Suggestions for Laying Out a Pickleball Court

The diagram on the right shows half of a pickleball court on one side of the net.  The following steps should be used to lay out half of the court and then repeated for the half of the court on the other side of the net. 

1. Determine the location of the net.  It should be a straight line 22 feet long (20 feet between the sidelines with an additional foot on each end to extend to the net posts).  Outdoor courts in the United States should generally be aligned with the long axis in the north-south direction.  However, courts in the southern third of the U.S. should be aligned 15-25 degrees west of true north to minimize the effects of the afternoon sun in the winter.
2. Locate the center of the net (point C on the diagram) and then measure 10 feet to points A and B (the sidelines of the court).
3. Anchor a measuring tape at point A and another tape at point B.  The measuring tape down the sideline should be 22 feet and the diagonal tape should measure 29.732 feet or 9.062 meters.  Pull both tapes tight to meet at point D.
4. Repeat step 3 on the opposite side of the court to locate point E.
5. As a double check, verify that the distance between points D and E is 20 feet.
6. Mark the center of the baseline at point F.
7. The non-volley zone line is located at 7 feet from the net and is located entirely within the 7-foot non-volley zone.
8. All lines should be 2 inches wide.
9. The total overall playing surface should be at least 30 feet by 60 feet for recreational play.  The preferred size for tournament play is 34 feet by 64 feet.