Equipment
What the rulebooks let you swing
The maximum size of a racket, paddle or bat in each sport, from the official rules, in metric and imperial.
Badminton: badminton racket
A badminton racket frame may be at most 680 mm long and 230 mm wide, handle included.
| Item | Specification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Overall length | 680 mm (26.8 in) maximum | Laws of Badminton (BWF Statutes, Section 4.1), BWF Laws of Badminton (in force 26 April 2025, v5.0), Law 4.1 |
| Overall width | 230 mm (9.06 in) maximum | Laws of Badminton (BWF Statutes, Section 4.1), BWF Laws of Badminton (in force 26 April 2025, v5.0), Law 4.1 |
| Stringed area | No more than 280 mm long and 220 mm wide; strings may extend into the throat if that part is no wider than 35 mm and the whole strung area is no longer than 330 mm | Laws of Badminton (BWF Statutes, Section 4.1), BWF Laws of Badminton (in force 26 April 2025, v5.0), Law 4.2.2 |
| Weight | No limit set | Laws of Badminton (BWF Statutes, Section 4.1), BWF Laws of Badminton (in force 26 April 2025, v5.0), Law 4, which defines the racket, sets no weight limit |
Padel: padel racket
A padel racket may be at most 45.5 cm long including the handle, 26 cm wide and 38 mm thick, and must have a wrist cord.
| Item | Specification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Overall length (head and handle) | 455 mm (17.9 in) maximum | Rules of Padel, Rules of Padel (2026), "The padel racket", items 3 and 4 |
| Head width | 260 mm (10.2 in) maximum | Rules of Padel, Rules of Padel (2026), "The padel racket", item 3 |
| Thickness | 38 mm (1.5 in) maximum | Rules of Padel, Rules of Padel (2026), "The padel racket", item 3; a 2.5% tolerance in thickness is allowed when rackets are checked (item 5) |
| Handle length | 200 mm (7.87 in) maximum | Rules of Padel, Rules of Padel (2026), "The padel racket", item 2: 20 cm |
| Handle width (at the throat) | 50 mm (1.97 in) maximum | Rules of Padel, Rules of Padel (2026), "The padel racket", item 2 |
| Handle thickness | 50 mm (1.97 in) maximum | Rules of Padel, Rules of Padel (2026), "The padel racket", item 2 |
| Wrist cord | A non-elastic wrist cord, no longer than 35 cm, is compulsory | Rules of Padel, Rules of Padel (2026), "The padel racket", item 9 |
| Weight | No limit set | Rules of Padel, Rules of Padel (2026), "The padel racket", items 1 to 10: the section defining the racket sets no weight limit |
Pickleball: pickleball paddle
A pickleball paddle may be no more than 17 in (43.2 cm) long, and its length and width added together may not exceed 24 in (61.0 cm); thickness and weight are not limited.
| Item | Specification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Length (including edge guard and butt cap) | 431.8 mm (17 in) maximum | USA Pickleball Official Rulebook, 2026 Official Rulebook, Rule 3.D.2: 17 in (43.18 cm); stored as the exact conversion |
| Length and width combined | 609.6 mm (24 in) maximum | USA Pickleball Official Rulebook, 2026 Official Rulebook, Rule 3.D.2: 24 in (60.96 cm), including any edge guard and butt cap; stored as the exact conversion |
| Width | No separate limit; set by the combined length-and-width cap | USA Pickleball Official Rulebook, 2026 Official Rulebook, Rule 3.D.2 (only length and combined length plus width are limited) |
| Thickness | No limit | USA Pickleball Official Rulebook, 2026 Official Rulebook, Rule 3.D.2 |
| Weight | No limit | USA Pickleball Official Rulebook, 2026 Official Rulebook, Rule 3.D.3 |
Racquetball: racquetball racquet
A racquetball racquet may be no more than 22 in (55.88 cm) long, counting every solid part of the handle and the grip, with no extra length allowed; width and weight are not limited.
