What is a padel court?

The short version

A padel court is a box. It is a rectangle 20 m long and 10 m wide, about 65 ft 7 in by 32 ft 10 in, closed in on all four sides by walls and fencing, with a low net across the middle. The game is played in doubles, and the walls are part of play: after the ball bounces, it can come off the glass and still be returned.

That one rule, playing off the walls, explains almost everything about how the court is built. The walls have to be strong, flat and predictable, the floor has to give a regular bounce, and the whole structure has to be anchored firmly to the ground.

The parts of a padel court

The playing area

The official rules of the International Padel Federation (FIP) set the inside of the court at 10 m by 20 m, with a tolerance of 0.5%. Lines are 5 cm (2 in) wide, usually white. Service lines run across the court 6.95 m (22 ft 10 in) from the net on each side, and a center line splits the service area into two boxes.

There are no doubles alleys or tramlines as in tennis. The court is the same size for every game.

The back walls

At each end there is a wall 4 m (13 ft 1 in) high in total. The bottom 3 m (9 ft 10 in) is solid: usually tempered glass, sometimes concrete or another solid panel. The top 1 m is metal mesh. Players use the back wall constantly, letting the ball come off the glass before hitting it.

The side walls

The sides are mostly mesh, with solid panels near each end. FIP allows two layouts. In one, the glass steps down: 3 m high for the first 2 m from the back wall, then 2 m high for the next 2 m. In the other, there is a single panel 3 m high and 4 m long at each end. The middle of each side is mesh fencing, and the doors are here, one or two on each side, placed symmetrically.

The net

The net is 10 m long and stretched across the middle. It is 0.88 m (34.6 in) high in the center and 0.92 m (36.2 in) at the posts, a little lower than a tennis net at the posts.

The surface

Most padel courts use artificial turf filled with sand. The rules also allow concrete or other synthetic surfaces, as long as the bounce is regular, and the color must be green, blue or terracotta (or similar) in a single tone. Our guide to padel court surfaces covers the choices.

What a padel court is made of

A modern court is a factory-made kit. Steel posts and frames hold tempered glass panels, commonly 10 or 12 mm thick, and welded mesh panels. US builders note that a court system weighs 3 to 4 tons, with glass panels of about 400 lb each. That is why it sits on an engineered concrete or asphalt base, with anchor points set to the maker’s drawings.

There are two main styles. A standard court has steel posts at the corners and between the glass panels. A panoramic court holds the glass without corner posts, so the view through the walls is clear. They play the same.

How much space does a padel court take?

More than the playing area. The walls and the base around them add to the footprint. The LTA’s construction guidance puts the minimum outside size of one court at 20.8 m by 10.8 m, which is about 68 ft 3 in by 35 ft 5 in, including the concrete edge beam. Two courts side by side, with the 1.5 m gap the LTA allows between them, need 20.8 m by 22.3 m.

Indoors, height matters too. FIP asks for at least 6 m (19 ft 8 in) of clear height over the whole court and suggests 8 m (26 ft 3 in) for new facilities, because players lob the ball high. Every measurement is set out in our padel court dimensions guide.

Where padel courts are built in the US

Courts are going up at homes, private clubs, tennis clubs converting a court or two, hotels and resorts, HOA communities, schools and public parks. Outdoor courts are the most common. Indoor courts go into warehouses, barns and sports halls with enough height.

How much does a padel court cost?

US builders put a complete single outdoor court at roughly $50,000 to $100,000, depending mainly on whether you already have a usable slab or need a new foundation. The court system itself is typically $30,000 to $50,000, according to US Padel Court Builders, with the base, lights, installation and permits on top. Our cost calculator adds up the parts for your project, and how to build a padel court explains each step.

Is a padel court the same as a paddle tennis or pickleball court?

No. Platform tennis (often called paddle) is played on a smaller raised deck with wire screens, and pickleball uses an open court 44 ft by 20 ft with no walls in play. A padel court is bigger, fully enclosed and built from glass and steel. Our comparison of padel and pickleball courts goes through the differences in size, build and cost.