Padel Court Specifications: Complete Technical Spec Sheet & Acceptance Checklist

By PeakPadel Engineering Team · Published August 2026 · 14 min read · Updated: 2026-08-24

1. What are the official padel court dimensions and tolerances?

Every regulation padel court starts from the same rectangle. The International Padel Federation (FIP) defines the playing court as 10 metres wide by 20 metres long (interior measurements), with a permitted tolerance of 0.5%. That tolerance is not a design freedom — it is the maximum error a completed court may show before it is considered non-compliant.

Measurement	FIP Specification	Why It Matters
Court length (interior)	20.0 m (±0.5%)	Defines baseline rallies and wall rebound angles
Court width (interior)	10.0 m (±0.5%)	Side-wall play geometry and service box size
Service line distance from net	6.95 m	Standard service box depth for every level of play
Centre service line extension	20 cm past the service line	Required marking for correct service zones
Line width	5 cm	Line colour: preferably white or black, high contrast
Net height at centre / posts	0.88 m / 0.92 m	Centre sag is a deliberate part of the FIP rule
Minimum clear height above court	6 m (8 m recommended)	Allows defensive lobs; new facilities should target 8 m

Two details buyers routinely miss. First, the 20m x 10m is the interior playing area — the court structure, door swings, safety clearance and maintenance access add roughly 1m per side, so a single court realistically occupies about 11m x 21m (or 22m x 12m if you want generous circulation). Second, the 6m minimum free height applies to the entire playing surface — any lighting fixture or roof beam that intrudes below 6m makes that zone non-compliant for lob play. Full layout guidance is in our padel court dimensions guide.

2. What are the specifications for end walls and side enclosures?

The court must be fully enclosed, and the enclosure height is where many non-compliant courts fail inspection. End walls are 4 metres high total: the lower 3 metres are wall (glass or solid), the upper 1 metre is metal mesh. The side walls follow one of two FIP-approved variants:

Element	Specification	Notes
End wall total height	4.0 m	3 m wall + 1 m metal mesh above
Side variant 1 (stepped)	3m high x 2m long stepped sections	Stepped wall at both ends; mesh completes to 3m centre, 4m ends
Side variant 2 (glass)	3m high x 4m long glass at each end	Mesh completes enclosure up to 4m at the extremes
Wall surface	Hard, smooth, uniform	Must give consistent ball bounce; safe for body contact
Mesh alignment	In line with inner wall face	Prevents ball catching at panel junctions

Glass-panel courts (the 2026 standard for clubs) follow the same 3m + 1m rule at the ends. The wall material must be uniform, hard and completely smooth so balls slide predictably — this is why our courts use 12mm tempered glass on the full wall height rather than mixed panels.

3. What is the 12mm tempered glass panel specification?

Glass is the most expensive single component of a padel court and the one where factories cut corners. The industry and FIP-homologation standard is 12mm fully tempered (toughened) safety glass, typically conforming to EN 12150. Tempering gives the glass roughly 4-5x the impact strength of annealed glass, and when it does break it shatters into small blunt fragments rather than shards.

Glass Parameter	Spec to Request	Verification
Thickness	12 mm (±0.3 mm)	Measure with caliper at panel edge
Type	Fully tempered (EN 12150)	Ask for heat-soak test certificate
Edge finish	Polished / ground edges	No chips; safe for hand contact
Panel height	3.0 m wall height	Full-height panels, not stacked
Glass doors	Same 12mm tempered spec	Hinges rated for the panel weight

Two quality flags to watch: some suppliers quote "10mm glass" for the sides while keeping 12mm only at the ends — demand 12mm throughout. And always request the tempering certificate per batch, not a generic product brochure; the certificate should show the EN 12150 standard, thickness and batch number.

