Pickleball net height and setup checklist

A regulation pickleball net is 36 inches high at the sidelines and 34 inches high at the center, each with a tolerance of plus or minus a quarter inch. In the 2026 USA Pickleball Official Rulebook the net rules sit in Section 3, "Court and Equipment," under 3.B, "Net Specifications". Through 2025 the same specifications were numbered 2.C.1–2.C.5 in Section 2, so older guides that say "Section 2" refer to the same measurements. Rule numbers below follow the 2026 rulebook, and the official text always wins.

Net specifications at a glance

In practice the tolerances give these working ranges: 35.75–36.25 in at each sideline and 33.75–34.25 in at the center. Because the court is 20 ft wide (3.A.1) and the posts are 22 ft apart inside to inside, a centered net puts the inside face of each post about 1 ft outside each sideline.

1. Net post: 3 in diameter at most (3.B.2).
2. Top binding: 2 in white tape resting on a cord or cable (3.B.4).
3. Net length: 21 ft 9 in minimum (3.B.3).
4. Sideline height: 36 in ± 0.25 in (3.B.6).
5. Center height: 34 in ± 0.25 in, strap included (3.B.7).
6. Center strap (optional), 10 ft from each sideline's outer edge (3.B.5).
7. Mesh: ball-proof, at least 30 in deep (3.B.1, 3.B.3).
8. Sideline: about 1 ft inside the post on a 20 ft court (3.A.1).

How to measure the net

Use a tape measure. Every height runs from the playing surface to the top of the net.

1. Check the posts. Measure from the inside face of one post to the inside face of the other: 22 ft, give or take 1 in (3.B.2).
2. Check the top edge. The white binding should rest on the cord or cable, not hang below it (3.B.4).
3. Measure at each sideline. Hold the tape upright where the net crosses the outer edge of the sideline. Read 35.75–36.25 in (3.B.6). Do both sides.
4. Measure at the center. Find the point 10 ft in from the outer edge of either sideline and read 33.75–34.25 in (3.B.5, 3.B.7).
5. Adjust. Use the center strap for the center height. On a tennis net, USA Pickleball notes the cord tension may need to be loosened slightly at the post ratchet.
6. Re-measure after any bump. In refereed play the referee checks net height before each match and rechecks it if the net is disturbed (17.B.2, 17.D.7).

Portable vs. permanent nets

The 2026 rulebook has no separate rule for portable nets: Rule 3.B applies to whatever net is used. The practical differences are about setup, stability and the parts that sit near the court.

USA Pickleball's outdoor-court guidance also describes two net styles: one that sits on the court surface, and one that leaves a gap under the bottom edge, which lets players roll balls under the net between points. A returned ball that crosses the net and touches netting lying on the ground is replayed (13.A.1).

Using a tennis net

For pickleball lines on a tennis court, USA Pickleball calls lowering the tennis net to 34 in at the center "the simplest way," using the center strap and loosening the cord tension if it is very tight. An American Sports Builders Association article gives the same method and notes that in a two-court layout with portable stands, the tennis net can stay up as a backstop. The two nets are built to different numbers:

The pickleball sideline height is measured at the pickleball sideline, so after lowering a tennis net, check the 36 in reading where each pickleball sideline crosses under it, not only the center. Padel and badminton nets are added to this comparison on the court size comparison page.

Net rules during play

• A ball that touches the net or the top cord between the posts stays in play (13.A).
• Going around the outside of the post is legal (13.C); hitting between the net and the post, or under the net, is a fault (13.D.1, 13.E.1).
• A player, or anything they wear or carry, touching the net or net support system while the ball is live is a fault (13.G.1).
• If the net system malfunctions during a rally, the rally is replayed (13.J).

Setup checklist

• Posts or stands centered on the net line, insides 22 ft ± 1 in apart.
• Net at least 21 ft 9 in long and 30 in deep, binding resting on the cord.
• Both sidelines read 35.75–36.25 in; the center reads 33.75–34.25 in.
• Portable stand feet and crossbars checked for slipping; weights added if needed.
• Owner's permission in hand before any tape, paint or post work on a shared surface.
• Heights rechecked after anyone runs into the net.

Related: court dimensions, court space calculator, kitchen rules.