Quick answer. Pickleball vs padel comes down to walls: padel is played in an enclosed 20m by 10m court and uses the glass, pickleball is played on an open 13.41m by 6.09m court. Padel vs tennis comes down to size and equipment: padel has a smaller court, a solid racket and an underarm serve, though the scoring is the same. Checked 4 November 2026.
Padel, tennis and pickleball are all racket sports with a net, and they share some vocabulary. The courts, equipment and rules differ more than they first look. This guide compares them using the governing bodies' own pages. For the padel rules in full, see the rules of padel. If you want to try it, see padel courts in Brighton & Hove.
The comparison
| Padel | Tennis | Pickleball | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Court | 20m x 10m, enclosed by glass and mesh | 23.77m x 10.97m, open | 13.41m x 6.09m, open |
| Players | Doubles, with a few singles courts | Singles or doubles | Singles or doubles |
| Racket or paddle | Solid, perforated racket, 45.5cm long at most | Strung racket | Solid paddle |
| Ball | Pressurised rubber, 11psi when new | Pressurised, 14psi when new | Perforated plastic |
| Serve | Underarm, after one bounce, diagonal, two tries | Behind the baseline, diagonal, two tries | Underhand, below waist, diagonal, one try |
| Scoring | Tennis-style games and sets | Points, games and sets | First to 11, win by two |
| Walls | Part of the game | None | None |
| Special rule | Ball may be played off the walls after it bounces | Ball may be hit before or after one bounce | No volleys in the kitchen near the net |
| Governing body in the UK | LTA | LTA | Pickleball England (England) |
Court size
A padel court is 20m by 10m. A tennis court is 23.77m by 10.97m. A pickleball court is 13.41m by 6.09m, about the size of a badminton court. The padel net is 0.88m high at the centre. Pickleball England gives its net as 36 inches at the sides and 34 inches at the centre.
Because of the walls, you cannot play padel on a tennis court. The LTA says padel courts are built for four players and are roughly 25% smaller than a tennis court.
Players
Padel is mainly doubles. The LTA says singles is difficult on a standard court because the court is small and the game is fast, and that some courts are built for singles. Tennis and pickleball are played as either singles or doubles.
Rackets, paddles and balls
A padel racket is solid with a pattern of holes in the face. The LTA says it is often carbon fibre or fibreglass, shorter than a tennis racket, with a thicker head. A tennis racket is a strung frame. A pickleball paddle is solid, in wood or composite.
The padel ball looks like a tennis ball but has less pressure: 11psi when new, against 14psi. It bounces lower. The LTA does not recommend tennis balls for padel. Both balls weigh 56.0g to 59.4g in competition. A pickleball is a hollow plastic ball with holes.
Serve
Padel and pickleball both use an underarm serve. In padel you bounce the ball first, hit it at or below waist height and aim diagonally. You get two tries. In pickleball you serve underhand below the waist, diagonally, with one attempt. In tennis you serve from behind the baseline, diagonally, with two tries.
Scoring
Padel and tennis use the same system: 15, 30, 40, game, then six games with a two-game lead to win a set. The International Padel Federation (FIP) rules also list star point and golden point as ways to decide a game at deuce. Pickleball is played to 11 points, and you must win by two. Only the serving side can score.
Walls
Walls are what set padel apart. In padel, the ball must bounce in your opponents' court before it touches their wall. After that, they can let it hit the glass and then return it. Tennis and pickleball have no walls to play off.
How quickly can a beginner rally?
The LTA says the underarm serve is easier to learn than a tennis serve, the court is smaller, and the walls keep rallies going. It says beginners can quickly start playing rallies in padel. The LTA also says pickleball can be easier for beginners because of its slower pace. We found no study comparing how long each takes to learn, so treat this as the LTA's view.
Cost to play
We can only say what the sources say. The LTA says the price of a padel court depends on the venue, location, time of day and length of session, and that equipment hire fees may apply. Many padel venues hire out rackets, and some provide balls. The LTA says trainers and sportswear from tennis work for padel. Pickleball England says no special equipment is needed to try pickleball and recommends trainers or tennis shoes. A separate guide covers what padel costs in Brighton & Hove.
Who governs each sport in the UK
The LTA says it governs and develops tennis in Britain. It is also the national governing body for padel in Great Britain. Pickleball England says it is the sole governing body for pickleball in England. It works with the bodies in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Which should you try?
If you already play tennis, the LTA says the shots, scoring and movement will feel familiar in padel, and that the biggest adjustment is playing off the back glass. If you want a slower game on an open court, pickleball is the closer match. If you want walls, a smaller court and doubles, try padel. Brighton & Hove's padel venues are in our directory.