Two racquet sports, pickleball and padel, are witnessing a significant surge in popularity around the world. Both are competing for recognition and financial support on a global scale, with advocates for each sport asserting that their choice represents the “future” of racquet sports. So, what distinguishes padel from pickleball?
What Is Pickleball?
Pickleball is a racquet sport that utilizes solid-faced paddles and specially designed plastic balls featuring drilled holes for improved aerodynamics. The game is primarily played on hard courts, often sharing space with tennis courts, where specific lines are marked for pickleball. While pickleball can also be played on clay, hardwood floors, and other surfaces, the plastic ball typically lacks sufficient bounce on softer surfaces, making hard courts like those used for tennis the ideal playing environment. Similar to tennis, pickleball courts are divided by a net, with lines painted to delineate the playing area, including service zones and a distinctive feature known as the “Non-Volley Zone.”
What Is Padel?
Padel (pronounced like “paddle,” not “pah-del”) is a racquet sport that resembles a form of tennis played within an enclosed squash or racquetball court, where players can utilize the walls during gameplay. The sport employs paddles similar to those used in platform tennis, featuring solid, non-stringed faces with multiple holes designed for aerodynamic performance during swings. Padel utilizes a decompressed ball akin to a tennis ball, which offers a bounce and consistency similar to the “green ball” used by intermediate youth players (standard tennis balls are typically compressed to 14 psi, whereas padel balls are in the 11-12 psi range). The scoring system in padel mirrors that of tennis, and matches are played in sets.
Today, padel is predominantly played on artificial turf fields, although some older courts are constructed on hard tennis surfaces like asphalt or concrete. Similar to pickleball, a padel court is divided by a net and features lines on the floor to indicate service zones. However, the playing area is entirely enclosed by non-opaque walls made of glass or plastic. Balls that strike the walls before bouncing are considered “out,” while those that bounce off the walls after hitting the ground can be played and returned over the net, provided they stay in play and do not bounce twice.
Is Padel The Same As Pickleball?
No, padel and pickleball are not the same. Pickleball closely resembles a smaller version of tennis, played on a compact court with a plastic ball. In contrast, padel is more akin to platform tennis, but it is played within an enclosed area featuring transparent walls rather than the wire mesh used in platform tennis.
Similarities Between Pickleball and Padel
Both sports are net-based racquet games that involve ground strokes, volleying, and a blend of power and control for success. Spin plays a significant role at various points during gameplay in both sports. Additionally, pickleball and padel feature underhand serving techniques, primarily aimed at getting the ball into play, though these serves can also be adapted into offensive strategies with added power.
Differences Between Pickleball and Padel
The main differences between the two sports lie in the dimensions of the courts, the serving techniques, the scoring systems, the playing rules, and the equipment utilized.
Equipment
A padel racket is nearly solid and is typically constructed from carbon and plastic. It features holes to minimize air resistance during swings. Inside, the racket is filled with foam, which enhances ball acceleration and reduces vibration. Padel rackets measure 18 inches by 10 inches and have a width of 3.8 cm, making them significantly thicker than other types of racquets. Because of their density, padel rackets are heavier than tennis racquets, weighing between 12 and 14 ounces, which is about twice the weight of a pickleball paddle, which can weigh up to 8.5 ounces.
Pickleball paddles are distinct from padel rackets in that they resemble table tennis paddles more than tennis rackets. While they are roughly the same size as padel rackets, pickleball paddles are solid, relatively square in shape, and feature rounded edges. The original paddles were made of wood, but today, they are typically constructed from aluminum and graphite.
Court Dimension
Pickleball is played on a significantly smaller court compared to padel, measuring 20 by 44 feet, which is equivalent to the size of a standard international badminton court from which it was adapted. The net in pickleball stands 34 inches high at the center and 36 inches at the sides. Its compact dimensions allow for two (and occasionally four) pickleball courts to fit within the footprint of a single tennis court.
In contrast, a standard padel court is slightly smaller than a tennis court, measuring 20 meters long by 10 meters wide, approximately 66 by 33 feet. The net height in padel ranges from 88 cm in the center to 92 cm at the sides, roughly translating to 34 inches in the center and 36 inches on the sides, which closely matches the heights of a pickleball net. Additionally, the back walls of a padel court stand four meters high, while the side walls are three meters tall, featuring openings for court access at midcourt on both sides.
Service, Score and Playing Rules
Pickleball features a distinctive area near the net known as the “Non-Volley Zone.” These 7-foot sections on either side of the net, informally referred to as “The Kitchen,” are regions where players must not stand while hitting the ball out of the air. This zone, which is not present in tennis or padel, prevents players from poaching and aggressively smashing balls while positioned at the net, fostering a level of patience in pickleball that is less common in its counterpart sports.
The service boxes in pickleball extend from the non-volley zone line to the back baseline of the court. Serves must be executed with an underhand motion, and contact with the ball cannot occur above the waist. While serves in pickleball were originally intended to be non-offensive, they have evolved into effective weapons in modern gameplay. Players are allowed only one serve; if they miss it, the service attempt is forfeited. Points can only be scored while serving, and games are typically played to 11 or 15 points, requiring a two-point lead to win. A unique feature of doubles scoring in pickleball includes the server’s number in the score call; for instance, a player might announce “7-5-2,” indicating that their team leads 7-5 in points and that this is the second server. While pickleball can be played in singles format, doubles is the more popular style.
In padel, the service boxes are located closer to the net, similar to tennis, and do not extend to the back of the court. Servers must stand behind their own service box to serve, and the ball must be struck at waist level or below, typically not considered an offensive move. Players have two opportunities to serve at the start of play. Padel scoring is reminiscent of tennis, using the 15-30-40-game system to determine game winners, with individual game wins accumulating to secure sets. Singles can be played in padel, and some courts are specifically designed for this format, but doubles remains the predominant style of play.
The presence of side and back walls in padel encourages controlled gameplay, emphasizing tactical ball placement and lobs. If a ball clears the back wall directly during play, the point ends; however, if it goes over a side wall, opponents have the chance to enter through a door and return the ball to play. This unique aspect of padel results in remarkable shots and exciting highlights.
