Padel vs pickleball: the key differences

Padel and pickleball are both racket sports with a low net, and both are often played in pairs. The rules, though, are quite different. This guide compares them using the official rulebooks: the International Padel Federation (FIP) Rules of Padel and the USA Pickleball Official Rulebook.

Quick answer

• A padel court is 10 m × 20 m and fully enclosed by walls and fencing; a pickleball court is 20 ft × 44 ft with open sides.
• In padel the ball can be played off the walls; pickleball has no walls in play.
• Padel uses tennis-style scoring (15, 30, 40); standard pickleball games usually go to 11, win by 2.

Side-by-side comparison

The court: size and walls

FIP rules describe the padel court as a rectangle 10 meters wide by 20 meters long, measured inside, with service lines 6.95 m from the net on each side. The court must be completely enclosed. Walls can be glass, brick or another material with a uniform bounce, and the end walls combine wall and metal fencing.

The USA Pickleball rulebook sets the pickleball court at 20 feet wide and 44 feet long for both singles and doubles (rule 3.A.1). Each side has a non-volley zone, the area extending 7 feet from the net where players may not hit the ball out of the air.

The net

Padel: 0.88 m high at the center, rising to 0.92 m at the ends (FIP).
Pickleball: 36 inches at the sidelines and 34 inches at the center (rules 3.B.6 and 3.B.7).

The serve

Padel: the server bounces the ball inside their service box and hits it at or below waist height, with at least one foot on the ground. The ball must cross diagonally and bounce in the receiver's box (FIP Rule 6).

Pickleball: for a volley serve, the paddle must move in an upward arc, the paddle head must not be above the wrist, and the ball must be no higher than the server's waist (rules 7.C.1–7.C.3). After the serve, the two-bounce rule applies: the serve and the return must each bounce before being hit (rule 10.A).

Scoring

Padel follows the tennis pattern: 15, 30, 40, game. The FIP rules (Rule 1, Score in a game) include deuce options such as the golden point and the star point, and matches are best of three sets.

Standard pickleball scores points only when the serving side wins the rally. A game is typically won by the first side to 11 points with at least a 2-point lead. Rally scoring is a provisionally approved option.

Equipment

FIP limits the padel racket to 45.5 cm total length, 26 cm width and 38 mm thickness. Pickleball uses a paddle and a perforated ball, described in the USA Pickleball rulebook.

Where to play pickleball

CourtlyMaps maps public and private pickleball courts in 11 US cities from OpenStreetMap data. Start from the city list, or read how to find courts near you. New players: pickleball rules basics and your first time at a public court.

FAQ

Is a padel court bigger than a pickleball court?
Yes. A padel court is 10 m × 20 m; a pickleball court is 20 ft × 44 ft (about 6.10 m × 13.41 m).

Can you use the walls in pickleball?
No. Walls are part of play only in padel, where the court is fully enclosed.

Is the net the same height?
Close but not equal: padel 0.88 m (about 34.6 in) at the center; pickleball 34 in at the center.

Do padel and pickleball score the same way?
No. Padel uses 15-30-40 game scoring; standard pickleball games usually go to 11, win by 2.

Does CourtlyMaps list padel courts?
Not yet. CourtlyMaps currently maps pickleball courts only.

Sources

FIP Rules of Padel (review of application 01.01.2026); 2026 USA Pickleball Official Rulebook. Last checked: 2026-10-16.