Although pickleball courts are being built around the world at an incredibly high rate, tennis courts are still widely utilized for pickleball. But it is important to know how to adjust a tennis court to make is suitable for playing pickleball.
Can you play pickleball on a tennis court?
Yes, but not without changing the dimensions of the court and the height of the net. A pickleball court is 20 x 44 ft while a tennis court measures 27 x 78 ft.
A tennis net measures 42in at the post and 36in in the center. A pickleball net should measure 36in at the post and 34in at the center.
A pickleball court should be set up like so:
How many pickleball courts will fit on a tennis court?
Although this is dependent on how much room you have around the tennis court, a general rule of thumb is that you can fit four pickleball courts on a single tennis court.
How do you change a tennis court into a pickleball court?
Option #1: Lower the tennis net to the correct height and tape/chalk the necessary pickleball court lines on top of the tennis court.
This option only works if the net is adjustable, and the owner of the net does not mind you lowering the net. Some tennis facilities do not want the net lowered, even if just temporarily. You will also be unable to hit an around the post shot with this setup.
After lowering the net, you have to tape down a pickleball court using a different color than the tennis lines.
Option #2: Use a portable pickleball net and tape the necessary pickleball lines.
Usually players will play on one side of a tennis court, using the tennis net as a "backstop". Place the temporary net down with at least 30 feet on each side, then tape the lines down. The most common mistake using this method is not allowing adequate room AROUND the court.
How much space should there be around a pickleball court?
The USAPA suggest 10 feet of space (also called overrun) outside each boundary line. This will help prevent players running onto each others courts, and reduce the number of times you have to stop play for a ball rolling onto your court.
