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Padel court dimensions: size, wall heights and the space you need
The official size of a padel court, the net and wall heights, the free height a hall needs and the space around the court, from the FIP rules.
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A padel court is always the same size, but the space it needs is not. Before you choose a site, a hall or a layout, you need the court, the walls, the free height above and the room around it. This guide gathers those figures from the International Padel Federation's Rules of Padel (2026 edition), with notes on what they mean when you plan a facility.
How big is a padel court?
A double padel court measures 20 × 10 m on the inside, with a tolerance of 0.5%, which gives a playing area of 200 m². The net divides it into two halves of 10 × 10 m. The service lines run parallel to the net, 6.95 m from it on each side, and a centre service line divides the area between net and service line in two, extending at least 20 cm beyond the service line. All lines are 5 cm wide, preferably white or black.
The net is 10 m long and 0.88 m high at the centre, rising to 0.92 m at the ends, with a tolerance of 5 mm. It hangs from a cable between two posts no higher than 1.05 m, or from the court structure itself.
Walls and mesh: how high is a padel court?
The court is fully enclosed. At each end the enclosure is 4 m high: 3 m of wall, in glass or another hard, smooth material, topped by 1 m of metal mesh. The sides come in two variants:
- Stepped: at each end a wall 3 m high and 2 m long, then a step 2 m high and 2 m long; metal mesh completes the enclosure, up to 3 m in the centre and up to 4 m at both ends.
- Glass, without the step: at each end a wall 3 m high and 4 m long, with metal mesh up to 4 m over the outermost 2 m.
Access is on the sides, symmetrical about the net, with one or two openings per side. With one opening per side it must be between 1.05 × 2.0 m and 2.20 × 2.20 m; with two, each must be between 0.72 × 2.0 m and 1.10 × 2.20 m.
Free height for an indoor court
For a hall, this is the figure that rules buildings in or out. The FIP requires a free height of at least 6 m over the whole court, with nothing, such as light fittings, reaching into that space. For new facilities it suggests 8 m. Lobs go high in padel, and a low ceiling changes the game.
The same goes for lighting: the underside of the light fittings must be at least 6 m above the ground, and in new facilities 8 m is suggested for lights fitted inside the court's outline. Light poles belong outside the court. Our courts can carry LED lighting on the structure or, indoors, in the ceiling, as at Vejle Padelcenter.
How much space does a padel court need?
The court itself takes 20 × 10 m, but plan for the space around it. If players may run out through the side openings to play the ball, as competition rules allow, the FIP requires a clear area outside each opening at least 3 m wide (4 m is recommended), 4 m long and 3 m high, free of obstacles. On each side that adds 3–4 m to the 10 m width where the openings are.
Without play outside the court you still need room to reach the doors, maintain the glass and get lighting and drainage right. We set the exact layout for your site, indoor or outdoor, in the technical consultation, and supply the foundation specifications.
Single courts: 20 × 6 m
The FIP rules cover the double court. A single court for one against one is 20 × 6 m, a footprint of 120 m², with the same materials as a double court. It suits coaching, one-to-one play and sites too narrow for a double court. Panoramic Indoor, Deluxe Indoor, Panoramic Outdoor and Deluxe Outdoor all come as single courts.
Ground: flatness, slope and surface
The playing surface may be concrete, synthetic material or artificial grass, in green, blue or terracotta, as long as the ball bounces evenly. The FIP sets tight tolerances for the base: level differences of less than 3 mm under a 3 m straightedge, and for surfaces without drainage a slope of at most 1% from the centre towards the edges. Our courts can be supplied with Mondo XN turf in green, blue or terracotta.
Outdoors, the FIP recommends running the long axis of the court north–south, anywhere between north-northeast and north-northwest. Depending on the model, our outdoor courts are rated for wind speeds of up to 36 m/s.
Padel court dimensions at a glance
- Court: 20 × 10 m inside (200 m²), tolerance 0.5%.
- Service lines: 6.95 m from the net; lines 5 cm wide.
- Net: 10 m long, 0.88 m high at the centre, 0.92 m at the ends.
- Enclosure: 4 m at the ends (3 m wall + 1 m mesh); sides stepped or in glass.
- Free height: at least 6 m over the whole court; 8 m suggested for new halls.
- Lights: underside at least 6 m above the ground; poles outside the court.
- Play outside the court: a clear area 3 m wide (4 m recommended), 4 m long and 3 m high outside each opening.
- Single court: 20 × 6 m (120 m²).
- Base: under 3 mm deviation over 3 m; at most 1% slope without drainage.
Send us your site plan or hall drawings with your quote request. We check the court layout, the free height and the base against these figures in the technical consultation.