Pickleball vs tennis
By the Finding Pickle team · Updated 30 October 2026
Pickleball is played on a much smaller court than tennis, with a solid paddle, a plastic ball with holes and an underhand serve. Its kitchen rule stops players volleying close to the net. Tennis uses a strung racquet, a pressurised ball, a usually overhead serve and 15, 30, 40 scoring.
| Pickleball | Tennis | |
|---|---|---|
| Court | 13.41 x 6.10 m (44 x 20 ft) | 23.77 x 10.97 m doubles (78 x 36 ft) |
| Equipment | Solid paddle, plastic ball with holes | Strung racquet, pressurised ball |
| Serve | Underhand, diagonal | Usually overhead |
| Special rules | Kitchen, two-bounce rule | None near the net |
| Scoring | Games to 11, win by 2 | 15, 30, 40, sets |
Tips for tennis players: shorten your swing, stay out of the kitchen when volleying, and learn to dink. Our sister site Finding Tennis lists tennis coaching across Australia.
Sources
USA Pickleball, Official Rulebook; ITF, 2026 Rules of Tennis.
Keep reading
Pickleball and padel are both easy to learn and social, but they play very differently. Compare the courts, walls, equipment, serve and scoring.
A pickleball court is 20 x 44 ft (6.10 x 13.41 m) with a 7 ft non-volley zone each side of the net. Every official measurement, with a diagram and a comparison with tennis and padel.
How pickleball scoring works: games to 11, win by 2, why doubles scores have three numbers, why games start at "zero zero two", and how rally scoring differs.