It seems as though the more one learns about new racket sports, the more confused one gets. Understanding the difference between platform tennis vs padel is no exception. Both sports are niche in the racquet sports world. They both sound alike so it’s easy to confuse the two. Read this post and you’ll have a solid idea of what each is and the main differences and similarities.
What is Platform Tennis
Platform tennis is a variation of regular tennis. It is unique in that it can you can play in any weather. The founders created it for that purpose. Back in the late 1920’s, a couple of Boston neighbors wanted a way to play both paddle tennis and badminton in the winter months. They built a raised wooden deck and installed heating underneath the platform to help melt the snow. They then surrounded the platform with chicken wire to keep the ball from getting out. Over the course of the next 3 winters they started playing their own version of winter paddle tennis. Thus marked the beginning of American Platform Tennis.
Platform tennis has since evolved into an intriguing niche racquet sport. The rules and scoring are the same as regular tennis, only played at a smaller scale and with different equipment. The court design and equipment are similar to Pickleball or Paddle Tennis with a couple alterations that make it suitable for playing in the winter.
The court resembles that of a tennis court, with boundary demarcations for singles tennis and doubles. The dimensions for doubles platform tennis are 44 feet long by 20 feet wide (same as Pickleball). For singles platform tennis, the court’s width shrinks to be 16 feet wide with the same length of 44 feet. Both courts ar slightly smaller than a paddle tennis court’s size. Aside from the playing boundaries, a platform tennis court is also surrounded by a 12 feet tall cage or fence to keep the ball in. The whole area of play measure 30 feet by 60 feet. The net runs 34 inches high at the center and 37 inches high at the post.
Platform tennis is also played with a different ball. The ball is made of a spongey rubber ideal for cold and wet weather. Paddles are used instead of rackets. They consist of of high grade graphite or plastic. Each paddle’s length is about 18 inches, and have up to 87 small holes in them for aerodynamic purposes .
Despite it’s extremely niche nature, platform tennis has a national association called US called the American Platform Tennis association. The association which has 29,000 members.
What is Padel
Padel is racket sport that also uses an enclosed space. Padel takes elements of Tennis and Racketball/Squash, and combines them into a unique racket sport that is played with both a net in the middle and walls that can be used along the back end of each side of the court.
The game was invented in Mexico in the late 1960’s and has since become popular in Latin America and Spain. It slowly made its way to America and in 1993 the US Padel Association was formed in Chattanooga, TN.
The scoring of the game is similar to tennis. Other than that, the game differs from tennis quite a bit. The paddles used in padel are similar to those of paddle tennis and platform tennis. The ball used is similar to a tennis ball, and can even be substituted for a tennis ball. A padel court is larger than a pickleball or platform tennis court and smaller than a regular tennis court. The dimensions of a padel court are 65.6 feet (20 meters) long and 32.9 feet (10 meters) wide with each of the back walls residing at the back line boudnaries. As we mentioned, the ball is in play if it goes off of both back walls . This creates game play like that of Squash and Racquetball.
What are the Differences between Platform Tennis Vs Padel
Platform tennis and padel are similar in more ways than not. Both are forms of tennis that use paddles and are played at a smaller scale.
But, they aren’t the same sport! Here are some of the main differences.
- Padel has larger and more global presence than platform tennis. Padel has over 25 million players worldwide where platform tennis’ player count is in the low six figures worldwide.
- Platform tennis uses a spongey rubber ball and ditches the traditional tennis ball. Padel uses a ball very similar to a tennis ball. You can even use a tennis ball in padel if that’s all you have.
- A padel court is larger than a platform tennis court.
- The out of bounds in platform tennis is outside the lines of play, where the out of bounds in padel is if the ball hits the fencing on the sides. A padel ball is in play if it hits either back wall is in play.
- Platform tennis can take place in very cold weather, even if it just snowed. This is because the heated platform melts away snow. If it snows on a padel court, good luck!
- Even though platform tennis is usually in an enclosed court, you can’t play the ball off of the fence. Padel gives players the ability to play the ball off of the fence
- Platform tennis is first to 6 games. A typical padel match is best of 3 or 5 sets.
- Padel is ideally a double game. Singles games can work, but the court can be too big for many singles matches. Platform tennis is played in singles and doubles regularly
Conclusion
Platform tennis and padel are two similar, but different, racket sports. Platform tennis is a smaller form of tennis with paddles. The game features a heated platform for winter play. Padel is a combination of squash and paddle tennis. Knowing the difference is key to deciding which to play.