Can You Play Pickleball On A Tennis Court?

With pickleball growing at an unprecedented rate, you might find yourself feeling lost when all your local pickleball courts are full.

But what about those nearby tennis courts that are always empty…can you play pickleball on them?

Luckily, if you can’t find local pickleball courts in your area or are just sick and tired of waiting to play a game of pickelball, you can definitely make it work with a tennis court.

In this blog, we’ll show you exactly how to play pickleball on a tennis court.

Pickleball Court vs Tennis Court: What’s The Difference?

Before we dive into the specifics of how to play pickleball on a tennis court, it’s important to first understand what exactly the differences between a pickleball court and a tennis court are.

Ultimately, it comes down to three main distinctions:

1.) Court Dimensions

The most noticeable difference between a pickleball court and a tennis court is its size. Pickleball courts are much smaller at 20 feet wide and 44 feet long, whereas tennis courts are 36 feet wide and 78 feet long. In fact, you can fit approximately four pickleball courts within one tennis court!

2.) Pickleball Net Vs Tennis Net

While both pickleball courts and tennis courts have the same netting, pickleball nets are 2 inches lower in the middle, measuring 34 inches, compared to tennis courts, which are set at 36 inches.

3.) The Kitchen

In addition to the boundary and sidelines, pickleball courts have a 7-foot long no-volley zone called the kitchen.

How To Play Pickleball On A Tennis Court

Now that you have a good understanding of how a pickleball court and a tennis court differ, let’s look at the two main options for how to play pickleball on a tennis court.

Option 1: Using A Portable Pickleball Net

By far the most popular option for playing pickleball on a tennis court is to purchase your own portable pickleball net. You can find a quality pickleball net online for around $150-$200. They’re super easy to setup and takedown, requiring just a few minutes of your time.

However, you will still have to mark down the pickleball lines and boundaries using tape or chalk according to the official court dimensions.

Option 2: Using Existing Tennis Net

While this method may demand a bit more effort and isn’t feasible on all tennis courts, it’s an option to consider if you lack access to a portable pickleball net. If the owner of the tennis court gives you permission to lower the net and the net is adjustable, lower it down 2 inches and then tape down the pickleball court lines. This will allow you to play pickleball using the existing tennis court net.

Conclusion

While pickleball is best to played on designated pickleball courts, there may circumstances where you’re led to tennis courts. If that’s the case, I hope this blog has helped teached you how to properly setup your own game of pickleball on a tennis court.

Keep on pickling!

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