Pickleball Court Dimensions
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Whether you are learning the game, striping a court, or planning to build one at home, knowing the exact pickleball court dimensions removes all the guesswork. The measurements are standardized, which means a court in one city plays identically to a court anywhere else. This guide covers every key dimension and how the lines fit together.
The playing area of a pickleball court measures twenty feet wide by forty-four feet long, and these dimensions are identical for both singles and doubles play. That consistency is one of the reasons the sport is so easy to set up almost anywhere. The forty-four foot length is measured from baseline to baseline, and the twenty foot width runs sideline to sideline.
The net divides the court in half across its width, and its height is precise. The net stands thirty-six inches tall at the sidelines and dips slightly to thirty-four inches at the center. That small dip in the middle is intentional and consistent across all regulation courts, so your low shots down the middle behave predictably.
The non-volley zone, universally known as the kitchen, is the defining feature of the court layout. It extends seven feet from the net on each side, spanning the full twenty foot width. This creates a fourteen foot no-volley band centered on the net. The kitchen line, which marks the back edge of this zone, is a critical reference point because volleying while touching it results in a fault.
Behind the kitchen on each side are the service areas, divided into left and right service courts by a centerline. Each service court measures ten feet wide, splitting the twenty foot width in half, and runs fifteen feet deep from the kitchen line back to the baseline. When you serve, you must land the ball diagonally in the opposite service court, clearing the kitchen entirely.
Beyond the lines themselves, the total recommended playing surface is larger than the court to allow safe movement. A common recommendation is a total space of at least thirty feet by sixty feet, which provides room behind the baselines and beside the sidelines for players to chase balls without running into fences or other courts. More surrounding space is always better for comfort and safety.
These standardized measurements make the game portable and fair, and they are worth memorizing if you plan to lay out your own court. A regulation pickleball court happens to fit within the footprint of a doubles badminton court, which is why gyms and multi-use facilities can convert existing spaces so easily. With the twenty by forty-four foot playing area, a seven foot kitchen on each side, and a thirty-six inch net at the posts, you have everything you need to recognize, mark, or build a proper court.