What is a padel court? Dimensions, size and cost

A padel court is a 20 x 10 m court for doubles, enclosed on all four sides by walls and metal mesh. The walls are part of the game: after the ball bounces, it can come off the glass and stay in play, a bit like squash. That is why a padel court looks like a glass box, and why you cannot play padel on a tennis court.

Padel court dimensions

The official measurements come from the rules of the International Padel Federation (FIP):

• Court size: 20 m long and 10 m wide, measured inside the walls. That is 200 m² of playing area.
• Net: 0.88 m high at the centre, rising to 0.92 m at the posts.
• Service lines: 6.95 m from the net on each side, which leaves 3.05 m to the back wall. A central line splits the area in front of each service line into two service boxes.
• Lines: 5 cm wide, usually white.
• Ceiling height: at least 6 m clear above the whole court indoors, and 8 m is suggested for new venues.
• Surface: artificial grass, a synthetic surface or concrete, in green, blue or terracotta.

Padel court walls and height

The back walls are 4 m high: 3 m of glass or solid wall, then 1 m of mesh on top. Along each side, the first 4 m from the back wall is also wall, either in two steps (3 m high, then 2 m) or as one 3 m panel. Metal mesh closes the rest of the sides. Courts that allow play outside the court also need clear space beyond the side openings.

Padel court vs pickleball court

Padel is sometimes called padel tennis, so a "padel tennis court" is the same thing. Here is how it compares with the other two racket courts people ask about:

	Padel	Pickleball	Tennis (doubles)
Size	20 x 10 m	13.41 x 6.10 m	23.77 x 10.97 m
Net at the centre	0.88 m	0.86 m	0.91 m
Walls in play	Yes	No	No

A pickleball court has less than half the area of a padel court and no walls. A tennis court is a little longer and wider, but you cannot simply repaint it for padel, because the walls are part of the court.

What does a padel court cost?

There are two answers: what it costs to build a court, and what it costs to play on one.

Building a padel court

Padel court construction costs depend on a few big choices:

• The structure: glass and steel, and how much of it is glass.
• Indoors or outdoors: an indoor court needs a building with at least 6 m of clear height.
• The base: a level slab, with less than 3 mm of difference over 3 m, and drainage for outdoor courts.
• Surface and lighting: artificial grass or a synthetic floor, plus lights mounted at least 6 m above the ground.

What it costs to play: Europe, the US and Asia

You rent the whole court for a slot, usually 60 or 90 minutes, and the four players split the price. Booking apps such as Playtomic and MATCHi can split the fee for you. Evenings and weekends are often the busiest and most expensive times.

Europe. Spain is the cheapest place to play. Padel was invented in Mexico, but it took off in Spain in the 1970s, and Spain still has more courts than any other country. A court there usually costs around €15 to €25 an hour, or €4 to €6 each, and Portugal is similar. Prices rise further north. Padelverket, south of Stockholm, charges 360 SEK an hour on weekdays before 17:00 and 480 SEK in the evenings and at weekends. In the UK and the Netherlands, expect around €40 an hour.

United States. Prices vary more than anywhere else. Off-peak slots can start at around $40 an hour, while premium clubs in Miami and New York charge $100 or more an hour at peak times.

Asia. The Gulf is one of the most expensive places to play. In Dubai, Padel Pro charges AED 360 for 90 minutes outdoors and AED 400 indoors, and Just Padel charges AED 220 for the first 45 minutes. In Singapore, a doubles court costs from about S$40 an hour off-peak to over S$100 at peak times.

Club prices change, so check the current rate when you book.

How to find a padel court near you

Our padel court directory lists clubs by country and city. It covers Spain and Barcelona, as well as London, Dubai and Haninge, south of Stockholm. Each listing links to the club's own website.

Most clubs take bookings through an app, so read our guide to the best padel apps before you play somewhere new.

Run a padel club? Add your courts.