BEYOND THE FIELD
PICKLEBALL DESIGN SOLUTIONS
By Michael Moonan, RLA, LEED AP
All photos provided by CHA Consulting, Inc.
For municipal leaders and recreation professionals, the demand for pickleball courts is outpacing supply— creating both a challenge and an opportunity. Sports designers and landscape architects play a key role in addressing these demands with strategic planning and site selection. The following are smart design solutions to help communities meet the pickleball boom head-on.
PICKLEBALL POPULARITY The sport has experienced exponential growth, with USA Pickleball( USAP) reporting a membership increase from 4,000 in 2013 to nearly 78,000 as of January 2024. The number of known pickleball courts in North America has also risen dramatically. The USAP court location database, Pickleheads, now includes 68,458 courts, with 18,455 new courts added in 2024. This growth is attributed to the sport’ s appeal across various age groups and adaptability to different playing environments.
PLANNING PHASE CONSIDERATIONS When planning a pickleball facility, it is crucial to assemble a diverse team that includes design professionals, court builders, local players and municipal leaders, if applicable. This team can provide valuable insights into the needs of different user groups, such as adults, seniors
and children. Additionally, ensuring compliance with zoning, permitting and ADA requirements is essential to meet all legal standards.
It’ s important to ask critical questions during the planning phase:
Will the courts be used primarily by adults or seniors? Will children also use the courts? Will there be spectators, tournament play or other uses? Do you have enough users to justify dedicated courts? Should the courts be covered with a canopy?
Different groups of users will have varying desires, needs and requirements. By addressing these questions and considering the diverse needs of potential users, you can create a facility that serves the community effectively and inclusively.
OVERALL PLAYING AREA The court area is a 20-foot-wide by 44-foot-long rectangle for both doubles and singles matches. The American Sports Builders Association( ASBA) and USAP recommend the following overall sizes for playing areas:
Recreational play: Minimum total recreation / drop-in play area is 30 feet by 60 feet.
Competitive play: Recommended total playing area for competitive / tournament play and new construction is 34 feet by 64 feet.
Wheelchair play: Recommended total playing area for wheelchair play is 44 feet by 74 feet.
Stadium play: Recommended total playing area for a stadium court is 50 feet by 80 feet.
During the design input process, we found that players preferred the competitive-sized court, given their increased movement and the ability of players. Some players feel the standard recreation size is too small, with insufficient overrun at the sides and backcourt for playability and safety. In several of our recent projects, the community requested the competition size since they had been playing on the standard recreation size and found it insufficient.
22 SportsField Management | June 2025 sportsfieldmanagementonline. com