Reference

Striped-on-tennis vs dedicated pickleball courts.

Many public pickleball courts are tennis courts with pickleball lines added on top. Dedicated courts are built only for pickleball. Each has trade-offs.

Two ways to find a pickleball court

If you walk up to an outdoor pickleball court in the United States, it falls into one of two categories:

  1. Dedicated. The court was built for pickleball. Only pickleball lines are visible. The net is permanent.
  2. Striped on tennis. The court was built for tennis. Pickleball lines were added on top, and a portable net is set up when pickleball is being played.

Both are regulation pickleball courts at the same 20-by-44 dimensions. The differences are in convenience, feel, and availability.

Dedicated courts

A dedicated pickleball court is built and lined only for pickleball. You’ll see:

  • A single set of lines (just pickleball, no tennis)
  • A permanent net post at the correct 36-inch sideline height
  • A surface sized for pickleball play, with appropriate run-off space behind the baseline
  • Often, multiple courts arranged in a battery (4, 6, 8, or more side-by-side)

Dedicated facilities are typically newer (most U.S. construction is post-2018) and concentrated where pickleball demand justified the build: senior-heavy communities, dedicated pickleball clubs, and parks departments that have responded to local petition pressure.

Striped-on-tennis courts

A striped court uses a regulation tennis court (78 by 36 feet) and adds pickleball lines, usually in a contrasting color. The most common configurations:

  • One pickleball court per tennis court. The pickleball court is centered on the tennis net, using the tennis net itself (which is the wrong height for pickleball at 42 inches but is workable for rec play).
  • Two pickleball courts per tennis court. Two pickleball courts run side-by-side across the tennis court width, with portable pickleball nets and the tennis net removed or rolled aside.
  • Four pickleball courts per tennis court. Four pickleball courts are striped on a single tennis court, requiring four portable nets. This is the densest configuration and is common in parks that have committed heavily to pickleball but haven’t yet converted the surface.

See our reference on how many pickleball courts fit on a tennis court for the layout math.

See what's near you. Browse pickleball courts by state. Each facility page shows whether it's dedicated or striped on tennis.

Trade-offs at a glance

Property Dedicated Striped on tennis
Lines visible Pickleball only Tennis + pickleball (visually busy)
Net Permanent, correct height Portable, set up per session
Court density Built for pickleball only Shares space with tennis
Run-off space Adequate Often tight
Availability Newer, fewer locations Older, much more common nationwide

When you actually care

For competitive or tournament play, dedicated courts are noticeably better. The right net height, the cleaner sight lines, and the appropriate run-off space all matter.

For recreational and social play, striped-on-tennis is fine. The lines are correct; the game is the same.

If you’re driving across town to find a court, the practical question is usually just “is there a court there?”, not “is it dedicated?”. That’s why every facility page on picklecourtlist shows the Striped on tennis flag explicitly. Where we know, we report it; where we don’t, we mark it as Unknown.

What we report on each court

Every facility page on picklecourtlist shows:

  • Indoor / Outdoor
  • Surface (concrete, asphalt, acrylic, plastic tile, etc.)
  • Permanent nets (yes / no / unknown)
  • Striped on tennis (yes / no / unknown)
  • Number of courts

Where the data isn’t in our source, we display “Unknown” rather than guess.

FAQ Common Questions

What is a striped-on-tennis pickleball court?
A striped-on-tennis court is a regulation tennis court that has pickleball lines painted or taped on top, allowing players to use the same surface for both sports. The pickleball net is portable and shorter than the tennis net.
Is a striped-on-tennis pickleball court regulation size?
Yes, the pickleball lines themselves are full 20-by-44-foot regulation dimensions. What changes is the run-off space and the net. The pickleball net post is usually portable, and the tennis net (if present) blocks half of one tennis court's width when both sports are striped on the same surface.
Are dedicated pickleball courts better?
For pure pickleball play, dedicated courts are better. The net is the correct height and permanent, no extra lines distract the eye, and the court is sized for the run-off pickleball needs. Striped-on-tennis is a great compromise where space and budget don't allow conversion.
How do you know if a court is dedicated or striped?
On a dedicated court, you'll see only pickleball lines and a permanent pickleball net. On a striped court, you'll see both tennis and pickleball lines, usually in different colors, and the pickleball net (if installed) will be a portable system.