If you have just started playing pickleball, you might not know how to set up your pickleball court. Some locations use their pickleball courts for other games as well as pickleball. This can make it hard for beginners to set up pickleball games for themselves. This setup process can deter many people from trying to learn to play this new game since most pickleball courts are shared as a tennis court.

If you have been struggling to set up your pickleball court for your games or you are not sure if you can use tennis courts for this need, you will want to learn more about the pickleball court dimensions and pickleball net height. You will need to set up your game space correctly if you want to have fun playing this game.

If you want to know how to set up your pickleball court and get the right pickleball net height, you can read on for more information!

Where to Get a Pickleball Net

There are many locations where you can get a pickleball net for your needs. Most sporting goods stores offer them and you can find them on Amazon as well. Outdoor court nets are slightly different in design than the ones that are used for indoor courts. You will want to be sure that you are buying the right kind of net for your needs or you will not be able to seat it up at the right height.

These kinds of nets are not that expensive, and if you need to provide your own pickleball net for your playing location, you will have good luck picking up a standard net at one of these locations. These nets often pack up readily and can be taken with you to your location where you play with ease.

Are Pickleball Nets the Same Height as Tennis Court Nets?

The style of the net that you need for pickleball is not that different, but the tennis net height setting is different. A pickleball net should be set at 3 feet at the side posts and 34 inches in the middle. A tennis court net will not sag in the middle in this way. You might be able to set your tennis court net to this height, but many shared locations do not appreciate you changing their net settings.

If you are playing in a shared space, setting up your own net is sometimes the easiest way to accommodate everyone’s needs. This can help you to get the right pickleball court dimensions set up as well as the right net height in place. If you are playing in a tennis court location, you will want to ask them what their preference is for your shared use of the space and the net itself.

How to Measure for the Correct Pickleball Net Height 

If you are still not sure how you should measure for the correct pickleball net height, there are some easy tips to make sure that this process is easy for your needs. You will have great success if you use these steps when you are setting up your pickleball net for your game.

1. Measure from inside net posts to inside net posts before you buy a net. This will make sure that you get the right size net for your needs.
2. You will want to know the OD measurement that the court was built with. OD measurements are not the same as ID measurements which leads to issues with tennis and pickleball net length and height in many locations.
3. Your net can be anywhere from 30 to 36 inches high depending on your needs, but you will want to remember that the standard center height is 34 inches. Permanent nets will have a center strap that is secured at this height but you might not get access to this benefit.
4. The competition hanging height for the net is 36 inches. Not everyone can set up their court this way, but it can impact your play experience when the net is higher than you are used to.
5. Competition posts are not allowed to be more than 3 inches in diameter which can also impact your overall net placement and height.

Can You Play Pickleball on a Tennis Court?

You can play pickleball on a tennis court, but four standard pickleball courts will fit in a tennis court. This means that shared spaces can be divided up quite a bit if the tennis court net is pulled out of the way or taken down. This is how competitions are commonly played in shared spaces. This is why having your own net matters when setting up games. It can be very hard to use a tennis court for this kind of need since it is so much bigger overall and the net height is different.

Pickleball court dimensions are 20 by 44 feet. With overrun, this size should be 30 by 60 feet. This size playing space will clearly impact the height of your pickleball net if you are using shared locations. This is why it is so important to know what your pickleball net height should be.

If you are going to be using your tennis court for pickleball as well, you will just need to lower the middle of the tennis net height to regulation for pickleball. You will, however, have too much playing space around the net so you might need to be conscious of this difference. The tennis court is much larger overall and this can impact how the action of your pickleball game will flow when using a tennis court for your games.

Can You Play Pickleball Without a Court?

This is one of the best parts of pickleball and this is why it is increasingly popular. If you are not concerned about competition standards, you can place pickleball anywhere that has enough room for the net and the minimum playing space. 

This means that you can use a basketball court or another location for your pickleball court with ease. Pickleball nets are made to be really portable. For this reason and you will find that tennis courts are not the only place that you can enjoy this fun and active game.

If you have to play with a tennis net, or if you are setting up your pickleball game with a portable net on the beach, you will still have fun playing. This is a really versatile and flexible game that can be played in many more locations than tennis. Enjoying your pickleball game does not require a pickleball court.

Playing Pickleball is Easy and Fun

Whether you invest in a pickleball net or not, you will find that pickleball is a really fun and exciting game to play. You can set up a pickleball match almost anywhere and you will love that the game does not require as many specific requirements as tennis. For those who love games like this but hate to have to go to a tennis court each time they want to play, pickleball is a great substitute. 

The next time you are trying to play pickleball, you will know what height to move the tennis net to or you might have your own pickleball net. This can make your game much more enjoyable and you will love that you have learned to set up your game properly for the best playing experience.