Pickleball vs Badminton, Racquetball, Squash, Table Tennis
Pickleball vs badminton: both doubles courts are 20 by 44 feet, but a badminton net is 5 feet high at the center and a pickleball net is 2 feet 10 inches. Pickleball uses a solid paddle and a perforated ball. Badminton uses a strung racket and a shuttle. Eight other sports follow, each figure from that sport's rules body.
The full pickleball rules are on the rules page. Every number below carries the name of the rulebook it came from, and the editions are listed at the bottom.
The nine sports side by side
Two tables, so each fits a phone screen. Table A is space and net. Table B is gear, serve and scoring.
Table A: space and net
| Sport | Court or table | Floor area | Net |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pickleball | 20 x 44 ft (3.A.1) | 880 sq ft | 36 in at the sides, 34 in at the center (3.B.6, 3.B.7) |
| Badminton | 20 x 44 ft doubles, 6.10 x 13.40 m (Law 1) | 880 sq ft | 5 ft 1 in at the posts, 5 ft at the center (Law 1) |
| Tennis | 36 x 78 ft doubles, 27 x 78 ft singles (Rule 1) | 2,808 sq ft doubles | 3 ft 6 in at the posts, 3 ft at the center (Rule 1) |
| Padel | 10 x 20 m, walled (FIP) | 2,153 sq ft | 0.88 m at the center, 0.92 m at the ends (The Net) |
| Paddle tennis | 20 x 50 ft (POP Tennis, Rule 1) | 1,000 sq ft | 31 in all the way across (Rule 1) |
| Platform tennis | 20 x 44 ft court on a 30 x 60 ft deck, 12 ft screen (APTA, Rule 1a) | 880 sq ft court | 37 in at the posts, 34 in at the center (Rule 1b) |
| Table tennis | Table 2.74 x 1.525 m, 76 cm high (ITTF 2.1.1) | about 45 sq ft | 15.25 cm, about 6 in (2.2.3) |
| Racquetball | 40 x 20 ft room, 20 ft high, walls and ceiling in play (Rule 2.1) | 800 sq ft | None |
| Squash | 9.75 x 6.40 m, about 32 x 21 ft, walled (World Squash court specification) | 672 sq ft | None. A 480 mm tin at the foot of the front wall |
Table B: gear, serve and scoring
| Sport | You hit with | Ball or shuttle | Serve | A game is won |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pickleball | Solid paddle, 17 in long at most, length plus width 24 in at most, no weight limit (3.D.2, 3.D.3) | Perforated ball, 2.87 to 2.97 in, 0.78 to 0.935 oz, 26 to 40 holes (Equipment Standards Manual 2.D) | Volley serve below the waist with an upward arc, or a drop serve. One try (7.C, 7.D) | Normally to 11, win by 2. Only the serving side scores (Section 1, 4.A). Rally scoring is a provisional option (14.A) |
| Badminton | Strung racket, frame 680 x 230 mm at most (Law 4.1) | Shuttle, 4.74 to 5.50 g (Law 2.2.6) | Whole shuttle below 1.15 m when hit (Law 9.1.6), diagonal | Rally scoring, best of 3 games. To 21, 2-point lead, cap at 30 (V5.0, Law 7). From 4 Jan 2027: to 15, cap at 21 (V6.0) |
| Tennis | Strung racket, 29.0 x 12.5 in at most (Appendix II) | Ball, 56.0 to 59.4 g, 2.57 to 2.70 in for the fast and medium types (Appendix I) | Release the ball by hand, hit it before it bounces. Two tries (Rules 16, 20) | 15, 30, 40; games, then sets; best of 3 or 5 sets (Rules 5 to 7) |
| Padel | Solid racket with holes, 45.5 cm long at most (FIP) | Rubber ball, 6.35 to 6.77 cm, 56.0 to 59.4 g (FIP) | Bounce the ball, hit at or below the waist. Two tries (Rules 6.2, 6.4) | 15, 30, 40; sets of 6; best of 3 sets (Rule 1) |
| Paddle tennis | Solid paddle with no strings, 18.5 in long at most (Rule 1) | Tennis ball with the pressure let out, bounce 31 to 33 in from 6 ft (Rule 1) | Underhand, struck at 31 in or lower. One try (Rule 5) | 15, 30, 40; sets (Rules 22 to 25) |
| Platform tennis | Solid paddle, 18 x 12 in, 500 g at most (Rule 3, Appendix B) | Flocked rubber ball, 2.4 to 2.5 in, 2.4 to 2.7 oz (Appendix A) | One try in doubles (Rule 9g) | 15, 30, 40; sets (Rule 6a) |
| Table tennis | Racket of any size, shape or weight with a flat rigid blade (2.4.1) | Plastic ball, 40 mm, 2.7 g (2.3.1, 2.3.2) | Ball thrown up at least 16 cm from an open palm and hit as it falls (2.6.2) | To 11, win by 2; best of an odd number of games (2.11.1, 2.12.1) |
| Racquetball | Strung racquet, frame 22 in at most (2.4) | Rubber ball, close to 2 1/4 in, about 1.4 oz (2.2) | Bounce in the service zone, hit to the front wall. Two tries (3.1, 3.3, 3.7) | Only the server scores (1.4). Two games to 15, then a tiebreak to 11 (1.5) |
| Squash | Not covered here | Not covered here | Not covered here | Every rally scores. To 11, win by 2 from 10-all; best of 5 games, or 3 (Rules 2.1 to 2.3) |
Badminton and pickleball share one court size
A badminton doubles court is 6.10 by 13.40 meters and a pickleball court is 20 by 44 feet, which is 6.096 by 13.411 meters. The two match to within half an inch.
