Padel vs pickleball: which should you play?

The two sports get mixed up because both are new to many Australians, both are social, and several Australian venues offer both. They are very different games once you are on court.

Padel vs pickleball at a glance

Padel figures are from the International Padel Federation (FIP) rules. Pickleball figures are from the 2026 USA Pickleball Official Rulebook.

How big is a pickleball court compared with a padel court?

A pickleball court is 20 ft (6.10 m) wide and 44 ft (13.41 m) long, the same for singles and doubles. A padel court is 20 m by 10 m inside its walls. So a padel court has roughly two and a half times the playing area of a pickleball court (200 square metres against about 82). Pickleball has no walls. Players can run beyond the lines, and the USA Pickleball rulebook sets a minimum total playing surface of 30 ft by 60 ft (9.14 m by 18.29 m).

What is the difference between a padel racket and a pickleball paddle?

People search "padel vs pickleball racket" a lot. The differences:

• Holes. A padel racket has a perforated face, with holes 9 to 13 mm across. The pickleball rulebook bans holes that break the paddle surface.
• Size. Padel rackets can be up to 45.5 cm long and 38 mm thick. Pickleball paddles can be up to 17 in (43.18 cm) long, with length plus width no more than 24 in (60.96 cm), and no limit on thickness.
• Weight. Pickleball sets no weight limit. Padel rackets typically weigh 340 to 390 g, according to the LTA.
• Wrist cord. Compulsory in padel. Not part of pickleball.

You cannot swap them. Each is built for its own ball.

How are the balls different?

A padel ball is a pressurised rubber ball, close to a tennis ball but with lower pressure. The FIP rules set its diameter at 6.35 to 6.77 cm. A pickleball is a hard, smooth plastic ball with holes. USA Pickleball notes that balls with larger holes are customarily used indoors and smaller holes outdoors.

How is serving different?

Both sports serve underarm.

• Padel: bounce the ball, then hit it at or below the waist, diagonally into the service box. You get two attempts.
• Pickleball: the main serve is a volley serve, hit out of the air with an upward arc, with the ball no higher than the waist and the paddle head not above the wrist. The rulebook also allows a drop serve, where you drop the ball and hit it after it bounces.

What is the kitchen in pickleball, and does padel have one?

Pickleball has a non-volley zone, called the kitchen, which extends 7 ft from the net on each side. You cannot hit the ball out of the air while standing in it. Pickleball also has a two-bounce rule: the return of serve and the serving team's next shot must both bounce before being hit.

Padel has neither. In padel, getting to the net and volleying is the main way to win points. The only bounce rule is that the return of serve must bounce.

How is scoring different?

Padel uses tennis scoring: 15, 30, 40, game, with six-game sets. See padel scoring.

Pickleball standard scoring only awards points to the serving side. The USA Pickleball rulebook says that typically the first side to 11 points with a 2-point lead wins the game. Rally scoring, where either side can score on every rally, is approved as a provisional option.

Which is easier to learn, padel or pickleball?

Both are designed to be easy to start, and most people can play a social game in either on day one. Pickleball's small court and soft shots near the net suit people who want less running. Padel's walls take a few sessions to understand but make long rallies possible early. If you have played tennis, padel's scoring and strokes will feel more familiar.

Can I play both in Australia?

Yes, at several venues. These Australian venues list both padel and pickleball courts on their own pages:

• Sydney Racquet Club, Moore Park
• Canberra Racquet Club, Fyshwick
• Gold Coast Racquet Club, Robina
• Play Nation, Smeaton Grange
• Padel Club Australia, North Rocks

Trying both at one venue is the easiest way to decide. See where to play for all padel venues by city.

Which one should I choose?

There is no wrong answer, and plenty of people play both. For more comparisons, see padel vs tennis and padel vs squash.