Padel Court Dimensions and Layout: What Every Player Should Know

A padel court is 20 meters long by 10 meters wide, divided in the middle by a net. The dimensions are fixed — unlike tennis, there's no variation between surfaces or venues. Every padel court you play on will be exactly this size. Knowing the measurements and what each zone means changes how you position and read the game.

The net

The net is 88cm high at the posts (which sit at the sidelines) and 92cm in the center — slightly higher at center due to the slight sag. This is lower than a tennis net and changes the geometry of shots significantly: there's more room to hit flat through the middle, and the angle available for cross-court shots at net is wider than in tennis.

The service boxes

Each half of the court is divided into a left and right service box by a center line. Service boxes are 6.95m deep from the net to the service line (the T), and 5m wide. The serve must land in the diagonally opposite service box.

The service line (the T) sits 6.95m from the net. Behind the service line and extending to the back wall is the back-wall zone — roughly 3m deep. This is where back-glass play happens. Understanding the depth of this zone helps you judge whether a deep lob will reach the back wall or land short.

The walls

The back wall is solid glass, 4m high. The back wall and the lower part of the side wall (up to 3m from the back) are also glass. Above 3m on the side walls, and the front sections of the side walls, are metal mesh fencing.

This distinction matters: a ball that hits the glass is live and can be played off the rebound. A ball that hits the mesh fence is live only if it bounces on the court floor first. A ball hit directly into the fence from the air is out.

The out zone (fence exits)

In the back corners where the glass meets the side fence, there's a 1m gap — an opening in the fence. Players can exit through this gap to retrieve a ball that has passed through it. A ball that exits through the gap can be returned — the player chases it, exits, and plays it back through the opening. This is one of padel's most spectacular plays: the "out of bounds" retrieval where a player exits the court entirely.

Net posts

The net posts are at the sidelines, where the glass walls meet the net. Balls that hit the net post are considered out. The post is part of the boundary, not the playable surface.

Why dimensions matter for positioning

Knowing that the court is exactly 10m wide means a player at the net can cover roughly 5m in either direction. Knowing the back zone is 3m deep helps you judge whether to position close to the glass or give yourself room. Knowing the service box is 6.95m deep tells you exactly where the T is — the middle of the court — which is the reference point for net positioning in doubles.