How to draw your own pickleball lines

With pickleball's popularity showing no signs of slowing down, the demand for court space just keeps growing. In fact, over 25,000 new courts are needed in the US alone to keep up with demand.

I know the frustration of missing out on a game because the courts are too busy. So, in this article, I'm going to explain how to draw your own pickleball lines and make a pop-up court on any flat bit of ground.

When creating your own pickleball court, it's crucial to make sure the lines are accurate. "Measure twice, cut once"—or in this case, "mark once".

Accurate court lines are essential for maintaining the integrity of the game. Players rely on clear and consistent court markings to recognize the boundaries and aim their shots, so even an error of a few inches can make a big difference.

Standard pickleball court dimensions are 44' (length) by 20' (width), so the court on each side of the net measures 22" by 20". The non-volley zone (or "kitchen") is 7' deep from the net on both sides. The service areas are 15' deep and 10' wide.

It's worth noting that these measurements are made to the outside of the lines that you mark out. A pickleball court line should ideally be 2" wide, but when making a DIY court, your lines might be narrower. Just make sure the lines are as straight and as visible as possible.

Be sure to consider the space around the outside of the playing surface or the buffer zone. Ideally, the total space available will be approximately 60' by 30', but you can adjust based on the space you have.

The first thing to do is choose a suitable space to draw out your pickleball court. Any hard surface will work, such as concrete or asphalt if playing outside.

You can even use a tennis court, where there's enough room for four pickleball courts (the buffer zone for each court will be smaller than ideal, though).

Make sure the surface is smooth and clear of debris. The fewer imperfections the better, as the ball will bounce unpredictably if it hits dents and holes. A rough surface or small stones can cause ankle rolls and other injuries.

You should also check that the buffer zone around the court is clear of hazards and obstacles like fences and trees.

Whether you're playing indoors or outdoors will affect what you use to mark your lines. If you are using tape, try to clean the surface as much as possible before applying.

Be careful of using strong tapes on wooden surfaces, like indoor basketball courts. These can be hard to remove and can cause damage, or leave a sticky residue that facility owners won't appreciate.

Now that you've chosen your location and measured to make sure it's large enough, it's time to start assembling the materials you'll need to mark out the court.

You'll need:

Here's a selection of ways and materials to mark your lines, along with various pros and cons of each method:

Once you've chosen how you'll make your lines, it's time to set up your net. Place your net first in the middle of your chosen area, as it makes an excellent reference point to measure from.

There's a whole range of portable and semi-permanent pickleball nets available now. In fact, I've dedicated a whole article to the best pickleball nets.

USA Pickleball regulations state that a pickleball net should be 22' wide (to allow for 1' extra over both sidelines), with a height of 36" at the sidelines and 34" in the middle. The top band should be white, and 2" wide.

Before you start to measure the lines, make sure your net is correctly set up and taut. Then, double-check that it's regulation size. Now you're ready to start marking your lines.

Before I start explaining how to mark the lines, I want to share a simple hack that I recently learned for making sure your right angles are correct (90 degrees). It's called the "3-4-5 rule" and it's really just simple geometry.

The rule says that any triangle that has sides of 3, 4, and 5 feet has a right angle opposite the longest side (the 5' side). So, when you want to check the corner of your court is at a right angle so your lines are straight, mark 3' on one side and 4' on the other. Then adjust your lines until the gap is exactly 5'.

Also, any multiple of those numbers works the same way (e.g. 6-8-10 or 9-12-15). You can also build a simple wooden right angle to use for marking out your court.

Using your net as a straight line of reference, you're going to first mark your sidelines. These will be your longest lines, at 44'. You can also split each into two 22' lines, one on each side of the net.

Measure 20' across the net and mark the two starting points for your sidelines. Then start drawing or laying out your lines, using that point for reference. The 3-4-5 rule ensures that you have right angles from your net.

Once you have your sidelines in place, double-check that the ends are 20' apart (measuring to the outside edge). If they are correct, then mark your baseline between them. Repeat on the opposite end and your court is starting to come together.

The "kitchen" (or non-volley zone) lines are 7' from the net, running parallel to it. Try measuring a point 7' out from the net on each sideline. Then run your line across the court between those points. Repeat on the other side of the net.

You can double-check your angles and measurements by making sure the kitchen line is 15' from your baseline.

Finally, it's time to mark your center lines, which divide your service areas into right and left. This line will be set between the kitchen line and the baseline, placed exactly 10' from either sideline.

That's it, you're done!

As discussed above, some DIY pickleball lines will be more durable than others. Chalk lines may need regular maintenance to keep them visible. Tape lines can rip and move over time.

Keep an eye on your lines and get your measuring tape out every now and then to check for straightness. You should tape over or replace any broken sections.

Remember that bright colors are best, whether you're using tape, crayon, or chalk.

Hopefully, this guide will be helpful when a dedicated court isn't available.

If you have any further tips or hacks for drawing court lines that you'd like to share, go to our social media and let us know. We'd love to hear any tips or hacks you might have.

In the meantime, use our scheduler tool to boost your chances of finding open slots at your nearest courts.