| Item | Specification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Overall length (including the handle and grip) | 558.8 mm (22 in) maximum | IRF Official Rules of Racquetball, IRF Official Rules 2026–2028 (March 2026), Rule 2.4(a): 22 in in the rulebook; stored as the exact conversion |
| Width | No limit set | IRF Official Rules of Racquetball, IRF Official Rules 2026–2028 (March 2026), Rule 2.4, which defines the racquet, limits only its length |
| Weight | No limit set | IRF Official Rules of Racquetball, IRF Official Rules 2026–2028 (March 2026), Rule 2.4, which defines the racquet, limits only its length |
Squash: squash racket
A squash racket may be at most 686 mm long, 215 mm wide and 255 g in weight, with a strung area of no more than 500 square centimetres.
| Item | Specification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Overall length | 686 mm (27 in) maximum | Racket Specification, WSF Specifications for Squash Rackets, dimensions table: maximum length |
| Overall width | 215 mm (8.46 in) maximum | Racket Specification, WSF Specifications for Squash Rackets, dimensions table: maximum width, measured at right angles to the shaft |
| Weight | 255 g (8.99 oz) maximum | Racket Specification, WSF Specifications for Squash Rackets, weight: maximum 255 g |
| Strung area | No more than 500 square centimetres | Racket Specification, WSF Specifications for Squash Rackets, dimensions table: maximum strung area |
Table tennis: table tennis bat
A table tennis racket (bat) can be any size, shape or weight, but the blade must be flat and rigid and at least 85% natural wood by thickness.
| Item | Specification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Length | No limit: any size or shape | ITTF Statutes 2026 (including the Laws of Table Tennis), ITTF Statutes 2026, Law 2.4.1 |
| Width | No limit: any size or shape | ITTF Statutes 2026 (including the Laws of Table Tennis), ITTF Statutes 2026, Law 2.4.1 |
| Weight | No limit | ITTF Statutes 2026 (including the Laws of Table Tennis), ITTF Statutes 2026, Law 2.4.1 |
| Blade | Flat and rigid | ITTF Statutes 2026 (including the Laws of Table Tennis), ITTF Statutes 2026, Law 2.4.1 |
| Blade material | At least 85% of the thickness is natural wood; an adhesive layer inside may be reinforced with fibre | ITTF Statutes 2026 (including the Laws of Table Tennis), ITTF Statutes 2026, Law 2.4.2: the reinforced adhesive layer may be no thicker than 7.5% of the total or 0.35 mm, whichever is smaller |
| Sandwich rubber thickness, including adhesive | 4.05 mm (0.16 in) maximum | ITTF Statutes 2026 (including the Laws of Table Tennis), ITTF Statutes 2026, Law 2.4.3: must be less than this figure, subject to the tolerance in the relevant technical equipment document |
| Plain pimpled rubber thickness | 2.05 mm (0.08 in) maximum | ITTF Statutes 2026 (including the Laws of Table Tennis), ITTF Statutes 2026, Law 2.4.3: ordinary pimpled rubber, pimples outwards, must be less than 2.05 mm including adhesive |
Tennis: tennis racket
A tennis racket may be at most 73.7 cm (29 in) long including the handle and 31.7 cm (12.5 in) wide, with a strung face no bigger than 39.4 cm by 29.2 cm.
| Item | Specification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Overall length | 737 mm (29 in) maximum | ITF Rules of Tennis, Appendix II(c): 73.7 cm (29.0 in); SI units take precedence |
| Overall width | 317 mm (12.5 in) maximum | ITF Rules of Tennis, Appendix II(c): 31.7 cm (12.5 in); SI units take precedence |
| Hitting surface length | 394 mm (15.5 in) maximum | ITF Rules of Tennis, Appendix II(c): 39.4 cm (15.5 in), measured parallel to the handle; SI units take precedence |
| Hitting surface width | 292 mm (11.5 in) maximum | ITF Rules of Tennis, Appendix II(c): 29.2 cm (11.5 in), measured perpendicular to the handle; SI units take precedence |
| Hitting surface | Strings cross each other in a pattern, interlaced or bonded where they meet; the pattern must be broadly even and no sparser in the middle | ITF Rules of Tennis, Appendix II(b) |
| Weight | No limit set | ITF Rules of Tennis, Appendix II defines the racket and limits only its size; no weight limit is set (weight may be added to the frame for distribution, Appendix II(d)) |
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)
- USA Pickleball Official Rulebook, USA Pickleball, 2026usapickleball.orgOfficial rulebook or governing body (tier 1 of 5)