Pickleball vs. Badminton: Nearly the Same Court, but a Different Net and Different Rules

Have you ever seen people playing pickleball on a badminton court in a gym? If they're using the same court, you might wonder whether the rules are similar, too.

I'm Coach Yoshi. I've played tennis for 15 years and discovered pickleball in 2026. Today, I'll lay out the differences between pickleball and badminton in this order: the court, the net, the equipment and the rules. I've also summarized which lines you can use, and what you need to add, when you play pickleball on a badminton court in a gym.

What They Have in Common: The Outer Boundaries Are Nearly the Same Size

Let's start with what they have in common. A pickleball court is almost exactly the same size as a badminton doubles court.

• Pickleball: 6.10 m × 13.41 m (20 ft × 44 ft, per USA Pickleball's official rules)
• Badminton (doubles): 6.10 m × 13.40 m (per the Laws of Badminton of the Badminton World Federation, or BWF)

The difference in length is only about 1 cm (less than half an inch). Pickleball is said to have started in 1965, when people began playing on a badminton court in a family's backyard in the United States. Once you know that origin story, it makes sense that the two courts are the same size. I cover this in more detail in The History of Pickleball.

That said, it's the doubles court that matches. In badminton singles, the sidelines move 46 cm (18 in) inward on each side, narrowing the court to 5.18 m (17 ft) wide. In pickleball, singles and doubles are played on the same court.

Pickleball vs. Badminton: The Differences at a Glance

Apart from the outer boundaries of the court, almost everything is different.

The Lines Inside the Court Are Completely Different

The outer boundaries may match, but the lines drawn inside are completely different.

• Badminton: the short service line 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) from the net, the doubles long service line (about 76 cm, or 2 ft 6 in, inside the back boundary line), the singles sidelines and more
• Pickleball: just the kitchen line, 2.13 m (7 ft) from the net, and the centerline running from there to the baseline

The short service line and the kitchen line are also alike in that both are drawn in front of the net and mark a boundary for the serve: it can't land between this line and the net. But they aren't the same line. In the rules, the figures are 1.98 m and 2.13 m, and they're measured differently, too (badminton measures to the edge of the line nearest the net, while pickleball measures to the far edge of the line). On an actual court, the two lines are about 10 cm (4 in) apart.

Another difference is how a serve that lands on the line is treated. In badminton, a serve that lands on the short service line is in. In pickleball, the kitchen line is part of the kitchen, so a serve that lands on that line is a fault.

How to Play Pickleball on a Badminton Court in a Gym

Because the outer boundaries are almost the same, a badminton court in a gym is an easy place to play pickleball, too. Here's a summary of which lines you can use and what you'll need to add.

• Lines you can use as is: the doubles outer boundary (the sidelines and the back boundary line) and the centerline (leave out the roughly 10 cm, or 4 in, of it that extends into the kitchen)
• Line to add: the kitchen line, 2.13 m (7 ft) from the net. If you use the short service line as a stand-in, the kitchen ends up about 10 cm (4 in) too shallow
• Lines you won't use: the short service line, the doubles long service line and the singles sidelines
• Net: a badminton net is too high, at about 1.52 m (5 ft) at the center, so bring in a pickleball net

Whether you're allowed to put down tape or bring in your own net varies from facility to facility, so check first. I've covered how to mark the lines and how to measure the net height in Build Your Own Pickleball Court, and how to find a gym in The Complete Guide to Indoor Pickleball.

💡 Coach Yoshi's Tip I understand the temptation to let the short service line stand in for the kitchen line, but this is the one place where I'd ask you to add kitchen line tape (one line on each side of the net). If the depth of the kitchen changes, your sense of how far forward you can move up and still volley gets thrown off. In a gym where you can't put down tape, even markers that you simply set at both ends of the kitchen line will work as a guide.

The Net Height Changes the Game Completely

Of everything in the table, I think the net height is what most sets the character of the two games apart.

A badminton net is 1.524 m (5 ft) at the center. That's around face height for a standing adult, and roughly 1.8 times the height of a pickleball net (86.36 cm, or 34 in, at the center). Because the rally ends the moment the shuttle hits the floor, every shot is hit out of the air. A smash hit down from a high contact point becomes a major weapon.

A pickleball net is much lower, at about 86 cm (34 in) at the center. So you'd think you could easily win points by crowding the net and hitting down on the ball, right? That's what the kitchen prevents. You can't volley inside the kitchen (the strip within 2.13 m (7 ft) of the net). USA Pickleball's rules summary also explains the purpose of this rule: it "prevents players from executing smashes from a position within the zone."

Only the volley is prohibited, so you're free to step into the kitchen to hit a ball that has bounced. That's where the "dink" comes from: soft shots dropped back and forth into each other's kitchen, just skimming over the net. Even on a court of the same size, the height of the net alone makes this big a difference in how points are won. I explain the kitchen rules in detail in The Complete Pickleball Kitchen Guide.

