Are you planning the construction of a padel court for your sports facility? Padel tennis (or platform tennis) is one of the fastest-growing sports in the United States. Whether you call it short tennis, pop tennis, or just plain old padel – it’s fast-paced, fun, and exciting for players of all ages.
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However, your court must adhere to specific dimensions and sizes to enjoy the game properly. To ensure precision, you should begin considering the measurements of your court in the earliest stages of your project.
Knowing your court can fit inside the proposed area will help you avoid costly changes and halted construction down the line. Let’s take a look at what you need to know about padel tennis court dimensions and design.
If you want to get a customized cost estimate for your construction project, try our padel court cost calculator for indoor and outdoor courts.
Standard padel court dimensions
According to the International Padel Federation (IPF) regulations, a standard-sized padel court measures 20 meters or 66 feet in length and 10 meters or 33 feet in width. This area adds up to 200 square meters or 2,178 square feet. This is the area of the playing surface within the court line markings.
Space around the court
For project planning, it is important to understand that some space needs to be reserved for the perimeter around the court. For professional padel courts, there needs to be at least 0,5 meters or 1 ft 8 inches of space around the perimeter for player safety. Recreational padel courts should try to follow the same recommendation, but since these facilities are not governed by IPF or other entities, each recreational facility may decide on it by themselves. Therefore, the total area of one padel court is 231 square meters or square feet.
Space between padel courts
Multi padel court facilities need to consider how much space they should reserve between padel courts. For safety reasons, there is no need to have any space between courts, because the court is surrounded by the side and back walls. However, oftentimes padel facilities want to place bleachers, locker rooms, or water points.
Padel court height
Measuring from the lowest point of the court, there must be at least 6 meters or 20 feet of cleared space above the court.
Back and sidewall height
The height of the back wall of a padel court is four meters or approx. 13 feet.
The sidewalls are usually stepped walls at both ends made up of two panels. The first panel connects with the back wall and is 4 meters or 13 feet high. The second panel is 3 meters or 10 feet in height.
A transparent, glass wall (3 meters high) that runs along the sides of the padel court connects the stepped panels together on each side of the court. In another variation, the sidewall runs at 4 meters height from the back wall to back wall.
Line markings
Net height
The height of the net on a padel court is 88 centimeters or approx. 3 feet in the center, and it runs all the way across the court from one end to the other (10 meters or 33 feet).
Read more about padel court design considerations in our separate guide.
Now that we know more about your new court’s sizes, shapes, and measurements, it’s time to move on to another crucial component: lighting.
You will need an adequate lighting system when creating an indoor or outdoor court. Because padel tennis requires so much hand-eye coordination, properly illuminating the court is crucial for players to see what’s happening.
Lighting improves playability and makes the spectator experience more enjoyable. An improperly lit court is dangerous, so you should work with a professional sports lighting expert to create the right system for your needs.
When lighting your padel tennis court, you’ll have plenty of options, including LED and HID systems. However, LEDs are a perfect choice if you want to save on maintenance, repair, and energy consumption.
Although the initial investment for LEDs can be higher, you’ll save in the long run. Depending on your facility, you might also be eligible for rebates or local government incentives to switch to LED lighting.
Installing a modern LED lighting system for your padel court increases the total costs of your project, so it is essential to take this extra expense in account early on in the planning phase. Learn more about the costs of installing padel court lighting in our separate guide.
Building a sports facility for pop tennis can be a costly and complicated project. That’s why it’s important to start planning the financing of your padel court as early as possible.
A great first step is to research the government grants, loans, and other funding sources available in your community or country. Many governments have incentives for building sports facilities and encouraging physical activity and community building.
Additionally, consider launching a crowdfunding campaign to help fund the project. This is especially helpful if your community is passionate about padel, and you can use the excitement of having a court nearby to drum up support and donations.
Next, consider seeking out corporate partners or sponsorships. Many businesses will be willing to invest in constructing a court in exchange for naming rights or sponsorship opportunities.
Finally, you can always source a traditional loan from a bank or private lender. While these require repayment, you’ll be sure to have all the funds you need to create a fantastic and state-of-the-art padel tennis facility in your city!
A great first step is to check out our sports facility grants database to see if you can find funding opportunities applicable to your project.
So, you have heard all about the quirky sport that has gotten tennis and squash players laughing on the court, haven't you? Do you want to know the details about it?
For more information, please visit padel vs platform tennis.
We hear it is all about teamwork and strategy, but as we say, all work and no play make Jack a dull boy! So, one aspect that really gets everyone working up a sweat – while having fun running around – is the interestingly and uniquely designed court that padel is played on!
The padel court dimensions include the playing area, the height of the net, and the measurements of the walls. All these numbers are selected carefully to ensure that the game is played as it is meant to be.
No matter your involvement in the game as a player, coach, or budding padel enthusiast, this blog article is bound to help you get the basics down right away!
Padel court dimensions as strictly specified and outlined by the International Padel Federation (FIP). A standard court should be:
Looking up, the minimum height of the walls surrounding the court is 4 meters, providing ample space for those strategic lobs and high volleys.
Maintaining these standard measurements ensures a fair and predictable playing experience for padel enthusiasts everywhere.
While the overall size of a padel court might seem similar to some at first glance, the playable area offers a unique experience compared to other racquet sports.
Imagine stepping inside a rectangle measuring 10 meters wide by 20 meters long – that's the standard playable area on a padel court. For comparison, the size of a tennis court is significantly larger, boasting a playable area of 23.77 meters by 8.5 meters for singles and 36 meters by 8.5 meters for doubles.
This difference in playable area size translates to a faster-paced and more dynamic game in padel.
Having ample space within the court is crucial for comfortable movement and the ability to execute a diverse range of shots, making each point in padel a thrilling battle for control.
The service lines and net in padel tennis act as key boundaries that define where and how a serve must be delivered and playable shots can be maneuvered.
The service lines are situated parallel to the net, 6.95 meters away on either side of the court. Imagine these lines dividing the court's length into two nearly equal sections and each service line extends out 20 centimeters to the back of the court. This extended area is crucial as it allows for serves that land on the line to be considered valid.
If you caught on to the dimensions above, you realise that the net itself stretches across the entire width of the court, measuring a precise 10 meters in length. However, here's where things get interesting: the net height isn't uniform! In the center, the net stands 88 centimeters (almost 34.7 inches) tall. At the end posts, the net gradually increases in height to a maximum of 92 centimeters (around 36.2 inches).
This slight difference is very significant as it adds nuances of subtle and strategic challenges to serving and receiving serves, encouraging well- thought-out placement and return techniques while the game is in play.
As you have read and understood by now, padel court size plays a crucial role in shaping the fast-paced and strategic nature of this racquet game.
From the standard 20x10-meter playable area to the strategically sloped net, every aspect is meticulously designed. Understanding these dimensions, from service lines to wall heights, empowers players to move confidently and develop winning tactics.
So, step onto your padel court canvas or turf, embrace its quirky measurements, and get ready for a game unlike any other– And don't forget to have fun!