Platform Tennis vs Pickleball Compared Side by Side

Both lined courts cover the same area, but the serve, screens, kitchen and scoring rules differ.

By Jonathan West · Updated

The two sports use lined courts of the same area, but the serve, the enclosure, the kitchen and the scoring follow different rulebooks. Platform tennis is basically a doubles game. Its server tosses the ball and strikes it before it lands, and balls may be played off the wire screens, which stand 12 feet high, after they bounce in court. Pickleball has an underhand serve, a two-bounce rule, a non-volley zone 7 feet from the net called the kitchen, a plastic ball, and scoring in which only the serving side scores, typically to 11.

At Wildcard Sport, we research from governing body rulebooks and official specifications. This page uses pickleball as the reference point for each comparison. Platform tennis figures come from the American Platform Tennis Association (APTA) rules. Pickleball figures come from the USA Pickleball (USAP) Official Rulebook and the USA Pickleball what-is page, which also dates the sport's start to 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington.

Platform Tennis and Pickleball at a Glance

The table covers the dimensions below. Where the cited text gives no value, the cell says so.

Dimension Platform tennis Pickleball
Governing rules APTA rules USA Pickleball (USAP) Official Rulebook
Lined court size 44 by 20 feet 20 by 44 feet, singles and doubles
Lined court area 880 sq ft (calculated from the listed dimensions) 880 sq ft (calculated from the listed dimensions)
Surrounding playing area 60 by 30 feet playing area, 1,800 sq ft (calculated) Minimum playing surface 30 by 60 feet, 1,800 sq ft (calculated); new construction recommended at 34 by 64 feet
Enclosure Screen 12 feet high of 1-inch hexagonal galvanized or plastic-coated wire mesh Rulebook describes no walls or screens around the court
Net height at posts or sidelines 37 inches at the posts, 18 inches outside the court 36 inches at the sidelines (plus or minus 0.25 inch)
Net height at center 34 inches 34 inches (plus or minus 0.25 inch)
Kitchen or non-volley zone Not covered by the cited rulebook; the receiver may not volley the serve (Rule 10d) Non-volley zone 7 feet from the net on each side; no volley out of the air inside it
Serve Tossed by hand and struck before it lands, overhand, underhand or sidearm (Rule 9d) Underhand, below the waist, hit diagonally; volley serve and drop serve also described
Serve rotation Not covered by the cited rulebook Server keeps serving, alternating sides, until losing a rally (Rule 5.A.2); both players on a team serve before a side-out in doubles (Rule 5.B)
Bounce rule Ball in play until it bounces a second time after first bouncing in bounds Two-bounce rule after the serve and the return (Rule 10.A)
Scoring 15, 30, 40, deuce, advantage; first to 6 games with a 2-game margin; 7-point tiebreaker at 6-6 (Rule 6) Only the serving side scores; typically first to 11 leading by 2; rally scoring provisionally approved (Rule 14.A)
Match or game length Usually best of three sets (Rule 6) Tournament formats are best 2-of-3 or best 3-of-5 games to 11, or one game to 15 or 21 (USA Pickleball Rule 15.C.1)
Paddle Up to 18 inches long and 12 inches wide; hitting surface substantially planar; maximum weight 500 grams Rigid, non-compressible; up to 17 inches long; length plus width up to 24 inches
Ball Rubber with flocking to APTA specifications; diameter and weight not stated on this page Plastic with 26 to 40 circular holes; must meet USA Pickleball specifications for tournament play
Players on court Four players on court in doubles Singles or doubles
Formats Basically a doubles game; singles under Rule 18 Singles or doubles

Court Size and Playing Area

A platform tennis court is 44 feet long and 20 feet wide, laid out on a deck with a 60 by 30 foot playing area inside a screen 12 feet high (APTA rules, Rule 1a). A pickleball court is 20 feet wide and 44 feet long for singles and doubles (USA Pickleball Rulebook). Calculated from those figures, 44 by 20 feet and 20 by 44 feet each come to 880 square feet, so the two lined courts have the same area.

The total playing surface matches in size too. The platform tennis playing area is 60 by 30 feet, and the pickleball minimum playing surface, which is the court plus the area around it, is 30 by 60 feet (USA Pickleball Rule 3.A.3). Each comes to 1,800 square feet when calculated from those dimensions. Rule 3.A.3 also recommends 34 by 64 feet for new construction, and the APTA rules this page cites give no matching recommendation.

