Court Orientation

The orientation of a padel court — the compass direction in which the long axis of the court runs — affects player comfort and fairness on outdoor courts, particularly when the sun is low in the sky.

FIP Recommendation

The FIP guidelines recommend a north-south orientation for outdoor padel courts. This means the long axis of the court (the 20 m length) runs north to south, so the two ends of the court face approximately north and south.

The rationale is that a north-south orientation minimises the time during which either player faces directly into the sun. An east-west orientation would put one team looking into the rising or setting sun for extended periods, creating a significant and unavoidable disadvantage.

This is a recommendation, not an absolute requirement — the FIP does not prohibit other orientations where site constraints, building layout, or geography make strict north-south alignment impractical.

Practical Effect

On outdoor courts with a non-ideal orientation:

• Players change ends every two games (following the standard changes of sides rule), which helps balance any sun or glare disadvantage between teams over the course of the match
• A particularly extreme sun position may lead to a referee suspending play briefly if the sun directly impairs a player’s ability to see the ball safely — this is rare and treated as a weather/environmental interruption

Indoor Courts

Court orientation is not relevant for fully enclosed indoor courts with artificial lighting. The recommendation applies exclusively to open-air outdoor installations.

Summary

Aspect	Status
Recommended orientation	North-south (long axis)
Status of recommendation	Guideline, not mandatory rule
Applicable to	Outdoor courts only
Mitigation for other orientations	Players change ends every two games