Technical guide
Padel court ground, drainage and standards
Slab flatness, drainage, dimensions, glass, lighting: the FFT and FIP values to pass on to your contractor.
Who does what
The slab and drainage are built by your own contractor. AGEPADEL tells you what the chosen model requires and installs the court once the slab is ready.
Download our project checklist to pass on to your contractor.
Portico Sport’s Mobile court stands on ballast boxes and needs no anchoring. The elevated platform suits sloping ground.
The slab
The FFT specification allows three kinds of base: porous concrete or draining asphalt (NF P90-110), or a concrete slab to DTU 13.3 or a design office’s study. The frame is fixed on perimeter base plates, with anchors that comply with the DTU.
| Criterion | FFT (2022) | FIP (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Flatness, 3 m rule | ≤ 6 mm | < 3 mm |
| Flatness, 30 cm rule | ≤ 2 mm | — |
| Step between slabs | ≤ 3 mm | — |
Allow several weeks of curing between pouring and installation.
Drainage
There are two approaches:
- Watertight base: the slab needs a fall to shed water. For surfaces without drainage, the FIP sets a maximum cross-fall of 1 % from the centre to the edges.
- Permeable base: water passes through the surface and must be collected under or through the perimeter footing.
Regulation dimensions
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Playing area (inside) | 20 × 10 m (FFT tolerance ±0.10 m / ±0.05 m) |
| End walls | 4 m: 3 m of glass + 1 m of mesh |
| Side walls | 3 to 4 m high |
| Net | 0.88 m at the centre, 0.92 m maximum at the posts |
| Service lines | 6.95 m from the net |
| Clear height | FFT: 7 m minimum, 9 m advised · FIP: 6 m minimum, 8 m suggested |
| Clearances (FFT) | 1.40 m over 8 m on at least one side without exits; 3 m each side with exits |
Glass
The FFT requires toughened glass to NF EN 12150-1, 10 to 12 mm thick. 12 mm is mandatory on panoramic courts. 2 × 6 mm laminated glass (NF EN 14449) is also accepted.
Lighting
The FFT requires at least 300 lux maintained, with uniformity of at least 0.5 (0.7 recommended), and advises 350 to 400 lux at handover. Floodlights and masts stay outside the playing area. Portico Sport lighting options meet EN 12193, in leisure or competition class.
Sources
- FFT padel specification, November 2022 (in French)
- FIP, Rules of Padel, 2026
- Portico Sport, product sheets
The FFT published a new edition of its specification in 2025: check the values before works begin.
Planning a padel court?
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