Introduction:

Have you ever thought about how pickleball and paddle tennis games are distinct from each other? I learned and explored pickleball in my childhood with my mother. On one cozy morning of a snowy winter, I saw a group of players playing tennis on an uplifted court. I was curious about that unique tennis game having an enclosed and heightened court. That’s when I was introduced to the world of platform tennis. Those cheerful players told me interesting facts and tips about this wonderful game.  

Many popular sports, such as paddle tennis, pickleball, platform tennis, padel, wiffle ball, paddleball, etc., are categorized as racquet or paddle games. But, they have some distinct variations from each other. Today, I will explain the difference between pickleball and platform tennis.  Let us move ahead and know the key-points and differences between these two legendary games! 

What Is Pickleball?

It is an indoor or outdoor paddle sport played between two (singles) or four (doubles) players within a court similar to the size of a badminton court. This court has a net for separating two teams. A perforated plastic ball is served below waist level using a wooden, graphite, or polymer paddle. 

What is Platform Tennis?

Platform tennis is a paddle sport especially created for winter. It is played with a spongy ball and perforated paddle within one-quarter the size of a traditional tennis court. The court is fenced with 12 ft chicken wire and installed heat equipment to clear snow. 

A Brief History: 

Both games were created for recreational purposes. I was fascinated with the logic behind creating these games. Let’s know the interesting story behind the discovery of these both distinct games.

Discovery Of Pickleball:

Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum used to live on Bainbridge Island, Washington. In 1965, they played golf and returned to Pritchard’s home. They found their Families, along with the kids, got bored because of the hot summer afternoon. They had a badminton court in the backyard but did not find a shuttlecock. Bell asked the kids to think about a new game instead of badminton. They used table tennis paddles to serve plastic wiffle balls over the lowered badminton net. 

Bell and McCallum experimented with this newly invented game till they found the perfect setup for playing. They replaced the table tennis racquets with fabricated plywood paddles and the wiffle ball with a smaller perforated ball. Some say they named this game ‘Pickleball’ after their family dog, ‘Pickles’. Soon after this discovery, Pritchard, McCallum’s son David, and their two other friends formed Pickle Ball Inc. in 1968. Fast forward to 1984, the very famous United States Amateur Pickleball Association (U.S.A.P.A.) was established to regulate and spread knowledge about this game in the USA.

Discovery Of Platform Tennis: 

In winter, regular tennis courts get covered with heavy snow and moisture. It makes the players unable to play on the slippery surface. Two enthusiastic neighbors, James Cogswell and Fessenden Blanchard, invented the Platform Tennis in 1928 at Fox Meadow Tennis Club in Scarsdale, New York. 

This game was created in a 48 ft long and 20 ft wide court. Cogswell property had a steep slope and large rock. Hence they decked up the court and lowered the net height. They added chicken fencing to keep the ball inside the court. The first platform tennis national championship was held at Scarsdale’s Fox Meadow Club in 1935. 

Difference Between Pickleball and Platform Tennis:

The USAPA has given detailed information about the Pickleball equipment and practices in its USAPA Rulebook 2024. Similarly, you can find all the needed regulations for platform tennis in the APTA rules 2024. I have differentiated the basics of these two games which are necessary to understand for every paddle sport player.

1. Regulating Bodies:
   

   Regulation of Pickleball:All official tournaments, local competitions, and recreational games are played according to the United States Amateur Pickleball Association (U.S.A.P.A.). Its other governing bodies are the International Federation of Pickleball IFP and the World Pickleball Federation- WFP. 
   Regulation of Platform Tennis:The platform Tennis normally follows regular tennis rules.The American Platform Tennis Association (APTA) governs and regulates platform tennis all over the USA.

2. Court

   Court size:
   The Pickleball court is 20 ft long and 44 ft wide, which is the same as a double badminton court. There are two types of courts- indoor and outdoor. The 7 ft area from the middle net on both sides of the court is the non-volley zone (NVZ) or the kitchen. And, the line 22 ft from the net is the baseline/ court boundary. The area between the NVZ and the sidelines is the volleying zone, from which the server can serve the ball.
   However, platform tennis is designed in a unique style. It is normally one-quarter the size of a tennis court with dimensions of 44 feet (13 m) in length by 20 feet (6.1 m) in width. This court has a deck at its base with dimensions of 60 feet (18 m) in length by 30 feet (9.1 m) in width.

   Court surface:
   In Pickleball, players can play on two types of courts, such as indoor and outdoor. The indoor court surface usually has a surface of hardwood, synthetic material, or gym flooring. The outdoor court has a surface of asphalt, concrete, etc., with a suitable acrylic finish. The outdoor court is my favorite because as a Pickler, I can perform competitive serves including intense rallies, during a sunny day! I really like the support and upthrust I get while jumping or hopping on an outdoor court.
   Platform Tennis is for outdoor play. The deck helps the court to even the plain surface in hilly or stepped areas. The court is made up of concrete mostly to sustain extreme weather conditions.  The deck is installed with heating equipment to clear up the settled ice in winter. The chicken mesh fencing allows the ball to stay inside the court on long serves or hard-hit shots.

3. Net

   Net height:

   Each court should have a net placed horizontally at the center. The Pickleball net is 36 inches high at the ends and 34 inches high in the middle. The net posts are 22 ft from each other from the inside.
   According to APTA rules, the Platform tennis net divides the court horizontally with equal serving areas. The net is 37 inches high at the posts and 34 inches raised at the center. The posts are 37 inches in height. They are 8 inches outside of the court.
   
