What Size Is a Pickleball Court in Meters?

Quick Answer: A pickleball court measures 6.10 metres wide by 13.41 metres long, which is 20 by 44 feet. The non volley zone extends 2.13 metres from the net on each side. The net sits at 0.914 metres at the sidelines and 0.86 metres at the centre. These dimensions are identical for singles and doubles.

The official rulebook is written in imperial units, so every metric figure is a conversion. Rounding to two decimal places is standard practice and accurate enough for construction.

What are the full metric dimensions?

Every measurement you need for a court, converted from the official figures.

• Court width. 6.10 m (20 ft).
• Court length. 13.41 m (44 ft).
• Non volley zone depth. 2.13 m (7 ft) from the net on each side.
• Service court. 3.05 m wide by 4.57 m long (10 ft by 15 ft).
• Net height at sidelines. 0.914 m (36 in).
• Net height at centre. 0.86 m (34 in).
• Line width. 0.05 m (2 in), and lines are part of the court except the non volley zone line, which counts as part of the kitchen.

The court is the same size for singles and doubles, which is unusual among racket sports and one reason pickleball is easy to set up.

How much total space do you need?

More than the court, and this is where most home builds go wrong.

The minimum recommended total playing area is 9.14 by 18.29 metres (30 by 60 ft). That gives roughly 1.5 m of run off at each side and 2.44 m behind each baseline.

Tournament and professional play uses more, commonly 10.36 by 19.81 m (34 by 65 ft) or larger. Spectator seating and camera positions push it further again.

If you only have the court footprint and nothing around it, you have a marked rectangle rather than a usable court. Chasing a deep return into a fence is how ankles get hurt. Our guide to how much space a pickleball court needs covers the run off question in detail.

How does it compare to a tennis court?

A tennis court is 10.97 by 23.77 m for doubles (36 by 78 ft), which makes it roughly three times the playing area.

That ratio is why a single tennis court can host multiple pickleball courts, and our article on how many pickleball courts fit on a tennis court works through the layouts that actually fit once you account for run off.

The badminton comparison is closer. A badminton doubles court is 6.10 by 13.40 m, which is essentially identical, and that is not a coincidence given the sport’s origins.

Why is the net lower in the middle?

The net drops from 0.914 m at the posts to 0.86 m at the centre, a difference of about 5 cm.

Some of that is practical, since a tensioned net sags naturally and the rules codify a consistent amount. The playing consequence is real though. A ball hit over the middle of the net clears more easily than one down the line, which is why the middle is the percentage target on a drive and why down the line passes carry more risk.

Does the surface need to be exactly this size?

For sanctioned play, yes, within tolerance. For a driveway or a backyard, no, and plenty of people play on approximations.

If you are building something permanent, build to spec. The cost difference between a correctly sized court and a slightly small one is negligible, and the difference in how it plays is not. Our overview of pickleball court dimensions covers the imperial figures and the layout process.

We were 15 cm narrow on one side and nobody noticed until a serve that should have been wide kept landing in. Measure twice.

What about metric line marking?

Work from the outside in. Mark the 6.10 by 13.41 m perimeter first and square it by measuring the diagonals, which should both be 14.73 m. If the diagonals match, the rectangle is true.

Then mark the centre line for the net, measure 2.13 m out on each side for the kitchen lines, and divide the remaining area into the two service boxes with a centreline.

Frequently asked questions

What size is a pickleball court in metres? 6.10 m wide by 13.41 m long, equivalent to 20 by 44 feet.

How deep is the kitchen in metres? 2.13 m from the net on each side, which is 7 feet.

What is the net height in metres? 0.914 m at the sidelines and 0.86 m at the centre. See pickleball net height for the detail.

Is the singles court smaller? No. Singles and doubles use identical dimensions, unlike tennis.

How much run off space do I need? A minimum total area of 9.14 by 18.29 m is the usual recommendation, and more is better.

Are the lines included in the court? Yes, except the non volley zone line, which is treated as part of the kitchen.

How wide are the lines? 0.05 m, or 2 inches.

What is the diagonal measurement for squaring a court? 14.73 m corner to corner. Equal diagonals mean the rectangle is square.

Whether you are building a court or just settling an argument, those are the numbers. Public facilities near you and the courts they run are listed in our public pickleball courts directory.

Written by the Pickler Junction Team.