Section 3: Playing Area
Court Dimensions (Rule 1)
The padel court is a rectangle measuring 20 meters long by 10 meters wide (65.62 ft × 32.81 ft), enclosed on all sides by walls and fencing. The court is divided into two equal halves by a net. Each half is further divided into two service boxes by a central service line that runs perpendicular to the net.
The Walls and Enclosures
The enclosed nature of the padel court is the sport's most distinctive architectural feature:
- Back walls: Each end of the court has a glass wall 4 meters (13.12 ft) high spanning the full 10-meter width. The back wall is entirely glass (tempered safety glass, typically 10–12 mm thick) to allow spectator visibility.
- Side walls: The side walls are a combination of glass and metallic mesh. The first 3 meters from the back wall on each side are glass, 4 meters high. The remaining side wall extends forward as metallic mesh fencing, 3 meters high, stepping down in some configurations.
- Metallic mesh: The mesh fencing above the glass and along portions of the side walls rises to a height of 3 meters (9.84 ft) above the court surface. The mesh opening must be between 5 cm × 5 cm and 7.08 cm × 7.08 cm.
- There are two access openings on each side of the court, each at least 0.82 m wide and no more than 1.00 m wide, through which players enter and exit the court.
The Net (Rule 1)
- The net divides the court into two equal halves and is 10 meters long (the full width of the court).
- The net height is 88 cm (34.65 in) at the center and 92 cm (36.22 in) at the posts.
- The net posts are positioned outside the court at each side, and the net must be tensioned uniformly across its width.
Service Lines and Markings
- The service line on each side is located 6.95 meters (22.80 ft) from the net, running parallel to it across the full 10-meter width.
- The central service line runs from the net to the service line, dividing each half into two service boxes.
- All lines are 5 cm (2 in) wide and must contrast with the court surface color.
- The court surface may be concrete, synthetic resin, artificial turf, or carpet. The most common professional surface is artificial turf with sand infill in blue or green.