Pickleball Court Colors: Everything You Need to Know About Painting a Pickleball Court
Painting your own pickleball court can lead to some of the most fulfilling fun of your pickleball experiences. The good news is that you don’t need any special training to paint a pickleball court. In this article, we’ll go over pickleball court color schemes and combinations as well as official pickleball court colors. We’ll also describe in detail how to correctly paint your pickleball court so you can get to playing!
What Colors Are Pickleball Courts?
There are lots of possibilities! According to the USA Pickleball Association (USAPA), a pickleball court can be any solid color. However, there is one condition. The solid color needs to sharply contrast from the colors of the lines. This could be a dark color court surface, such as the standard tennis blue or green, with white lines. It could also be a light color court surface, such as tan or white, with black or blue lines. Some pickleball courts go even further by making the no-volley zone a third color to call greater visual awareness to the zone.
All of the USAPA regulations regarding court surface colors and line colors are in place for enhancing the structure of the game. Most of the time, pickleball courts will be either blue, green, or white with the corresponding white or black lines. Sometimes the no-volley zone is given a bright and sharply contrasting color such as yellow or orange. Any of these combinations will lead to a better training regimen and much fairer play.
What Is The Best Color For A Pickleball Court?
When choosing the right color for your pickleball court, you should take into account multiple factors. A black court surface, for instance, may make a good visual field for play, however the shade will cause the surface to absorb any direct sunlight. This, in turn, will make the court surface incredibly hot on summer days. Keep in mind that most pickleballs are bright colors such as yellow, light green, or orange to make them as visible as possible.
It’s best to take inspiration from tennis court designs. The most common tennis court colors are blue, green, and pinkish red. These colors are perfect for pairing with white lines. Depending on the surroundings of your pickleball court, your best choice will be in one of these three colors. For instance, a blue court may look strange or absorb too much heat in a highly sunny area. It will work much better with partial sun and some shade trees.
What Color Should Pickleball Lines Be On A Tennis Court?
The best color to use for the lines on your pickleball court should be white. If you have a tan or white pickleball court surface, be sure to use black or dark blue. The USAPA only mandates that the lines and the court surface colors contrast with each other. Since most pickleball courts are blue, green, or pinkish red just like tennis courts, white is the best color to contrast with the court surface and the pickleballs themselves.
What Kind Of Paint Do You Use For A Pickleball Court?
The paint you use to coat the side of a house is not at all the same kind you should use on a pickleball court. Instead, you need to use an acrylic latex paint that is specifically designed for recreational activities on hardtop concrete surfaces. This type of paint is incredibly strong against repeated frictions from shoes and fast-moving sports equipment. It will also resist adverse weather conditions. Acrylic latex paint for recreational surfaces is the only type of paint you should use for a pickleball court.
A fantastic example of acrylic latex paint for recreational surfaces is the Duracourt Tennis and Recreational Court Paint from Kelley Technical Coatings. This paint will create a brilliant olive green color for your pickleball court that contrasts well with a pinkish red buffer zone and white lines. You’ll only need to apply one coat of this incredibly strong paint. The color won’t fade in the sun or degrade from use for several years. One bucket of this paint will cover 100 to 125 square feet of a typical concrete surface.
We also recommend the white version of Duracourt paint for painting the lines of your pickleball court. For making the straightest and cleanest lines possible, we recommend taking advantage of the Pickleball Court Stencil Kit from Pickleball Central.
How Do You Paint A Pickleball Court?
Painting a pickleball court can be done by practically anyone who can hold a paint roller. Once you have the site chosen and the spaces measured, it’s important to follow the next steps closely as you get your pickleball court ready.
Make sure the surface is completely bare of all extra belongings or decorations. Previous paint should be stripped away as much as possible to ensure an even surface. Any cracks, chips, or other disturbances in the surface should be repaired before painting begins.
Do a thorough sweep of the surface, making sure to remove any rock particles, dust, or other debris that may get between the paint and the concrete surface. If you have one at your disposal, you can use an outdoor vacuum. To make sure the surface is as clean as possible after sweeping or vacuuming, walk around it with bare feet and see if you can feel or notice any other debris.
Only apply paint in weather between 50 degrees and 90 degrees Fahrenheit and make sure there isn’t any rain or strong winds in the forecast! Make sure the 24 hours after painting are also forecasted to be within these parameters.
Gather your materials for painting. You will need either a drill and paddle or a paint mixer to keep the paint mixed immediately before applying. Many tennis courts are painted with the assistance of a sports squeegee (make sure that the blade is even before using). However, you can also use a paint roller if the weather isn’t too hot. You may also want to get a five gallon plastic bucket in the case that you need to add some water to the paint. Make sure to only wear clothing items and shoes that keep your lower half completely covered, so choose some old jeans, socks, and sneakers.
Carefully measure the boundaries of your pickleball court and use markers to try to minimize any wasted paint.
Mix the paint, then apply one solid coat over the surface you’re applying to. Mix well and mix often!
Allow the paint to dry undisturbed for at least 24 hours.
Carefully inspect the painted area for any missed spots, debris, or any other imperfections in the surface.
Mix the paint and reapply to the affected area as necessary.
Repeat steps 7 through 9 until the entire surface looks clean and uniform.
Prepare your line paint equipment (including stencil) for clean application of the lines on top of the newly painted court surface.
Apply the painted lines using steps 6 through 9.
After another 24 hours, you can add your pickleball divider kit and get playing!