Differences in Equipment and Scoring

• What you hit: A badminton shuttlecock has 16 feathers fixed into a cork base and weighs 4.74–5.50 g (shuttles made with synthetic materials in place of feathers are also permitted). Its defining trait is that air resistance slows it down abruptly. A pickleball ball is made of plastic with holes and weighs 22.1–26.5 g (0.78–0.935 oz). That's more than four times the weight of a feathered shuttle, and it bounces on the floor.
• Rackets and paddles: Badminton uses a lightweight racket strung with strings. Pickleball uses a solid, flat paddle with no strings.
• Badminton scoring: Badminton uses rally point scoring, where the side that wins each rally scores a point, and matches are best of three games. A game is played to 21 points; at 20-all, play continues until one side leads by 2, and at 29-all, the side that scores the 30th point wins. However, at the Badminton World Federation's general meeting in April 2026, members decided to switch to 15-point games (win by 2 from 14-all, with the 21st point deciding the game at 20-all), and the new format will be used at international events from January 4, 2027. In Japan, the change is coming even sooner: the S/J League, the country's top league, has adopted the 15-point format starting with its 2026-27 season (which opens October 31, 2026).
• Pickleball scoring: Games are normally played to 11 (win by 2), and only the serving side can score (side-out scoring). There's also rally scoring, where a point is scored on every rally (the same way badminton's rally point scoring counts), but in the 2026 official rules it's treated as one of the options you can choose as a provisional rule. I explain how to keep score in the Complete Guide to Pickleball Scoring.

If You're a Badminton Player Taking Up Pickleball

Badminton is a familiar sport in Japan, and many people have played it in school PE classes or school clubs. Pickleball, on the other hand, is only just beginning to spread there. Open-play days and beginner classes at public gyms are starting to pop up in many parts of the country. I think the fact that it's easy to start in a gym, even without many dedicated courts, is one of the reasons pickleball is well placed to spread in Japan. I introduce the current situation in Japan in Latest Pickleball Trends in Japan.

What badminton players are most likely to find confusing at first is probably play at the net. In badminton, hitting the shuttle out of the air right at the net is second nature. In pickleball, though, you can only volley from outside the kitchen. On the other hand, I think quick reactions at the net carry over directly to pickleball.

Summary

Pickleball and badminton share nearly the same outer court boundaries, but everything else is different, from the lines inside and the height of the net to the equipment and the way points are counted. Badminton is an aerial battle in which the shuttle never touches the floor. Pickleball is a game of tactics played across a low net and the kitchen, using bounces as well. In the same gym, you can enjoy two completely different kinds of fun. I compare pickleball with another similar sport, padel, in Padel vs. Pickleball.

If pickleball has caught your interest, start by trying it once at an experience session near you. I've covered how to find one and the etiquette for joining in How to Find Pickleball Experience Sessions and Beginner Classes, and Participation Etiquette.

If you're unsure about choosing a net for playing in a gym, or about picking your first paddle, feel free to ask me (Coach Yoshi) on LINE. You can add us as a friend through Pickleball Lab's official LINE account. You can also add us with the green "LINE Official" button at the bottom right of the screen.

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• The Complete Pickleball Kitchen Guide: The Real Non-Volley Zone Rules and 5 Common Misconceptions, Explained by a Coach — The scope of the no-volley rule and its faults, in detail
• Build Your Own Pickleball Court | Official Dimensions, How to Mark the Lines, and How to Set Up the Net — Steps for adding lines in a gym
• The Complete Guide to Indoor Pickleball | How to Find an Indoor Court for Rainy Days and Winter, and How It Differs from Outdoors — How to find a gym
• Complete Guide to Pickleball Scoring | How to Count Points, 3-Digit Calls, and Side Outs Explained — How scoring works when only the serving side can score
• Padel vs. Pickleball | A Coach Compares the Walls, Gear, and Rules — Another sport that looks similar but isn't
• How to Find Pickleball Experience Sessions and Beginner Classes, and Participation Etiquette | Relax, Even If It's Your First Time — Start by stepping onto a court

References

1. BWF — Laws of Badminton (BWF Statutes Section 4.1, Version 5.0, in force from April 26, 2025: Law 1 Court and Court Equipment / Diagram A court dimensions / Law 2 Shuttle / Law 7 Scoring System / Law 9 Service)
2. BWF — BWF Members Approve 3×15 Scoring System (April 25, 2026, 87th General Meeting; applies from January 4, 2027)
3. Badminton Association of Japan — Announcement of the Opening of the S/J League 2026-27 Season (adopting a best-of-three, 15-point game format; May 14, 2026) (Japanese)
4. Badminton Association of Japan — On Introducing the "3 Games × 15 Points" Format in Domestic Tournaments Following the BWF General Meeting Decision (May 1, 2026) (Japanese)
5. USA Badminton — BWF Approves 3×15 Scoring System (applies from January 4, 2027)
6. USA Pickleball — 2026 Official Rulebook (3.A Court Specifications / 3.B Net Specifications / 4 Point Scoring / 7 Serving / 10.A Two-Bounce Rule / 11.A Non-Volley Zone / 14.A Rally Scoring Option (Provisional Rule))
7. USA Pickleball — Equipment Standards Manual (2.D.4 Weight of the ball)
8. USA Pickleball — Rules Summary (purpose of the non-volley zone)
9. PPA Tour — Pickleball vs. Badminton