Padel Court Dimensions Guide
Are you planning the construction of a padel court for your sports facility? Padel tennis (or platform tennis) is one of the fastest-growing sports in the United States. Whether you call it short tennis, pop tennis, or just plain old padel – it’s fast-paced, fun, and exciting for players of all ages.
However, your court must adhere to specific dimensions and sizes to enjoy the game properly. To ensure precision, you should begin considering the measurements of your court in the earliest stages of your project.
Knowing your court can fit inside the proposed area will help you avoid costly changes and halted construction down the line. Let’s take a look at what you need to know about padel tennis court dimensions and design.
If you want to get a customized cost estimate for your construction project, try our padel court cost calculator for indoor and outdoor courts. Alternatively, you can also take a look at our cost guide for padel court construction.
Padel Court Dimensions
Standard padel court dimensions
According to the International Padel Federation (IPF) regulations, a standard-sized padel court measures 20 meters or 66 feet in length and 10 meters or 33 feet in width. This area adds up to 200 square meters or 2,178 square feet. This is the area of the playing surface within the court line markings.
Space around the court
For project planning, it is important to understand that some space needs to be reserved for the perimeter around the court. For professional padel courts, there needs to be at least 0,5 meters or 1 ft 8 inches of space around the perimeter for player safety. Recreational padel courts should try to follow the same recommendation, but since these facilities are not governed by IPF or other entities, each recreational facility may decide on it by themselves. Therefore, the total area of one padel court is 231 square meters or 2486 square feet.
Space between padel courts
Multi padel court facilities need to consider how much space they should reserve between padel courts. For safety reasons, there is no need to have any space between courts, because the court is surrounded by the side and back walls. However, oftentimes padel facilities want to place bleachers, locker rooms, or water points.
Padel court height
Measuring from the lowest point of the court, there must be at least 6 meters or 20 feet of cleared space above the court.
Back and sidewall height
The height of the back wall of a padel court is four meters or approx. 13 feet.
The sidewalls are usually stepped walls at both ends made up of two panels. The first panel connects with the back wall and is 4 meters or 13 feet high. The second panel is 3 meters or 10 feet in height.
A transparent, glass wall (3 meters high) that runs along the sides of the padel court connects the stepped panels together on each side of the court. In another variation, the sidewall runs at 4 meters height from the back wall to back wall.
Line markings
- All lines are 5cm or approx. 2 inches wide
- The service line is 6,95 meters or approx. 23 feet from the net
- The area between the net and the service line is split into two equal halves divided by a perpendicular line
- The area between the service line and the back wall is approx. 3 meters or 10 feet.
Net height
The height of the net on a padel court is 88 centimeters or approx. 3 feet in the center, and it runs all the way across the court from one end to the other (10 meters or 33 feet).
Importance of installing a lighting system for your padel court
Now that we know more about your new court’s sizes, shapes, and measurements, it’s time to move on to another crucial component: lighting.
You will need an adequate lighting system when creating an indoor or outdoor court. Because padel tennis requires so much hand-eye coordination, properly illuminating the court is crucial for players to see what’s happening.
Lighting improves playability and makes the spectator experience more enjoyable. An improperly lit court is dangerous, so you should work with a professional sports lighting expert to create the right system for your needs.
When lighting your padel tennis court, you’ll have plenty of options, including LED and HID systems. However, LEDs are a perfect choice if you want to save on maintenance, repair, and energy consumption.
Although the initial investment for LEDs can be higher, you’ll save in the long run. Depending on your facility, you might also be eligible for rebates or local government incentives to switch to LED lighting.
Installing a modern LED lighting system for your padel court increases the total costs of your project, so it is essential to take this extra expense in account early on in the planning phase. Learn more about the costs of installing padel court lighting in our separate guide.
How to fund the construction of a padel facility?
Building a sports facility for pop tennis can be a costly and complicated project. That’s why it’s important to start planning the financing of your padel court as early as possible.
A great first step is to research the government grants, loans, and other funding sources available in your community or country. Many governments have incentives for building sports facilities and encouraging physical activity and community building.
Additionally, consider launching a crowdfunding campaign to help fund the project. This is especially helpful if your community is passionate about padel, and you can use the excitement of having a court nearby to drum up support and donations.
Next, consider seeking out corporate partners or sponsorships. Many businesses will be willing to invest in constructing a court in exchange for naming rights or sponsorship opportunities.
Finally, you can always source a traditional loan from a bank or private lender. While these require repayment, you’ll be sure to have all the funds you need to create a fantastic and state-of-the-art padel tennis facility in your city!
A great first step is to check out our sports facility grants database to see if you can find funding opportunities applicable to your project.
Get a cost estimate for your padel court construction project
If you take away one tip from this article, let it be the importance of planning your padel court with the right dimensions. Having a well-planned facility will ensure your project gives you the return on investment you need.
Before you begin any construction project, consult a professional to understand how much the project will cost. They can accurately estimate labor costs, materials, and other associated expenses. Knowing these costs upfront can help you plan your budget more accurately and ensure you don’t exceed the budget.
If you’d like to get a head start on planning, consider using our online cost calculator. Just input a few key pieces of information, and we’ll give you a number to start your project.