The worked numbers: 6.096 x 13.4112 m is 81.75 square meters, or 880 square feet. Badminton's 6.10 x 13.40 m is 81.74. The width differs by 0.16 inch and the length by 0.44 inch. The nets don't match. At the center, badminton's is 1.524 m (60 in) against 34 in, so 60 / 34 is 1.76 times higher.
Lines work the same way in both: they belong to the court. Badminton says so in Law 1. In pickleball the kitchen line is part of the kitchen (3.A.4.c).
Which is harder? Neither rulebook measures difficulty. What differs is the net height, the overhead strokes and a shuttle that slows fast, against a heavier ball and an underhand serve. Can a badminton player play pickleball? Yes, and the court is the same size. The one new thing is the kitchen (3.A.4.c, 11.A).
Badminton scores to 21 under the version in force today (V5.0, from 26 April 2025). BWF's next version (V6.0) takes effect on 4 January 2027 and plays to 15. Check the BWF site if you read this near that date.
Pickleball vs table tennis (ping pong)
A pickleball is about 1.8 to 1.9 times as wide and 8 to 10 times as heavy as a table tennis ball: 72.9 to 75.4 mm and 22.1 to 26.5 g against 40 mm and 2.7 g. A table is about 45 square feet against 880 for the court, with a net of 6 inches against 34.
Both games make the serve bounce on the receiving side. Pickleball also makes the return bounce (10.A).
Pickleball vs racquetball and squash
Neither has a net. Both are played inside walls, in a small enclosed floor: 800 and 672 square feet against 880. Is pickleball easier than racquetball? Neither rulebook measures that. Is pickleball easier than tennis? shows how we judge a question like it. What the rules do say: racquetball is a room 20 feet high with walls and ceiling in play (Rule 2.1).
Racquetball scores only on the server's rally wins (USA Racquetball 1.4), like standard pickleball (4.A). Squash scores every rally to 11 (World Squash 2.1 to 2.3).
Where the other four sit
- Tennis: 2,808 square feet, three times pickleball's court. See pickleball vs tennis and the court comparison.
- Padel: walled, 2,153 square feet, a solid racket and an underhand serve after a bounce. See pickleball vs padel.
- Paddle tennis: 1,000 square feet. See pickleball vs paddle tennis.
- Platform tennis: a 20 by 44 foot court, the same as pickleball's, on a 30 by 60 foot deck. It isn't paddle tennis. They have different rules bodies: APTA for platform tennis, POP Tennis for the 50 by 20 foot game.
Check the edition before you quote a number
Rules change. BWF is moving badminton to 15 points in 2027, World Squash's current singles rules took effect on 1 September 2025, and pickleball's 2026 book was renumbered. That's why every row names its source.
Measure a court near you. If a badminton court's lines are on the same floor, the pickleball court fits inside them. The room around it differs: pickleball wants at least 30 by 60 feet of playing surface (3.A.3). The free browser game plays pickleball against the computer. It has no other sports.
Sources
- Pickleball: 2026 USA Pickleball Official Rulebook; USA Pickleball Equipment Standards Manual (January 2025).
- Badminton: BWF Statutes Section 4.1, Laws of Badminton V5.0%20.pdf) (in force 26 April 2025) and V6.0 (in force 4 January 2027).
- Tennis: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026.
- Padel: FIP Rules of Padel, review of application 1 January 2026.
- Paddle tennis: POP Tennis rules, an undated PDF copy.
- Platform tennis: APTA Official Rules of Platform Tennis, web page read in October 2026.
- Table tennis: ITTF Statutes 2026, Chapter 2, The Laws of Table Tennis (effective 1 January 2026).
- Racquetball: USA Racquetball Official Rules, web edition read in October 2026.
- Squash: World Squash Singles Rules 2025 V1.2 (effective 1 September 2025) and the court specification.