4. What are the metal mesh and fencing specifications?

The mesh completes the enclosure above the walls. FIP rules it tightly because mesh geometry directly affects ball rebound and player safety:

Mesh Parameter	FIP Requirement	Buyer Check
Opening (diagonal)	5.0 - 7.08 cm	Measure with the supplied gauge or tape
Wire diameter	2 - 3 mm recommended (max 4 mm)	Caliper test on delivered rolls
Type	Twisted or electro-welded	Welded: all points protected against cuts
Tension	Sufficient for uniform ball bounce	No sag or bagging between posts
Orientation (square welded)	Horizontal wires inside	Reduces snag risk on horizontal bars

Mesh is also where anti-corrosion quality shows. Galvanized wire (hot-dip, not just electro-galvanized) is the minimum for outdoor courts; in coastal climates such as Singapore or Australia, specify 80-100 µm zinc coating or stainless-steel fittings at all tension points. Poor mesh coating is the fastest path to rust streaks on the glass below it.

5. What are the playing surface turf, flatness, and drainage specs?

The playing surface does more than feel good underfoot — it determines ball speed, player safety and the court's lifespan. FIP requires a level, uniform surface with differences of less than 3mm measured with a 3m rule (1/1000), and a maximum transverse drainage slope of 1% on non-draining surfaces.

Surface Parameter	Spec to Request	Notes
Flatness	< 3 mm per 3 m rule	Test with a straightedge in both directions
Drainage slope	Max 1% transverse (without drainage system)	Slopes from centre to outer edges
Surface colours	Green, blue or terracotta	Single uniform colour for the whole court
Turf type	Artificial grass with infill	Silica sand and/or rubber granulate systems
Ball bounce	Consistent, ~80% vertical rebound	Test with a ball drop at several points
Impact absorption (force reduction)	~20% (RF 20%)	FIP-homologated turf values; protects knees

Infill is where budget turf differs from club turf. Cheaper courts often under-spec the silica sand layer, which makes the court play fast and wear unevenly within 18 months. Specify the turf maker's recommended infill weight (typically 14-18 kg/m² of silica sand for padel turf) and check the sand is spread to a consistent depth across the whole court. Our padel court flooring guide covers turf generations and infill systems in depth.

6. What lux levels and EN 12193 lighting requirements apply?

Lighting is governed by EN 12193 (sports facility illumination) with FIP's minimum projector height of 6m from the ground. The lux level you need depends on the play level you are building for — and it is one of the biggest spec gaps between quotes.

Play Level	Horizontal Illuminance	Typical 2026 Solution
Recreational / training	200 lux	LED, ~1.2 kW per court
Club / regional play	300 - 500 lux	LED, ~1.8 kW per court
National competition	500 - 750 lux	LED with higher uniformity optics
International / broadcast	750 - 1,000 lux	Vertical illumination ≥1000 lux for TV

Beyond lux, specify uniformity (min/max) of at least 0.5-0.7 — bright spots at the net with dark corners is the classic under-engineered LED layout. Request a photometric report (lux plan) from the supplier for your exact court footprint, and make the measured result part of the acceptance checklist below. Poles must sit outside the court and below-projector fixtures must clear 6m minimum.

7. What are the net, post, and access door specifications?

Component	Specification	Notes
Net length / height	10 m long; 0.88 m centre, 0.92 m ends	Tolerance ±0.5 cm
Net suspension	Metal cable, max 1 cm diameter	No gap between net and posts
Top band	White strip 5.0 - 6.3 cm	May carry advertising, max 11 cm total
Posts	Max 1.05 m, rounded edges	External face flush with court limits
Access doors (one per side)	1.05 x 2.00 m min, up to 2.20 x 2.20 m	Handles on the outside, non-protruding
Access doors (two per side)	0.72 x 2.00 m min each	Symmetrical with court centre
Post padding	Min 2 cm shock-absorbing protection	On access points and net posts, 3 sides

Access openings must be protected on three sides (lateral, upper, post) with at least 2cm of cushioning — a safety item that also appears in European club insurance inspections. If the court is for public use, check national accessibility standards for disabled access alongside the FIP opening rules.

