Walls and fencing
A padel court is fully enclosed. Each end is 4 m high, with 3 m of wall and 1 m of metal mesh on top, and the sides come in two layouts of wall and mesh.
Punkt 1: Court fully enclosed
The court must be completely enclosed.
Punkt 2: Length of the ends
Measured from the inside, each end of the enclosure is 10 m long.
Punkt 3: Length of the sides
Measured from the inside, each side of the enclosure is 20 m long.
Punkt 4: An even bounce at the joins
Wherever parts of the enclosure join, they must be built from materials that give the ball an even bounce. The FIP accepts that the bounce off the metal fencing is not uniform, and the sections below set out where the walls end and the fencing begins.
Punkt 5: Total height of the ends
Each end of the enclosure is 4 m high in total.
Punkt 6: Wall for the first 3 m
The bottom 3 m of each end is wall.
Punkt 7: Mesh for the top metre
The top 1 m of each end is metal mesh.
Punkt 8: Material of the end wall
The end wall may be of any transparent or solid material, such as glass or brick, but it must meet the same standards that apply to the side walls.
Punkt 9: Two side layouts
The rules allow two layouts for the side enclosures.
Punkt 10: Side layout 1: stepped wall
In the first layout the wall steps down at each end of the side. The first step is 3 m high and 2 m long, and the second step is 2 m high and 2 m long.
Punkt 11: Side layout 1: the mesh
Metal fencing completes this layout, up to 3 m high in the central 6 m, as the FIP text puts it, and up to 4 m high at both ends.
Punkt 12: Side layout 2: all glass
In the second layout there is a wall at each end of the side, 3 m high and 4 m long, with no step.
Punkt 13: Side layout 2: the mesh
Metal mesh completes this layout, up to 4 m high over the outermost 2 m at each end.
Punkt 14: Measured from the inside
All of these measurements are taken from the inside of the court.
Punkt 15: Mesh in line with the wall
The metal fencing is always set in line with the inner face of the wall. So the playing face of the enclosure is flat from wall to mesh, with no ledge for the ball to catch.
Punkt 16: Keep the frame top clear
Where the fencing is fixed to a frame, its upper part must be free of anything that is not part of the metal structure, such as cables, electrical boxes or lights.
Punkt 17: Wall material and bounce
Walls may be any transparent or opaque material, such as glass or brick, as long as they are solid enough to give the ball an even bounce.
Punkt 18: A hard, smooth surface
Whatever the material, the wall surface must be even, hard and completely smooth, so that players can touch it and balls can slide along it safely.
Punkt 19: Colour of solid walls
Opaque walls should be a single, even colour that does not affect play and is clearly different from the colour of the floor.
Punkt 20: Logos on walls
A logo may be printed or painted on a wall, but no more than one per wall, and its size and colours must not interfere with what the players can see.
Punkt 21: Standards for glass courts
Glass courts must meet the standards for tempered or plate glass set out in the FIP Annex on court approval.
Punkt 22: Shape of the mesh
The metal fence should be a square, electro-welded mesh.
Punkt 23: Size of the mesh holes
Measured diagonally, each hole must be at least 5 cm and no more than 7.08 cm across.
Punkt 24: Thickness of the wire
The recommended wire thickness is between 2 mm and 3 mm, with a maximum of 4 mm.
Punkt 25: Tension of the mesh
The mesh must be tensioned so that the ball can bounce off it.
Punkt 26: Protect the welds
If welded mesh is used, every weld point must be covered on both sides so nobody can be cut or scratched.
Punkt 27: Squares, not diamonds
If the welded mesh is not woven, it must be laid out in squares, not diamond shapes.
Punkt 28: Which wires face the court
The horizontal wires must be on the inside, facing the court, and the vertical wires on the outside.
Punkt 29: Flat and upright
The fence must form a flat, vertical surface and keep these qualities at all times.
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Spørgsmål
How high are the walls on a padel court?
Each end is 4 m high: 3 m of wall with 1 m of mesh on top. The sides depend on the layout, with wall at each end and mesh in between.
Why do some courts have stepped side glass and others a straight panel?
The rules allow both. One layout steps from 3 m to 2 m high over the first 4 m of the side. The other has a straight panel 3 m high and 4 m long with no step.
Does the ball have to bounce off the mesh?
Yes. The mesh must be tensioned so the ball bounces off it, and it must stay flat and upright.