Screens, Walls and Enclosure

Platform tennis is played inside a screen 12 feet high, made of 1-inch hexagonal galvanized or plastic-coated wire mesh (APTA rules, Rule 1a). The screen is part of play. A ball may be played off it after it bounces in the correct court, and a ball that hits the screen on the fly is out (APTA rules).

The USA Pickleball rulebook describes no screens as part of the court or play. The cited pickleball rules therefore have no screen rule to compare with the platform tennis one.

The USA Pickleball what-is page says pickleball is played indoors or outdoors. If playing the ball off the enclosure matters to your choice, the platform tennis rules cover it and the cited pickleball rules do not.

Net Height and the Kitchen

Both nets stand 34 inches at the center (APTA rules, Rule 1b; USA Pickleball Rule 3.B.7, which allows plus or minus 0.25 inch). At the sides, the platform tennis net is 37 inches at the posts, 18 inches outside the court (APTA rules, Rule 1b). The pickleball net is 36 inches at the sidelines, plus or minus 0.25 inch (USA Pickleball Rule 3.B.6). Calculated from those figures, the platform tennis post height is 1 inch higher than the pickleball sideline height (37 minus 36).

Each side of a pickleball court has a non-volley zone 7 feet from the net, called the kitchen. A player may not hit the ball out of the air inside it (USA Pickleball Rulebook). The APTA rules this page cites state no non-volley zone. The only volley restriction found in them is that the receiver may not volley the serve, which loses the point outright (APTA rules, Rule 10d).

For a player choosing between the two, the kitchen limits where you may volley. The cited platform tennis rules set no equivalent limit.

Serves and Serve Rotation

A platform tennis serve is tossed by hand and struck with the paddle before the ball hits the ground. It may be overhand, underhand or sidearm (APTA rules, Rule 9d). Only one service is allowed except in singles, and a fault loses the point (Rule 9g). A serve that touches the net cord and lands in the correct service court is in play (Rule 9h). Service lines sit 12 feet from the net, with 10 feet between the baseline and the service line (APTA rules).

In doubles, a platform tennis server gets one attempt per point, so a missed serve costs the point.

A pickleball serve is underhand, below the waist, and hit diagonally (USA Pickleball what-is page and Rulebook). The rulebook also describes a volley serve, struck out of the air (Rule 7.C), and a drop serve, dropped and struck after it bounces (Rule 7.D). After the serve, the receiver must let the ball bounce before the first return, and the serving team must let the return bounce before its first return (USA Pickleball Rule 10.A).

The pickleball server keeps serving, alternating sides, until losing a rally (USA Pickleball Rule 5.A.2). In doubles, both players on a team serve before a side-out. The exception is the starting team at the start of a game, where only one player serves (Rule 5.B). The APTA rules this page cites do not cover serve rotation for platform tennis.

Scoring and Match Length

Platform tennis scoring follows tennis: 15, 30, 40, deuce and advantage (APTA rules, Rule 6). A set goes to 6 games with a 2-game margin, and a 7-point tiebreaker is played at 6-6. A match is usually best of three sets (Rule 6).

In pickleball, only the serving side scores, and the server keeps serving until a fault (USA Pickleball Rulebook). Games are typically first to 11 leading by 2. Rally scoring is provisionally approved as an option (Rule 14.A), and tournament formats may use games to 15 or 21 (Rule 15.C).

The cited pickleball rules set game scores. USA Pickleball Rule 15.C.1 lists tournament formats of best 2-of-3 or best 3-of-5 games to 11, or one game to 15 or 21, all win by two points. Platform tennis tracks games inside sets, while pickleball counts points inside games.

Paddles and Balls

A platform tennis paddle may be up to 18 inches long and 12 inches wide. Its hitting surface must be substantially planar, and its maximum weight is 500 grams (APTA rules).

A pickleball paddle is rigid and non-compressible. It may be up to 17 inches long, and its length plus width may not exceed 24 inches, including the edge guard and butt cap (USA Pickleball Rulebook). Calculated from those limits, a platform tennis paddle at its maximum size totals 30 inches (18 plus 12), which is 6 inches over the pickleball limit of 24 inches. Its maximum length is also 1 inch longer than the pickleball length limit of 17 inches.