8. What are the steel structure and anti-corrosion specifications?

The steel frame carries the glass, mesh and roof loads for 15+ years, and its corrosion protection is the single most important durability spec — especially for coastal or tropical sites. A typical FIP-homologated court uses galvanized steel tube (typically Q235B grade) with hot-dip galvanizing plus a powder coat finish.

Steel Parameter	Spec to Request	Buyer Check
Steel grade	Q235B (or local equivalent)	Request material certificate
Anti-corrosion	Hot-dip galvanized + powder coat	Uniform zinc coverage, no bare spots
Zinc coating	80 - 100 µm (coastal: higher)	Coating thickness gauge test
Fasteners	SUS304 stainless steel	All bolts, hinges, door hardware
Welds	Clean, protected after welding	Zinc-rich repair where galvanizing burned off
Wind load design	Local wind zone rating	Ask for the structural calculation note

For rooftop or multi-storey installations, the structural calculation note is not optional — it protects you and your insurer. Ask the factory for the wind-load calculation for your site's wind zone and verify the fastening plan against your building's structural engineer's input. Installation quality is covered in our construction guide.

9. What is included in the factory acceptance checklist?

#	Check Item	Acceptance Criteria
1	Court dimensions	20.0 x 10.0 m interior, ±0.5%; measure at floor level
2	Line markings	5 cm lines, service lines at 6.95 m, centre line +20 cm extension
3	Wall height	3 m wall + 1 m mesh at ends; side variant per contract
4	Glass	12 mm tempered throughout, EN 12150 certificate per batch
5	Mesh	5.0 - 7.08 cm openings, 2 - 3 mm wire, no sag
6	Surface flatness	< 3 mm per 3 m rule in both directions
7	Drainage	Max 1% transverse slope, water clears the court
8	Lighting	Lux plan delivered; measured lux meets the contracted level
9	Net assembly	10 m net, 0.88 / 0.92 m, cable max 1 cm, no gaps
10	Doors & padding	Openings per contract, ≥2 cm post cushioning
11	Steel coating	Hot-dip galvanized, no rust spots, SUS304 fasteners
12	Documentation	FIP homologation, material certs, lux plan, drawings, warranty

If you are importing from China, a pre-shipment inspection at the factory is usually 10-15% of the court price in travel value but eliminates the costliest failure mode: discovering a spec deviation after the container has landed. At minimum, require time-stamped photos of the 12 checklist points above plus a signed inspection sheet from the manufacturer.

10. Padel Court Specifications FAQ

What are the official padel court dimensions?

The FIP regulation court is a rectangle of 10m wide by 20m long (interior measurements) with a 0.5% tolerance. Service lines sit 6.95m from the net, all lines are 5cm wide, and the net is 0.88m at centre rising to 0.92m at the posts.

How high must padel court walls be?

End walls are 4m total: 3m of wall (glass or solid) plus 1m of metal mesh above. Side enclosures follow FIP variant 1 (stepped walls) or variant 2 (glass sections) with mesh completing the enclosure to 3-4m depending on position.

What thickness is padel court glass?

The standard is 12mm fully tempered safety glass, typically conforming to EN 12150. Demand 12mm on all walls (not just the ends) and request the tempering certificate with batch number.

What lux level does a padel court need?

Per EN 12193: 200 lux for recreational play, 300-500 lux for club and regional competition, 500-750 lux for national events, and 750-1000 lux for international or broadcast play, with a uniformity (min/max) of at least 0.5-0.7.

What are the flatness requirements for a padel court surface?

FIP requires level differences below 3mm measured with a 3m straightedge (1/1000), and a maximum transverse drainage slope of 1% on surfaces without a drainage system.

What should I check before accepting a padel court from the factory?

Walk a 12-point acceptance checklist: interior dimensions, line markings, wall heights, 12mm glass certificates, mesh openings (5-7.08cm), surface flatness, drainage, measured lux levels, net assembly, doors and padding, steel coating and the full documentation set (FIP homologation, material certificates, lux plan, drawings, warranty).