Setting up pickleball nets and courts

A club, school or leisure centre can start pickleball in a space it already has. Courts in England are set up on tennis courts, in badminton halls and on multi-use games areas.

These notes are for the person setting up. They cover the net, the court and the lines, using guidance from the LTA and Pickleball England.

The net

A pickleball net is 36 inches high at the sides and 34 inches in the middle. In metric that is 91.44cm at the sides and 86.36cm at the centre.

The net is close to a tennis net, slightly modified. So for a single court on a tennis court, the LTA suggests using the tennis net itself, lowered to 34 inches at the centre.

The court

A court is 44 feet long and 20 feet wide, which is 13.41m by 6.10m. That is the size of a doubles badminton court.

A non-volley zone, which players call the kitchen, runs the full width of the court for 7 feet on each side of the net. Behind it, each side has a right and a left service area, 15 feet long and 10 feet across.

A badminton court is a good start indoors. Its lines leave the kitchen about 6 inches short on each side, so some sports centres will add a kitchen line if you ask.

Fitting courts on a tennis court

One tennis court can hold up to four pickleball courts. For more than one court, the LTA says each court needs its own portable net. Two courts fit side by side at either end of a tennis court.

Pickleball England publishes a drawing with two layouts. The common layout fits two courts on a tennis court. The international layout fits four courts in an area 120 feet by 60 feet.

Marking the lines

There are three common ways to mark a court, from quick to lasting.

Chalk is quick and leaves no residue. It suits a first season or a venue that wants no marks.
Court tape can last three to four weeks outdoors if laid on a clean, dry court on a still day. A 50m roll can mark a whole court. Tape may leave a residue when lifted.
Paint gives permanent lines. Pickleball England suggests taping a template with a 2 inch gap, spraying between the tape, then lifting it once the paint is dry.

Pickleball England's guidance says lines should be 50mm wide. It supports blended lines on a tennis court. Tennis lines must be white under ITF rules, so pickleball lines in a different colour can distract tennis players less. It suggests water-based, extra-textured sports line paint.

Keeping the space safe

Pickleball England asks players to keep bags, bottles and towels off the court, and not to hang them on the net posts. Clear courts are safer and easier to see across.

When courts sit side by side, players call "ball on court" and wait for a stray ball to be thrown back. Nobody should walk behind a court during a point.

If you are forming a club, Pickleball England offers a constitution template and a risk assessment form.