Court surfaces and court pace.

Tennis: the ITF Court Pace Rating

Appendix I of the ITF Rules of Tennis 2026 classifies courts by pace using the test method ITF CS 01/02 (ITF Court Pace Rating), described in the ITF's guide to test methods for tennis court surfaces. The rating places a surface in one of five categories. The examples in the right-hand column are the rule book's own, and they are examples, not fixed assignments: the category comes from the measured rating.

The pairing runs in opposite directions: the faster ball is intended for the slowest courts, and the slower, larger Type 3 ball for the fastest. The ball types are set out on tennis balls and approval.

Appendix I(e) says ball and durability tests follow the current edition of the ITF publication "ITF Approved Tennis Balls, Classified Surfaces & Recognised Courts". A current, readable edition of that booklet was not found for this site, so the list of classified surfaces is not given here.

Classification is not endorsement

According to a search-result summary of the ITF's tennis technology pages, classifying a surface rests only on its pace rating and does not signal ITF approval or endorsement, and a separate ITF Recognition programme assesses installed courts and is aimed at high-level venues. The ITF pages themselves could not be read, so this is unconfirmed.

Space around the court

An ITF document on court size (file dated December 2022) recommends, as a guide for international competition, at least 21 ft (6.40 m) between each baseline and the backstop and at least 12 ft (3.66 m) between each sideline and the sidestop. It says indoor or covered show courts need a minimum height of 10 m unless the ITF approves otherwise.

Pickleball: the playing surface (USA Pickleball 2026 Rulebook, Section 3)

The court is 44 by 20 ft (Rule 3.A.1). Rule 3.A.3 sets a minimum playing surface of 30 by 60 ft (9.14 by 18.29 m), and recommends 34 by 64 ft for new construction and tournament play and 50 by 80 ft for a stadium court. Lines are 2 in wide (Rule 3.A.4.e). No surface material or pace rule was recorded from the rulebook for this site. Pickleball lines painted on tennis courts, and the tennis bodies' policies on them, are covered on shared courts and facilities.

Padel: ground, walls and fences (FIP Rules of Padel, from 1 January 2026)

• Ground surface: cement, synthetic material or artificial grass, provided the bounce is regular. The FIP's preferred colours are green, blue or terracotta. The level may vary by less than 3 mm measured with a 3 m rule.
• Enclosure: the court is fully enclosed, 10 m wide and 20 m long inside. The end enclosures are 4 m high: 3 m of wall topped by 1 m of metal fence. The sides follow one of two permitted layouts: stepped walls, or a 3 m high, 4 m long glass section without steps, both completed with metal mesh.
• Walls: glass, brick or another transparent or opaque material with a hard, smooth surface that gives a uniform bounce. Glass courts must meet the tempered glass requirements in the FIP's annex on court homologation, which was not found for this site.
• Fence mesh: diagonals of 5 to 7.08 cm, with wire of 2 to 3 mm recommended and 4 mm the maximum. Weld points must be protected against cuts and joins must have no sharp edges.
• Light and orientation: light projectors at least 6 m above the ground (8 m suggested for new facilities when inside the court's vertical projection), at least 1000 lux of vertical illumination for television, and a north-south orientation recommended for outdoor courts.

Squash: the finished playing surfaces (World Squash court specifications)

The WSF's "Specifications for Squash Courts" (the copy read carries diagrams dated January 2017; a newer edition was not opened) give the international singles court as 9,750 mm long by 6,400 mm wide, each within 10 mm. Squash Canada points out that these critical dimensions are measured to the finished internal playing surfaces, so plaster and panel thickness have to be allowed for. WSF and regional championships, the World Junior Circuit and some national championships may be played only on courts that meet the specification and are built from WSF-accredited products, and the PSA has some court requirements of its own. Transparent walls must be built of safety materials tested to the appropriate national standard. US Squash says it follows the WSF specifications for singles and doubles courts. The specification's floor requirements were not recorded for this site.

Badminton: lines and flooring

Law 1 of the BWF Laws of Badminton (read from version 2.1 of 29 May 2023) requires court lines 40 mm wide, easily distinguishable and preferably white or yellow. No floor material rule was recorded from the Laws read for this site. According to search-result summaries of BWF pages, which could not be opened, the BWF Equipment Approval Scheme, dating to 1988, covers flooring along with shuttlecocks, nets, net posts and service-height measuring devices; that is unconfirmed.

What each sport's rules say about shoes on these surfaces, including the Wimbledon grass-court shoe rule and the Roland-Garros clay rule, is on court shoes.