There won’t always be a perfect setup for a pickleball game. Sometimes you just have to work with what you have. But at some point, for a real pickleball game, you’re going to need a little bit of space. We’re going to help you figure out just how little you might need to still have a makeshift pickleball court setup.
Determine Your Space
Look at what you have to work with. There are actually relatively few pure pickleball court locations. Many times courts are set up on a tennis court, basketball court, or some other hard surface.
These should prove no problem for you! There will be ample space to get a game going.
On the other hand, if you’re searching for this topic you may be trying to play on you driveway or any other irregularly spaced area. This is where you might not have room for the recommended court space. But don’t worry. You may be able to make adjustments.
How Much Room Do You Need For a Pickleball Court
The dimensions from a pickleball court are actually quite small. You know this might know this intuitively if you’ve ever played before. It’s much smaller than a tennis court. You’ll often see multiple pickleball courts placed on one tennis court. The small size is important, making the game easier on players with limited mobility while still providing a challenge to everyone.
The problem is there’s a difference between the court dimensions and the amount of space you’ll need.
Minimum Pickleball Court Dimensions
So technically, the official pickleball court dimensions are 20 x 44. The baseline is 20 feet long while the side lines run 44 feet deep, cut in half at the midway by the net.
The non volley zone extends 7 feet out on either side of the net, making the service box 15 feet deep with each one being 10 feet wide.
The pickleball net on each court is 34 inches tall.
Again this technically creates the playing area and court lines.
Buffer Space
The reason I keep saying technically, is because if you think about it, you’ll probably need more space than just the dimensions of the lines. The actual court size is much bigger.
Imagine if at each line on the outer boundary of a pickleball court there was just a wall. Yes, you have the minimum area for a game, but every time the ball gets hit deep on a serve and you need to back up to get it you’d slam right into the wall. We need space to move around!
So the actual room you need is much greater. This is what makes setting up a pickleball court in your driveway or around the house so challenging. If you have a big yard there are ways to play pickleball on grass, but even that is less than ideal.
The recommended amount is about 5 feet in each direction on the court. This brings your court width to 30 feet and the length to at least 55.
This is why you often find pickleball courts set up on tennis courts with a multi court setup because there is so much space there already.
If you want to have a pickleball court in your own area we’re going to have to start thinking outside the box.
Can You Play Pickleball on a Smaller Court
In theory you absolutely can play on a smaller court. I for one am all for just working with what you have and improvising.
It you are going to setup a permanent pickleball court however, I would recommend finding a location with the requisite space.
As the court shrinks doubles becomes much more difficult. You and your partner are cramped together, but also there is much fewer windows to hit the ball into. There really is no where the opponents can’t get to it.
On the other hand, singles may be ideal for this kind of setup.
Singles Pickleball
If you only have one person to play with many people opt to play singles. The overall rules of the game are very similar with a few tweaks here and there.
But some players shy aware from singles because it requires a lot more movement than normal doubles. You have the entire court surface to cover, double what you usually deal with. You also have no partner to help you manage depth. This can be very intense and is a lot more strenuous than some players are able to deal with.
This is why many opt for skinny singles. This mirrors the dynamics of a doubles game by cutting the court in half while still only requiring two players.
The length is all the same the non volley zone is the same, but the court is cut in half so each side only have one service box.
If you are dealing with limited area this may be perfect for you. It demands much less surface area and still lets you work on your game.
Starter Set
You don’t even need very much to set this up around your house. You can buy pickleball starter sets on amazon for very cheap that come with a smaller and portable net that can be setup anywhere along with paddles. It’s perfect for introducing family members to the game.
Going Forward
You might not have the perfect pickleball setup, but there are any number of ways to make it work. Sometimes there won’t always be a perfect area around for you to play. You can still find a way to get creative and have fun! If you found any of this helpful check out the rest of the site. There’s all kinds of creative ways to work on pickleball whether you’re on or off the court.