLP pro tours use a different court?
No — all three play on the standard 20 × 44 ft court. The PPA Challenger Series is testing a narrowed 17-ft singles court at four 2026 events, but that's an experimental format, not the regulation court.
Dimensions verified against current governing-body rule books. Updated through May 2026.