Pickleball Court vs Tennis Court: Size, Lines, Net Height
Pickleball court vs tennis court in one line: 20 by 44 feet against 36 by 78 for doubles, a little over three times the area. The pickleball net is 34 inches at the center, 2 inches lower than tennis. Both nets stand mid-court, so a pickleball court can be taped inside the tennis lines.
Every pickleball measurement is on the court dimensions page. The rules page has the full rulebook. If you're wondering whether the smaller court makes the game easier, is pickleball easier than tennis answers it using the rules from both books.
Pickleball court vs tennis court, side by side
| What | Pickleball | Tennis |
|---|---|---|
| Court | 20 x 44 ft, singles and doubles | 36 x 78 ft doubles, 27 x 78 ft singles |
| Area | 880 sq ft | 2,808 sq ft doubles (3.2 times), 2,106 sq ft singles (2.4 times) |
| Net height, center | 34 in | 36 in |
| Net height, sides | 36 in at the sidelines | 42 in at the posts |
| Net posts | 22 ft apart, inside to inside | Centers 3 ft outside the doubles lines, 42 ft apart |
| Net to baseline | 22 ft | 39 ft |
| First line out from the net | Kitchen line, 7 ft | Service line, 21 ft |
| Service boxes | Four, 10 x 15 ft | Four, 13.5 x 21 ft |
| Line width | 2 in | 1 to 2 in (baselines up to 4 in) |
Pickleball figures come from Rules 3.A and 3.B of the 2026 USA Pickleball rulebook. Tennis figures come from Rule 1 of the ITF Rules of Tennis 2026. The areas and the 13.5 ft box width (half of the 27 ft singles width) are computed from them.
How the lines sit on a tennis court
A pickleball court fits inside the tennis doubles lines with its net on the tennis net and 8 feet to spare on each side. This page covers one court. How many pickleball courts fit on a tennis court does the sums for a whole tennis pad.
The same numbers in words:
- The pickleball sidelines fall 8 feet inside the tennis doubles sidelines and 3.5 feet inside the singles sidelines.
- The pickleball baseline is 17 feet in from the tennis baseline.
- The kitchen line, 7 feet out, has no tennis line near it.
- The tennis center service line already runs where the pickleball center line goes, from 7 feet out to 21. Only the last foot is new.
Watch for one trap. The tennis service line is 21 feet from the net and the pickleball baseline is 22 feet, so two lines sit 1 foot apart. The pickleball baseline is the one farther from the net.
The minimum playing surface of 30 by 60 feet (Rule 3.A.3) fits inside 36 by 78 with 3 feet to spare at each side and 9 feet at each end.
The net: tennis net or pickleball net?
A tennis net works if you lower it to 34 inches in the middle and check 36 inches at each pickleball sideline.
A tennis net is 36 inches at the center strap and 42 inches at the posts, so it slopes up toward the posts. Pickleball wants 34 inches at the center (Rule 3.B.7) and 36 inches where the net crosses the outer edge of the sidelines (Rule 3.B.6), which is 10 feet either side of center. The court dimensions page has both figures drawn.
After you lower the center strap, measure both places. The sideline reading can come out high, because the net rises toward the posts. If you can't adjust it, use a portable pickleball net.
Taping a pickleball court on a tennis court, in six steps
You need a tape measure, a roll of tape and about 15 minutes. Build the court outward from the net.
- Ask first. The rulebook doesn't stop you playing on a tennis court, but the owner decides who uses it and whether tape is allowed.
- Find the center of the net, at the strap. That's the middle of your court, so the net doesn't move.
- Lower the center strap until the net reads 34 inches (Rule 3.B.7, plus or minus 0.25 inch). Then check 36 inches 10 feet either side (Rule 3.B.6).
- Measure from the net: kitchen lines at 7 feet on each side, baselines at 22 feet, sidelines 10 feet either side of center. Measure to the outside edge of the lines (Rule 3.A.2), so the tape sits inside your marks.
- Tape the kitchen lines, 20 feet wide, then each center line from the kitchen line to the baseline (Rule 3.A.4.d), all in the one tape color so the lines match. The kitchen rules explain why the center line stops there.
- Check the corners. Both diagonals should read 48 feet 4 inches. Tape lines should be 2 inches wide and contrast with the surface (Rule 3.A.4.e).
One court takes about 200 feet of tape: 2 x 20 for the baselines, 2 x 44 for the sidelines, 2 x 20 for the kitchen lines and 2 x 15 for the center lines is 198, before waste. That's arithmetic, not a shopping tip.
A memory aid for the trap: stand at the net center, walk 7 feet toward the baseline and tape a line. Keep walking to 21 feet and you reach the tennis service line. Take one more foot and tape the pickleball baseline.
Singles and doubles both use this one court (Rule 3.A.1), so the singles rules and doubles rules apply as written. To see the court and kitchen before you tape one, play a game. The court in Pickleball Game uses the same 20 by 44 foot dimensions. Padel is another racket sport with a smaller court than tennis, and how pickleball compares with padel covers its walls, ball and racket.