   Material:
   A Pickleball net needs to sustain in any weather for a longer duration. In order to make the net last longer, it is made up mostly of nylon, vinyl, and polyester. Nylon net is the most popular choice among players due to its resistance to wear and tear, lightweight feel, and affordability. Vinyl net is a good option for the long run but is quite expensive compared to nylon net. Polyester nets are easy to set up and Maintain in all seasons throughout the year.
   I prefer to play with a nylon net on the court due to its quality and cost-effectiveness. The main feature I like about this net is it won’t shrink or get wet in the rain. The portable net comes with a carbon-fiber alloy frame for longer durability.
   However, in platform tennis, the nets are formed with braided polyethylene. Its headband, bottom, and side tape are mostly sealed with vinyl-coated white polyester and locked with black polymer threads. These courts have net-specific court fixtures that include the net, the net cord (the metal cable holding up the net),  the net hand crank, the center strap, the band across the top of the net, and the posts.

4. Paddle:
   

    

   Material
   Pickleball paddles have a non-compressible, solid, and smooth surface. Their core is structured from wood, graphite, aluminum, or T700 carbon polymer. Wood and graphite paddles are suitable for beginners and recreational purposes. Carbon fiber paddles are majorly used in tournaments and competitions. I like to use carbon core paddles with fiberglass face coating due to their sturdy longevity and higher performance. 

   
   Platform Tennis paddles are made from different types of EVA foams. The pro paddles have denser foam, medium-quality paddles have mid-density foam, and basic paddles have low-density foam with a soft face. The face material consists of carbon polymer, Kevlar, graphite, Titanium, bi-axial cross-linked polymers, EVA,  or asphalt for power and control. These paddles are perforated for optimum aerodynamics and to serve the ball with the required trajectory.Dimensions:
   Pickleball paddles measure less than 24 inches in overall length. The face length is up to 17 inches. There are no specific requirements for core thickness. But, most of the players opt for a 10 to 14-mm thick core. An extra thin or thick core does not provide the needed power and spin for the ball.

   Platform Tennis paddles measure up to 18 inches in length. They have 87 holes with a diameter of 9.5 mm each. These paddles are designed to provide better aerodynamics to the serving ball with ideal power and spin.

5. Ball:
   

   Types:
   Pickleball is played indoors or outdoors. Hence, two kinds of balls are present for these different courts. The indoor ball has 26 holes, 0.43 inches hole diameter, 0.917 ounces weight, soft plastic material, and high durability. Outdoor ball has 40 holes, 0.282 inches hole diameter,  0.925 weight, hard plastic material, and short durability.
   Platform Tennis is an outdoor game and has one kind of ball only. There is a rubber sponge ball with 2.5 inches of diameter, 2.4 to 2.7 ozs weight. The ball with green and yellow color is dedicated to official APTA-sanctioned matches. Pink and orange colored balls are denoted for non-official matches

    

6. Suitable Weather Conditions:
   

   Pickleball was originally invented for recreational purposes. It is played on outdoor courts during sunny days. It can be played on indoor courts during hot summer, rainy, snowy, windy, or dusty days.
   Platform tennis was originally invented for winter play. The heating instruments inside the court’s deck melt the settled ice and clear the court for playing. Although, you can play Platform tennis outdoors throughout the year during all seasons except rainy days.

7. Serving:
   

   Serving positions:
   In pickleball, the player on the right side of the server court starts the game with a diagonally opposite serve from the volleying zone. Server 2 stays on the left side of the serving court area in the doubles game. Receiver players stand on the opposite side of the court to return the served ball. Players can stand in the kitchen area when not serving the ball.In platform tennis, serving is similar to normal tennis. The player who serves the ball first is the server. Server 1 can serve the ball from any point behind the baseline and between the central mark and the sideline. The ball is served cross court above the net in the diagonally opposite directions. In doubles games, both teams decide who will serve 1st and 2nd, and who will receive the ball. The server 2 gets to serve the ball after server 1. The receiving team gets the serving position at the end of each set.
   
   Types Of Serves:
   In pickleball, the serve has to be done below the waistline with an underarm arc position. You cannot serve the ball above your waistline or with an upper-hand arc. There are many shots like dinks, volleys, swings, spins, lobs, slices, groundstrokes, erne, etc. Erne is my preferred choice because of its complexity and promptness.
   However, In platform tennis, you can serve the ball with upper-hand, overarm, or sidearm positions. The server has to throw the ball in the air first and serve before it hits the ground. This game includes unique shots like smash, topspin, lobs, slices, forehand, block, flat, etc.

8. Scoring:
   

   Scoring In Pickleball:
   In pickleball, each team scores points till 11 runs and the team who covers a margin of 2 points wins the game. Sometimes, the game lasts till 15 or 21 points. The rally is played between 2 teams to score points. Also, the player wins one point when the opponent commits a fault while serving the ball.Scoring in Platform Tennis:

   – The platform tennis’s serving and scoring system is derived from regular tennis.
   – The server points are known as ‘first’, and zero points are known as ‘Love’.
   – The first point is ‘15’, the second point is ‘30’, the third point is ‘40’, and the fourth point is ‘game’.
   – When both teams score 40, it is called a deuce.
   – ‘Advantage server’ is the next point scored after a deuce. If the serving team wins this point, it is called an ‘ad-in’. If the receiving team wins an advantage point, it is called an ‘ad-out’.
   – The best of three sets with a tiebreaker in all sets is called the ‘match’.
   – The team that wins 6 games wins the set. The winning team must have a margin of 2 games.