Have you wanted to play pickleball but there are no courts available around you? Maybe you thought, can pickleball be played on a tennis court?
Yes, pickleball can be played on a tennis court with either temporary or permanent line markers. Temporary markers can include cones, dedicated rubber pickleball markers, or even water bottles. The more permanent and semi-permanent solutions include tape, chalk, or paint but should be approved by the management of the tennis court before use. Some tennis courts also have dedicated pickleball lines, often a different color, for this exact reason.
Now that you know it is possible to play pickleball on a tennis court, you may be wondering about the differences between the two courts and how to play on them.
Is a Pickleball Court the Same Size as a Tennis Court?
Pickleball and tennis courts look very similar and generally have the same shape, however, pickleball courts are significantly smaller than tennis courts. Pickleball courts measure 20 feet wide by 44 feet long while a tennis court measures 60 feet wide and 120 feet long. A pickleball court is the same size for singles and doubles whereas a tennis court is 9 feet wider for doubles court compared to a singles court. Pickleball also has a non-volley zone which is extended out 7 feet from the net on each side.
How Many Pickleball Courts Fit on a Tennis Court?
A total of four pickleball courts can fit on a single tennis court; however, most players believe the ideal amount is either one or two. Setting up one pickleball court on a tennis court allows you to reuse the net from the tennis court, whereas, setting up two or more courts will require the player to supply the nets. Setting up too many courts may also add line confusion and eye strain from too many overlapping lines.
Are Pickleball and Tennis Nets the Same Height?
When setting up pickleball on a tennis court, you may be wondering, are pickleball and tennis nets the same height? Pickleball and tennis nets are very similar in height and slope.
A tennis net stands at 42 inches tall from the ground on the sides and 36 inches tall in the center. A pickleball net is 36 inches tall on each side and only drops down to 34 inches tall in the center.
A tennis net can often be adjusted lower by moving the middle adjustment strap to either side to bring down the net a couple of inches. If the net does not have one, you can bring your own.
How Do You Make a Tennis Court into a Pickleball Court?
So, you found a tennis court nearby and would like to add the proper lines to play pickleball. Fortunately, converting a tennis court to a single pickleball court using the existing tennis net can be done fairly cheaply and easily.
To convert a tennis court to a single pickleball court while reusing the net, you will need:
- A measuring tape
- A pickleball court dimension diagram (shown below)
- Temporary markers
- A tennis net adjuster (optional)
As mentioned above, temporary markers can include dedicated pickleball rubber markers, cones, water bottles, or anything that can be used to mark the corners of the boxes. The best markers to use would be a rubber court line marker kit, like this one, which includes a free measuring tape in the kit.
How Do You Mark a Pickleball Court?
Place the temporary markers as shown in the diagram below. The center line on the tennis court will also be used for pickleball. This is the only line that is shared by both sports.
Start by measuring out 10 feet from the center line to each side. This will give you the 20-foot width of the court. Measure 7 feet back from the net to create the outline for the non-volley zone. Measure another 15 feet back from the non-volley zone to outline the service areas. Repeat on the other side of the court.
Lastly, you will want to lower the middle of the tennis net down to 34 inches by using a tennis net adjuster. Some courts will have an adjuster in the middle of the net. This step is optional, and for recreation use, players may opt to just skip this step and go play. If there already is an adjuster on the net, you can simply slide the adjuster over to one side a few inches which should bring the net down enough for pickleball. Just remember to put the net back to how it was when you’re done!
If you are setting up two pickleball courts, you are going to want to divide the tennis court in half and place one court on each side of the tennis net. To add four courts to a single tennis court, you will need to split the tennis court into four quadrants and start mapping out the court lines. The disadvantage to having more than one pickleball court on a single tennis court is that you will need to provide a pickleball net for each court rather than reusing the tennis court net.
Can You Add Pickleball Lines on a Tennis Court?
Permanent (e.g., paint) and semi-permanent (e.g., tape and chalk) should not be used without permission from the tennis court owner/management. Chalk can take a while to fully wash off and be disruptive to tennis players while it is still able to be seen. Using the wrong tape can leave a sticky residue that can often be difficult to remove.
How Much Tape Does It Take to Line a Pickleball Court?
Using tape allows the court lines to be seen easily as the entire court will be lined instead of just having markers on the corners or every several feet. Painter’s tape or the best option, green frog tape, are the best options and leave the least residue if any. A single court will require a minimum of 198 feet to fully line.
Can Pickleball Damage a Tennis Court?
Playing pickleball on a tennis court will not cause any damage to the court itself. The main concern would be general wear on the tennis court lines. The more a court is used the more the lines will fade. This can cause additional wear in irregular places, especially when adding two or more courts to a tennis court.
Final Thoughts
In short, yes, pickleball can be played on a tennis court, especially if the court already has pickleball lines painted on them for dual usage.
An easy way to determine this is to check whether the tennis courts have separate lines on the inside of the tennis court. These lines are often different colors. Most recreation parks are starting to adopt dual usage lines.
If the tennis court does not have lines painted on it, it is very easy to set up markers yourself in a few minutes. This may be the easier and closer method depending on what type of tennis courts are in your area!