How to Set Up a Temporary Pickleball Court
Setting up a temporary pickleball court is quick and easy. Whether all the local pickleball courts are full, you want one closer to home or whatever the reason you need a short-term pickleball court, we're here to help guide you through the process. You'll need just a few things and a few minutes!
Pickeball Court Dimensions
First things first, it's helpful to know the size and dimensions of a pickleball court. The outline of a pickleball court's rectangle shape is officially:
- 13,41 meters x 6,1 meters
- The net is placed parallel to the baselines at the center (6,7m) mark of its 13,41m length.
- 6,7 meters is the remaining distance from the net to the baseline.
- A 2,13-meter block from the net is allocated for the Non-Volley Zone (NVZ or kitchen). The NVZ's overall dimensions are 4,26m x 6,1m (or two 2,13m x 6,1m halves).
- The 4,57 meters from the NVZ to the baseline is devoted to the left and right service areas. There are four 4,57m x 3,05m service areas total (two per side).
A Few More Court Details
- A 4,57-meters long center line splits the left from the right service areas.
- Portable nets are typically 6,7 meters wide, so when you're marking out your court, the sidelines will tucked in 30cm inside both net posts.
- Another non-critical but useful detail is court lines are about 5cm wide.
Items You Need for a Temporary Pickleball Court
- Portable net
- Plastic/Vinyl temporary court lines with corner pieces
- Measuring tape
- Chalk
- Approximately 10 minutes of setup time
Step by Step: Creating a Temporary Pickleball Court
Often there are no court lines to use as a point of reference, and in that case we suggest using the net’s location as a starting point.
Once the net is in place, you can easily build the court, starting with the kitchen to the baseline.
- Using a measuring tape, begin the 2,13-meters length of the kitchen tucked approximately 30cm inside the ends of the portable net’s posts.
- Apply chalk and/or the corner pieces of your temporary court lines to all four corners of the NVZ (kitchen).
- Measure off an additional 4,57m from each corner of the kitchen and mark those corners.
- The rough outline of your court is basically complete, with the exception of the two center court lines that begin at the middle of the baseline (3,05m mark), extending straight to the center of the kitchen’s boundary line.
- At this point you are ready to fill in the corners with either tape or additional temporary court lines, and begin play!