Pickleball vs padel
By the Finding Pickle team · Updated 30 October 2026
Pickleball is played on an open 44 x 20 ft court with a solid paddle and a plastic ball, with games to 11. Padel is played as doubles on a larger 20 x 10 m court enclosed by glass and mesh walls, with a perforated padel racquet, a low-pressure ball and tennis scoring.
| Pickleball | Padel | |
|---|---|---|
| Court | 13.41 x 6.10 m, open | 20 x 10 m, enclosed by walls |
| Players | Singles or doubles | Doubles |
| Equipment | Solid paddle, plastic ball with holes | Perforated racquet, low-pressure ball |
| Walls | None | Played off the walls after the bounce |
| Serve | Underhand, diagonal | Underarm, at or below the waist, after a bounce |
| Scoring | Games to 11 | 15, 30, 40, sets |
Want to try padel? Our sister site Finding Padel has the full guide.
Sources
USA Pickleball, Official Rulebook; FIP, Rules of Padel.
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