Pickleball court dimensions! Step-by-step guide.
Pickleball court dimensions are same for both modes (indoor and outdoor). We will discuss about a standard court size used by officials. This is also a standard size used for tournaments being played across the region.
A Pickleball court is a rectangular-shaped playing area divided into two equal sides with the help of a net and these equal sides are then further divided into divisions. The below given image shows the size of a pickleball court in feet and every part is labeled individually.
Pickleball court dimensions layout.
The court has been divided into two equal courts on both sides and a no-volley zone and rules work according to these sections. Everything like scoring and faults depends on these lines including centerline as well when serving the ball. If you want to build a court by yourself here is a quick guide that will help you out. But don’t forgot to learn about rules to play pickleball.
The image provides comprehensive information for the people searching for what are the official dimensions of a pickleball court.
The baselines and sidelines.
These are also known as the pickleball boundary lines. The baselines on the back are the boundary lines where the court ends. These lines have a distance of 22’ feet from the net on each side and 15’ feet from the NVZ line. Whenever a player has to serve he will serve from behind these lines hitting the ball below the waistline. Sidelines on the left and right are (side boundaries) and are marked at a distance of 20” feet from each other and 10’ feet from the centerline.
Centerline and its importance.
The centerline divides the court into two equal parts, its distance could be measured at 10’ feet from the sidelines from both sides. Whenever a player has to serve his position and side will be determined with the help of this centerline for example from which side he serves left or right (depends on points). The length of this line from baseline to NVZ is 15’ feet.
Pickleball kitchen size.
The pickleball kitchen size is 7’ feet from the net and 20’ in width (from one sideline to another). Touching this area while volleying the ball is a fault but some people think that the space up on the NVZ is also its part and volleying the ball having any of your body parts up in that 3D area is also a fault.
But it’s not true, the non-volley zone is just a flat surface, and as for as you do not touch that area the volley will not be a fault. All the lines drawn for the pickleball court are around 2” inches in thickness.
To draw these the most important thing required is a measuring tape. There are three things you can use to draw these lines 1st paint 2nd tape and the 3rd one is chalk. This depends if you want to make a temporary court or a permanent one. The size mentioned in the diagram is inclusive of these lines.
To build a temporary court.
Tape (having a thickness of 2” inches) and chalk could be used to make a temporary court. First, open the measuring tape and mark two points at 44 feet for the sidelines. Then check the distance between them and make sure that it’s exactly 20’. After that with the same could be used to draw the lines straight all you have to do is stretch it and align it at two points.
Then join these two points with chalk or tap and do the same and join all the marked points in the right order.
To build a permanent court.
If you are planning to build a permanent court it’s better to use paint because it will last longer. The same measuring tape will be used to mark the points but when it comes to drawing lines it’s better to use any other tool or a rope to keep them straightened because the paint can damage the measuring tape.
The court made with the paint has a couple of advantages like makes it easy to spot the boundary line and mark the lines again if damaged after some time. A paintbrush having a width of 2” inches can be used to draw lines perfectly in shape.
Pickleball court surface.
A pickleball court surface is a plane area bounded by a 2” inch line and many different kinds of materials could be used but usually made of one of these two materials known as concrete and asphalt. The reason behind using these two materials is pretty simple,
Concrete: the court made of concrete is more durable and will last longer than a court made of any other material. The markings on it will also be visible for a longer period. It also gives an additional grip to the ground that helps to move faster while playing.
Asphalt: the court made of asphalt is budget friendly as compared to concrete. But it also needs more care to keep it in better condition.
Pickleball net height & length.
The length of a pickleball net is about 22’ feet long which means 1 foot out of the sidelines on both sides. The net is tied to a pol whose maximum diameter allowed is 3” inch and these pols could be fixed or a portable one is also can be used. The portable pol must have to be strong enough to keep the net stretched and also absorb the force without moving when the ball hit the net.
The pickleball net height is 36” inches at the polls and 34” inches at the midpoint as shown in the figure. The 36″ will be the same at both polls and only down to 34″ on the middle that was due to the weight of the net pulling it down. If the net is touching the court ground a little bit that’s ok and if it is stacked more than that it will not allowed.
Pickleball Court dimensions and Construction steps.
By following the given instructions you can make a standard sized pickleball court easily without any mistakes. After constructing the court surface by yourself or with the help of someone professional, the first step is to draw boundary lines by the following method according to dimensions for pickleball court.
Step 1: Boundary lines.
As mentioned in the image with orange dots, first of all, mark all four corners with the help of measuring tape and chalk. Then double-check their distance (length, width, and corners diagonally). Make sure the distance of corners (48.4’ feet) is the same which will keep the court in a perfect triangular shape.
After that draw lines and join these corners in the correct order with any desired material (paint, or tape) and move to the next step.
Step 2: Draw court lines.
In the second step first, mark the positions at baseline and sideline according to the given dimensions in the image below. Then mark their center where all these points will meet on both sides. The dots in purple color indicates the position of the net that will be placed later. These purple dots divides this court into two equal sides.
Join these lines as mentioned in the image and one thing to remember is that the lines coming from base line towards center should not cross/enter the non-volley zone line. For this purpose its better to join side lines first.
Step 3: Net placement.
Now it’s up to you which type of setup of net you want, a portable one or a fixed one. If you want to go with a portable net the only thing you have to do is mark the points where the polls will be placed whenever a game has to be played.
And if you want to place a fixed poll simply dug a small hole, place the poll inside and fill the hole with concrete or mud or you can also fix it with the help of bolts if polls have a bottom spread out with holes in it. Just make sure the position of the poll is correct and its size is legal (maximum 3” inches in diameter).
These pickleball court dimensions are according to the official size set by the organization.
Outbound play area.
The outbound play area is the area outside of court lines and measures 60” feet in length and 40 feet in width. This was made for the ease of players so that they can hit a ball from outside of court lines. This is a standard size in feet for an outdoor pickleball court and up to four courts of this size could be drawn on a tennis court.
The indoor pickleball court dimensions are also same excluding the outbound play area 20′ feet wide and 44′ feet in length. And also if you are playing as singles on a outdoor court you can exclude out bound play area so every part of the court will be easily reachable.
Some extra tips.
after simplifying the pickleball court dimensions here are some bonus tips for you. Whenever making a pickleball court keep these things in mind to improve your game experience, for better performance, and to avoid disturbance in the game.
1: Pickleball court direction, always try to make court in north-to-south direction. The reason behind this, everyone knows that the sun rises from the east side and sets on the west side and if the court is in these directions it can disturb the performance of a player in the game if it is played in the morning or evening in the outdoor court.
This will be hard for the player or team (who have a face toward the sun) to spot and hit back the ball. Intense light can affect visibility and spotting the ball and opposite court lines.
2: Fencing, is not an official part of the game but can improve the playing experience. The first thing, it will divide the play area from around and also prevent the ball go so far if a player fails to hit back. The audience also can enjoy the game safely without being hit by the ball. Also try to place fence at a distance that it does not disturb the original dimensions of a pickleball court.
Conclusion
The above article contains all the pickleball court specifications and explained in very detail, from setting up a temporary court to build a permanent. Every point is explained and includes all necessary information requires to build a court. But if you still have a query you can simply write us through our contact us page.