The APTA rules set platform tennis ball specifications, including rubber with flocking to APTA specifications. This page does not state the ball diameter or weight, so check the ball specifications in the APTA rules.

The pickleball ball is plastic with 26 to 40 circular holes, and it must meet USA Pickleball specifications for tournament play (USA Pickleball what-is page). Before you buy a paddle, check the paddle limits in the USA Pickleball Official Rulebook.

Players and Formats

Platform tennis is basically a doubles game, and the APTA rules describe four players on court in doubles (APTA rules). Singles has its own rule, Rule 18. Singles sidelines sit two feet inside the doubles sidelines.

Pickleball can be played singles or doubles (USA Pickleball Rulebook). In doubles, both players on a team serve before a side-out, as covered above. For a comparison of pickleball with tennis, read how pickleball compares with tennis.

Both sports list singles in their cited rules, so singles alone does not separate them.

Which One Fits You

Pick platform tennis if you want:

  • a doubles-first game in which four players are on court
  • a serve tossed by hand and struck before it lands, with one serve per point in doubles
  • play off 12-feet-high wire screens, where a ball may be played off the screen after it bounces in court

Pick pickleball if you want:

  • an underhand serve below the waist, followed by a two-bounce rule
  • a non-volley zone 7 feet from the net
  • a paddle that stays within the 24-inch length-plus-width limit
  • singles or doubles under one rulebook

Platform tennis is not the fit if you want a second serve in doubles, because only one service is allowed except in singles (APTA rules, Rule 9g). Pickleball is not the fit if you want to play the ball off a screen, because the cited rulebook describes none.

Before you commit, read the current APTA rules and the USA Pickleball Official Rulebook. This comparison would change if either rulebook changes its court, serve, scoring or equipment text. This page is updated when rulebooks or official specifications change.

For the platform tennis basics, see the platform tennis guide. If padel is also under consideration, read what padel is and how platform tennis compares with padel. To look at other options, browse sports like pickleball, padel and pickleball side by side, our sport comparisons or all sports.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is platform tennis the same as pickleball?

No. The APTA rules govern platform tennis and the USA Pickleball rulebook governs pickleball. The two differ on the serve, the enclosure, the kitchen, the paddle and the scoring. Platform tennis is played inside 12-foot-high wire screens, while the pickleball rulebook describes no walls or screens around the court.

Are the platform tennis and pickleball courts the same size?

The lined dimensions match, at 44 feet and 20 feet. APTA gives the platform tennis court as 44 by 20 feet, and USA Pickleball gives the pickleball court as 20 by 44 feet for singles and doubles. Calculated from those figures, both come to 880 square feet of lined area.

Pickleball vs Platform Tennis: how do the serves differ?

A pickleball serve is underhand, below the waist, and hit diagonally, while a platform tennis serve is tossed and struck before it lands (APTA rules, Rule 9d; USA Pickleball Rulebook). Platform tennis allows one service in doubles, and pickleball adds a two-bounce rule after the serve (USA Pickleball Rule 10.A).

Pickleball vs Platform Tennis: which one has a kitchen?

Pickleball has one. Its non-volley zone 7 feet from the net on each side is called the kitchen, and a player may not hit the ball out of the air inside it (USA Pickleball Rulebook). The APTA rules this page cites state no non-volley zone for platform tennis.

Do the two sports' paddles fit each other's size limits?

The largest platform tennis paddle does not fit the pickleball limit. A platform tennis paddle may be 18 inches long and 12 inches wide, which totals 30 inches, while the pickleball limit on length plus width is 24 inches (USA Pickleball Rulebook). Check the paddle limits in the USA Pickleball Official Rulebook before you buy.

Where can I check the platform tennis ball specifications?

The APTA rules set them. This page does not state the ball diameter or weight, so check the ball section of the APTA rules for the current specification.

Is pickleball scored the same way as platform tennis?

No. Pickleball scores only for the serving side and is typically played to 11, while platform tennis follows tennis scoring of games and sets, with a 7-point tiebreaker at 6-6 (APTA rules, Rule 6; USA Pickleball Rulebook).

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