Pickleball vs Tennis: Court, Rules, Scoring and Which to Play

Short answer: pickleball is played on a court about a third the area of a tennis doubles court (13.41 m by 6.10 m vs 23.77 m by 10.97 m), with a solid paddle instead of a strung racket and a light plastic ball with holes instead of a pressurised felt ball. The pickleball serve is underarm with one attempt; tennis allows an overhead serve and a second serve. Pickleball games go to 11, win by 2, with only the server scoring; tennis uses 15, 30, 40, games and sets. The kitchen rule stops pickleball players volleying close to the net, which tennis has no equivalent of.

Several tennis clubs in my city guides now host pickleball, so plenty of people end up trying both. This page sets the two side by side so you know what transfers and what does not.

Pickleball vs tennis at a glance

	Pickleball	Tennis
Court	13.41 m x 6.10 m (same for singles and doubles)	23.77 m long; 8.23 m wide for singles, 10.97 m for doubles
Net height (centre)	86.36 cm	0.914 m
Net height (sides)	91.44 cm	1.07 m at the posts
Hitting implement	Solid paddle	Strung racket
Ball	Light plastic ball with holes	Pressurised felt-covered ball
Serve	Underarm (volley serve below waist, or drop serve)	No underarm requirement; overhead serves allowed
Serve attempts	One	Two
Special zone	2.13 m non-volley zone (kitchen) on each side	None
Bounce rule	Two-bounce rule after the serve	Serve must bounce; volleys allowed from the return onwards
Scoring	Games to 11, win by 2; only server scores (standard)	Points 15, 30, 40, deuce; games; sets of six games with a tie-break

How do the courts compare?

The ITF Rules of Tennis set the court at 23.77 m long, 8.23 m wide for singles and 10.97 m for doubles. A pickleball court is 13.41 m by 6.10 m. By area, a tennis doubles court (about 261 m²) is a little over three times a pickleball court (about 82 m²), which is why Pickleball Canada says two pickleball courts fit easily on one tennis court, and up to four at a squeeze. See pickleball on a tennis court.

Paddle vs racket, and the ball

A pickleball paddle is solid, with no strings, and limited to 60.96 cm in combined length and width and 43.18 cm long. The rulebook bans rough or textured hitting surfaces that add spin. A tennis racket is strung and much longer. The pickleball ball is light plastic with holes; a tennis ball is pressurised and covered in felt.

Serving differences

The ITF rules allow a second service if the first is a fault. Pickleball allows one serve only, and it must be underarm: Pickleball Australia's summary says the server's arm must move in an upward arc, contact must be below the waist, and the paddle head must not be above the wrist, unless you use a drop serve. That removes the big serve as a weapon, which is a big change for tennis players.

Scoring differences

Tennis scoring is 15, 30, 40, game, with deuce and advantage, six games to a set (with a two-game margin, and a tie-break at six all). Pickleball games go to 11, win by 2, and only the serving team scores in standard scoring. Doubles adds a server number to the score call. See pickleball scoring.

What transfers from tennis to pickleball?

Hand-eye skills, footwork and court sense carry over.
Doubles positioning ideas like moving as a pair and covering the middle carry over.
Volleying at the net does not, at least not from right on top of it. The kitchen rule means you volley from behind a line 2.13 m from the net.
Big serves and heavy topspin groundstrokes matter less. Pickleball rewards soft shots into the kitchen, the third shot drop and dinking. See doubles strategy.

Is pickleball easier than tennis?

It is easier to start. Pickleball Australia's seniors FAQ notes the court is smaller than a tennis court, which means less running and easier movement, and the underarm serve is simpler to learn than a tennis serve. At a high level both are demanding; Pickleball Australia's own summary of pickleball is "easy to learn, tough to master".

Are tennis and pickleball working together in Australia?

Yes. Australasian Leisure Management reported in October 2026 that Tennis Australia and the National Pickleball League have expanded a partnership, first formed in December 2025, to convert existing tennis facilities into multi-sport racquet hubs, develop new venues and support competitions. Several tennis clubs in my where to play guides already run pickleball sessions.

Sharing is not always smooth. Noise has been an issue at some tennis clubs near homes; at Kingscliff in NSW, the council stopped pickleball after an acoustic assessment. See council approval and noise.

Which should I play?

Play pickleball if you want a quick start, short games to 11 and a smaller court to cover. Play tennis if you love the big serve, baseline rallies and the classic scoring. There is no reason not to play both, and where a club has pickleball lines on its tennis courts, trying it costs very little.

Pickleball vs tennis: the key differences