Equipment
What the rulebooks let you play with
Racket, ball and net limits for each racket sport, side by side, in metric and imperial, with the rule each figure comes from.
Racket, paddle and bat limits
| Sport | Length | Width | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Badminton | 680 mm (26.8 in) maximum | 230 mm (9.06 in) maximum | No limit set |
| Padel | 455 mm (17.9 in) maximum | 260 mm (10.2 in) maximum | No limit set |
| Pickleball | 431.8 mm (17 in) maximum | No separate limit; set by the combined length-and-width cap | No limit |
| Racquetball | 558.8 mm (22 in) maximum | No limit set | No limit set |
| Squash | 686 mm (27 in) maximum | 215 mm (8.46 in) maximum | 255 g (8.99 oz) maximum |
| Table tennis | No limit: any size or shape | No limit: any size or shape | No limit |
| Tennis | 737 mm (29 in) maximum | 317 mm (12.5 in) maximum | No limit set |
Balls and shuttles compared
| Sport | Diameter | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Badminton | 58–68 mm (2.28–2.68 in) | 4.74–5.5 g (0.167–0.194 oz) |
| Padel | 63.5–67.7 mm (2.5–2.67 in) | 56–59.4 g (1.98–2.1 oz) |
| Pickleball | 72.898–75.438 mm (2.87–2.97 in) | 22.11–26.51 g (0.78–0.935 oz) |
| Racquetball | 57.15 mm (2.25 in) | about 39.7 g (1.4 oz) |
| Squash | 39.5–40.5 mm (1.56–1.59 in) | 23–25 g (0.811–0.882 oz) |
| Table tennis | 40 mm (1.57 in) | 2.7 g (0.095 oz) |
| Tennis | 65.4–68.6 mm (2.57–2.7 in) | 56–59.4 g (1.98–2.1 oz) |
Net heights compared
| Sport | Height at the centre | Height at the posts |
|---|---|---|
| Badminton | 1,524 mm (5 ft) | 1,550 mm (5 ft 1 in) |
| Padel | 880 mm (34.6 in) | 920 mm (36.2 in) |
| Pickleball | 863.6 mm (34 in) | 914.4 mm (36 in) |
| Table tennis | 152.5 mm (6 in) | 152.5 mm (6 in) |
| Tennis | 914.4 mm (36 in) | 1,066.8 mm (3 ft 6 in) |
Sources
- IRF Official Rules of Racquetball, International Racquetball Federation, Official Rules 2026-2028 (March 2026)internationalracquetball.comOfficial rulebook or governing body (tier 1 of 5)
- ITF Rules of Tennis, World Tennis (formerly the International Tennis Federation), 2026itftennis.comOfficial rulebook or governing body (tier 1 of 5)
- ITTF Statutes 2026 (including the Laws of Table Tennis), International Table Tennis Federation, 2026 (effective 1 January 2026), consolidated clean version v1documents.ittf.sportOfficial rulebook or governing body (tier 1 of 5)
- Laws of Badminton (BWF Statutes, Section 4.1), Badminton World Federation, Version 5.0 (2), in force 26 April 2025extranet.bwf.sportOfficial rulebook or governing body (tier 1 of 5)
- Racket Specification, World Squash Federation, Web page, last modified 16 March 2026worldsquash.sportOfficial rulebook or governing body (tier 1 of 5)
- Rules of Padel, International Padel Federation, Revision applicable from 1 January 2026padelfip.comOfficial rulebook or governing body (tier 1 of 5)
- Specifications for Squash Balls, World Squash Federation, February 2013, updated at the 2021 WSF AGM, rebranded 2025worldsquash.sportOfficial rulebook or governing body (tier 1 of 5)
- USA Pickleball Equipment Standards Manual, USA Pickleball, Revision 3.0 (January 2025)equipment.usapickleball.orgOfficial rulebook or governing body (tier 1 of 5)
- USA Pickleball Official Rulebook, USA Pickleball, 2026usapickleball.orgOfficial rulebook or governing body (tier 1 of 5)