Padel, a fast-growing racket sport, is gaining immense popularity worldwide.
For venues considering the construction of a padel court, adherence to specific regulations and standards is crucial.
This guide discusses the essential regulations and standards for padel courts, using the official LTA Padel Court Datasheet as a reference.
What is a Padel Court?
A padel court is a defined area measuring 20 meters in length and 10 meters in width.
It’s enclosed above ground with a combination of glass and weld mesh rebound walls and fence panels supported by steel posts fixed to a concrete foundation.
The court often features a synthetic turf playing surface, but concrete is known to be used as an alternative.
Padel Court Planning Permission
Constructing a padel court, whether on a greenfield site or over an existing tennis court, requires formal planning consent from the relevant local authority.
This is because factors such as new glass walls or mesh fencing measuring 3.0 meters and 4.0 meters in height, as well as floodlighting posts and fittings, could be intrusive to neighbours and/or wildlife.
Typically, planning permission is not hard to attain for padel courts but you must still ensure you have it.
Venue developers are responsible for obtaining this consent.
Padel Court Regulation Dimensions
The internal playing area of a padel court measures 20 meters by 10 meters and is marked with service lines and a centerline.
The clear unobstructed height above the playing area is a minimum of 6.0 meters, accommodating floodlights attached to the structure, with a recommendation of 8.0 meters for new builds.
Surrounding Enclosure and Rebound Walls
Padel courts require rebound ends with a total height of 4.0 meters.
The lower 3.0 meters can comprise transparent or solid materials (e.g., glass or bricks) that do not affect ball bounce, while the upper 1.0 meter must be metal mesh.
In the UK, glass rebound panels are commonly used, typically with a 12mm toughened glass specification to cope with windy weather.
Two variations of padel side walls, Variant 1 and Variant 2, exist, differing in overall height.
Variant 1, which combines glass rebound and metal weld mesh panels, is the most frequently used in the UK.
Variant 2, is essentially just a slightly taller version of the sidewalls.
See below (variant 1 top, variant 2 bottom):
Sub-base Construction and Drainage
In the UK, padel court sub-base construction should include a free-draining non-frost-susceptible aggregate sub-base, 250mm in depth, with 65mm of porous asphalt installed above it in two separate layers.
The court can have a maximum gradient of 1:100.
This should deal with any rain and avoid flooded or waterlogged courts.
Concrete Perimeter Ring Beam
Supporting posts and framed panels are fixed to a reinforced concrete perimeter ring beam.
This beam should be designed by a structural engineer to account for wind loads and other relevant factors.
The padel court structure should be reinforced to withstand expected wind loads.
Net Regulations for a Padel Court
The padel court net must be 10 meters long and 0.88 meters high at the centre, rising to 0.92 meters at the ends.
It’s suspended by a metal cable, and the ends are attached to lateral posts or the court structure.
Synthetic Surfacing
Ideally, the padel court playing surface should comprise a single-tone sand-dressed synthetic surface manufactured in compliance with relevant performance criteria, such as those set by the International Padel Federation:
However, if you want a court that won’t host any competitive games then a cheaper concrete alternative can be used such as the surface you see used on outdoor tennis courts in public parks.
Padel Court Regulation Floodlighting
Padel courts can be floodlit using integrated or extended fence posts or standalone floodlight columns.
Lighting must meet specific lux level and uniformity standards, with outdoor and indoor courts having different requirements.
Minimum Lighting performance standards for padel courts are defined as follows:
| Outdoor Courts | Minimum illumination at ground level (Z=0) |
| National & International Competition | 500 lux (E av) with 0.7 uniformity |
| Regional competition, school, and recreational outdoor courts | 300 lux (E av) with 0.5 uniformity |
| Indoor Courts | Minimum illumination at ground level (Z=0) |
| National & International Competition | 500 lux (E av) with 0.7 uniformity |
| Regional competition, school, and recreational indoor courts | 300 lux (E av) with 0.5 uniformity |
Covered Facilities
Covered facilities for padel courts, such as steel portal frames and canopies, are available.
These should be designed with consideration for height, positioning of supporting columns, and longevity.
If you’re going to use a permanent cover that absolutely needs to be disclosed when applying for planning permission.
Padel Court Prep Checklist
Before proceeding with a padel court project, you should consider various factors, including location, player access, the need for a covered court, planning consent, choice of padel court variant, corrosion protection, and lighting design.
Here’s a quick checklist to go through before committing to a purchase:
- The location for proposed padel court is considered appropriate in relation to noise and disturbance to neighbours
- The position of padel court and surrounds are suitable for player access (including wheelchair users) and maintenance
- Consider whether you want enough space for ‘out of court play’ – if you want to host professional or high-level competitions then this is a must. For casual play, this is uncommon.
- Consider whether you’ll need permanent or semi-permanent covers for outdoor courts – this is usually location/climate-dependent.
- Ensure you get planning permission from your local authority.
- Lighting design to confirm minimum performance criteria of 300 lux with 0.7 uniformity and 0.9 maintenance factor. Minimum mounting height of 6m.
- Confirmation of the source of supply of the padel court i.e. fabricator/manufacturer to be established with a certificate of origin to be supplied on completion of installation.
A professional padel court manufacturer can ensure that you’re compliant with the padel court regulations and standards. Simply get a quote from our team and they’ll help you every step of the way.
Summing Up
In conclusion, adhering to padel court regulations and standards is essential to ensure the construction of safe and high-quality facilities.
If you’re considering installing padel courts at your facility then you should carefully follow these guidelines to create an enjoyable and compliant environment for players.
