Pickleball Court
Pickleball is a paddle sport that originated in Washington state in the USA in the 1965. The game is played on a badminton-sized court: 6.09m x 13.41m with a ball similar to a wiffle ball. When laying out the court, allow adequate space outside the end and sidelines for player movement.
The game can be played as singles (two) players or doubles (four) players. The ball is served diagonally, across court, beginning with the player on the right. The serving player continues to serve until they or their team faults, and points are only awarded to the team serving. A double bounce rule applies to the first two returns. Both the player receiving the serve and the server’s side must allow the ball to bounce before hitting it. The kitchen is a non-volley zone, and volleys are only allowed after the first two returns are played. The game is played to eleven points, and players must win by two points to complete the game.
The official dimensions for a pickleball court are:
- Court Size: 20 feet wide by 44 feet long (for both singles and doubles play)
- Net Height: 36 inches high at the sidelines and 34 inches high in the middle. The tennis-like net is hung 91.5cm on the ends and 86.4cm at the center.
Lines:
- Baseline: The line at each end of the court, 22 feet from the net.
- Sidelines: The lines running lengthwise on each side of the court, 20 feet apart.
- Non-Volley Zone Line (Kitchen Line): Located 7 feet from the net on both sides, running parallel to the net.
- Centerline: The line that divides the service courts into left and right halves, running perpendicular to the net and extending from the non-volley zone line to the baseline.
- Service Courts: Each side of the court is divided into two equal service courts by the centerline and the non-volley zone line.
