A padel court is a compact, fully enclosed rectangle: 10 metres wide by 20 metres long, ringed by glass and metal mesh that stay in play. This guide walks through the official measurements — overall size, net height, the service lines and boxes, and the walls — and explains why that layout makes padel feel so different from tennis. New to the sport? Start with our padel rules for beginners and how padel scoring works.
Overall size
A standard padel court — the one used for doubles — measures 10 metres wide and 20 metres long. That is a clean 1:2 rectangle covering 200 square metres. These dimensions are set by the International Padel Federation (FIP), which allows a small build tolerance of 0.5% over or under, so quote 10m x 20m as the standard rather than expecting every court to be exact to the centimetre.
The court is fully enclosed by walls (glass) and metallic mesh, and a net runs across the middle to split it into two equal halves, each measuring 10m wide by 10m deep. FIP rules also call for a minimum clear playing height of 6 metres above the court so high lobs have room.
There is also a narrower singles court, just 6 metres wide by 20 metres long, for one-on-one play. It exists, but it is uncommon — the 10m x 20m doubles court is the standard you will play on almost everywhere.
The net
The net divides the court into two equal halves and spans the full 10-metre width. It is 0.88 metres (88cm) high at the centre and rises to a maximum of 0.92 metres (92cm) at the posts on each end. In other words, it dips slightly in the middle and is a touch higher where it meets the side walls.
The net is held up by a metal cable and finished with a white top band, but for the purpose of dimensions the two numbers to remember are 88cm in the centre and 92cm at the posts.
Lines and service boxes
Padel has very few painted lines, which surprises people coming from tennis. On each side of the net there is a service line that runs parallel to the net at a distance of 6.95 metres from it. A centre service line then runs perpendicular to the net and divides each service area into two boxes — a left box and a right box — exactly like tennis service boxes.
Because each half of the court is 10 metres deep and the service line sits 6.95m from the net, the area behind the service line, between it and the back glass, is only about 3 metres deep (10m − 6.95m ≈ 3.05m). You will often hear this described as "roughly 3 metres from the back wall," which is the same thing — but 6.95m from the net is the precise figure.
One key difference from tennis: the sides and back of the playing area are bounded by walls, not by painted sidelines. Inside the doubles court there is no singles-style sideline either. The only lines on the floor are the net, the two service lines and the two centre service lines.
Walls and mesh
The enclosure is the most distinctive part of a padel court, and it is where dimensions vary most between clubs and manufacturers — so treat the figures below as typical, not fixed for every court.
- Back walls: usually around 3 metres of tempered glass as the playing surface, topped by roughly 1 metre of metallic mesh, for a total enclosure of about 4 metres at the back.
- Side walls: commonly a stepped mix of glass and mesh — often about 3m high near the back corners, stepping down to around 2m further along the side. The exact heights and whether the sides are part glass or all mesh depend on the build (panoramic glass courts differ from budget builds).
- The glass: the panels are tempered safety glass, commonly cited at 10–12mm thick and built to safety standards. Thickness can vary by installation.
The important point is that the walls are in play. After the ball bounces on the floor on your side, it may rebound off the glass or the mesh and stay live — you can play it back. (It has to hit the floor on your side first before touching your own walls.) That single rule is what turns a small court into a fast, long-rallying game.
Why the dimensions matter for play
The enclosed 10m x 20m space is the whole point of padel. Because balls rebound off the glass and mesh and stay live, rallies last far longer than the modest court size would suggest — a ball that would be "out" in tennis is often just the start of another exchange off the back glass.
The court is also small: noticeably smaller than a tennis court — roughly three-quarters of the doubles-court playing area. Combine the compact space with walls you can use, and the game rewards positioning, anticipation and touch more than raw power. There is little benefit to hitting flat and hard when the ball simply comes back off the glass; control, angles and reading your opponents tend to win points instead. That is a fair general characterisation of how the layout shapes play, and it is exactly why padel is so quick to pick up but rewarding to master.
Once you are on court, the last thing you want to track in your head is the score. Pala keeps it for you — tap to score, tap to undo, with automatic games, sets and tie-breaks. It works on iPhone, and you can score from your wrist on Apple Watch. It is free, private by design, and needs no account.
Frequently asked questions
What are the dimensions of a padel court?
A standard padel court is 20 metres long and 10 metres wide, a 1:2 rectangle covering 200 square metres. It is fully enclosed by glass and metal mesh and divided into two equal halves by a net. These measurements are set by the International Padel Federation (FIP), which allows a small build tolerance of 0.5%.
How high is a padel net?
A padel net is 0.88 metres (88cm) high at its centre and rises to a maximum of 0.92 metres (92cm) at the posts. It stretches across the full 10-metre width of the court.
How far is the service line from the net in padel?
The service line is 6.95 metres from the net on each side of the court, running parallel to it. A centre service line then divides each service area into two service boxes. The area behind the service line, up to the back glass, is roughly 3 metres deep.
Are padel court walls made of glass?
Partly. The back walls and the corner sections are typically tempered glass, usually around 3 metres of glass playing height with about a metre of metal mesh above it. The rest of the side walls are usually a mix of glass and metallic mesh, and the exact layout varies between courts. Crucially, these walls are in play: after the ball bounces on the floor it can rebound off them and stay live.
Is a padel court smaller than a tennis court?
Yes. A padel court is 20m x 10m (200 sq m), while a doubles tennis court is about 23.77m x 10.97m (~261 sq m), so it has roughly 30% more playing area than a padel court. Padel's smaller, enclosed court is a big reason the game rewards positioning and touch rather than the power and court coverage that a larger tennis court demands.
Related guides
Now that you know the court, dig into the rules and scoring so you are ready for your first match: