Padel tutorial
Padel Court Dimensions: Size, Walls and Net
A padel court is 20 metres long and 10 metres wide, enclosed by walls and mesh. Here is every official measurement, in metres and feet, taken from the International Padel Federation's rules.
Every padel court follows the same blueprint. The measurements below come from the International Padel Federation's Rules of Padel, the edition in force from 1 January 2026. The FIP gives metric figures only. The feet and inches are our conversions, rounded.
Padel court dimensions at a glance
| Metric (FIP) | Imperial (approx.) | |
|---|---|---|
| Court length | 20 m | 65 ft 7 in |
| Court width | 10 m | 32 ft 10 in |
| Playing area | 200 m² | 2,153 sq ft |
| Net to service line | 6.95 m | 22 ft 10 in |
| Service line to back wall | 3.05 m | 10 ft |
| Net height at centre | 0.88 m | 34.6 in |
| Net height at posts | 0.92 m | 36.2 in |
| Back wall height | 3 m wall + 1 m mesh = 4 m | 9 ft 10 in + 3 ft 3 in = 13 ft 1 in |
| Line width | 5 cm | 2 in |
| Minimum clear height | 6 m (8 m suggested) | 19 ft 8 in (26 ft 3 in) |
Length, width and lines
The court is a rectangle 20 metres long and 10 metres wide, measured inside the enclosure, with a tolerance of 0.5%. All lines are 5 cm wide.
The net divides the court into two halves, each 10 metres deep and 10 metres wide. On each side, a service line runs parallel to the net, 6.95 metres from it. A central service line runs from the net to each service line and splits that area into two service boxes. The centre line extends at least 20 cm beyond the service line so players can see where the serving area is divided.
That leaves 3.05 metres between each service line and the back wall. This is where the server stands, and where most defending happens during a rally.
Each service box therefore measures 6.95 metres from the net to the service line and 5 metres across.
The net
The net is 10 metres long and stretches from one side wall to the other. It is 88 cm high at the centre and rises to 92 cm at the ends, with a tolerance of 5 mm. It hangs from a metal cable no thicker than 1 cm, and the posts at each end may be no taller than 1.05 metres.
For comparison, a pickleball net is 34 inches (86.4 cm) at the centre, according to the USA Pickleball rulebook, so the two nets are within about 2 cm of each other at their lowest point.
Walls and fencing
A padel court must be completely enclosed. The walls are part of the game, so their size matters as much as the lines.
- Back walls. Each end has a total height of 4 metres: 3 metres of wall made of glass, brick or another solid material, topped by 1 metre of metal mesh.
- Side walls. The FIP allows two layouts. In the first, the side wall steps down from each back corner: a 3 m high, 2 m long section, then a 2 m high, 2 m long section, with mesh above. The enclosure reaches 3 m in the central 6 metres and 4 m at both ends. In the second, sometimes called the "crystal" layout, each end has a 3 m high, 4 m long glass section with no step, and mesh reaching 4 m in the outer 2 metres.
- Mesh. The fence is square, electro-welded wire mesh. The diagonal of each opening must be between 5 and 7.08 cm, and the wire is recommended to be 2 to 3 mm thick, with a maximum of 4 mm. The mesh must be tensioned so the ball bounces off it.
The difference between glass and mesh is not just cosmetic. After a bounce, the ball stays in play off both, but a serve that hits the mesh is a fault and a player's own shot that touches their own mesh loses the point. Our padel rules guide covers this in detail.
Doors and openings
Players get on and off the court through openings in the side walls. The FIP allows one or two per side:
- One opening per side: between 1.05 by 2.00 metres and 2.20 by 2.20 metres.
- Two openings per side: each between 0.72 by 2.00 metres and 1.10 by 2.20 metres.
Openings may have doors or be left open, and they must be placed symmetrically about the centre of the court.
Space around the court and out-of-court play
On some courts, players may leave through the openings to chase a ball that has bounced and gone out over the side wall. This is only allowed if the court has two openings on each side and an obstacle-free safety area outside each side at least 3 metres wide (4 metres recommended), 4 metres long and 3 metres high. If light poles stand inside that area, out-of-court play is not allowed.
Ceiling height for indoor courts
Indoor courts need at least 6 metres of clear height over the whole playing area, with nothing, including lights, hanging into that space. For new facilities the FIP suggests 8 metres. Height matters in padel because the lob, a high shot over the opponents' heads, is one of the basic shots of the game.
How a padel court compares with a pickleball court
A pickleball court is 20 by 44 feet (6.10 by 13.41 m), much smaller than a padel court and open on all sides. For a full side-by-side comparison, read padel vs pickleball. If you want to see these courts in person, our directory of padel courts lists clubs across Europe.
Common questions
How big is a padel court?
A padel court is 20 metres long and 10 metres wide (about 65.6 by 32.8 feet), measured inside the walls. That is a playing area of 200 square metres, or about 2,150 square feet.
How high is a padel net?
88 cm (about 34.6 inches) at the centre, rising to 92 cm (about 36.2 inches) at the posts. The posts may be no taller than 1.05 m.
How high are the walls on a padel court?
The back walls are 3 metres high with 1 metre of metal mesh on top, 4 metres in total. The side walls step down towards the net and are topped with mesh.
How high does the ceiling need to be for indoor padel?
The FIP rules require at least 6 metres of clear height over the whole court, with nothing such as lights inside that space. For new facilities the FIP suggests 8 metres.
How far are the service lines from the net?
6.95 metres on each side. That leaves 3.05 metres between each service line and the back wall.