Key Takeaways
- The main difference between indoor vs. outdoor pickleballs is the holes. Outdoor balls usually have 40 small holes. Indoor balls usually have 26 larger ones.
- Outdoor balls are harder, a little heavier and built to hold their line in wind. Indoor balls are softer and lighter, and they are easier to control on a gym floor.
- The rules allow anywhere from 26 to 40 holes, so both patterns can be legal for sanctioned play.
- You can use either ball on either surface. It just won't play the way it was designed to.
- Clubs and tournaments should stock the ball that matches their courts, and tell players in advance which ball the event uses.
Pick up two pickleballs from different bags and they can look almost identical. Then you hit them and one flies fast and skids, while the other floats and sits up.
Most of that comes down to whether the ball was made for indoor or outdoor play. This guide explains indoor vs. outdoor pickleballs in plain terms, so you know which one your club, league or event should be using.
Why Pickleballs Have Holes at All
A pickleball is a hollow plastic ball, and the holes are what make the game playable. They let air pass through the ball, which slows it down and keeps its flight steady.
Change the number and size of the holes and you change how the ball moves through the air. That is the whole reason indoor and outdoor balls are built differently.
The rules give makers room to do this. USA Pickleball's equipment standards call for a ball with between 26 and 40 round holes, so a 26-hole ball and a 40-hole ball can both be legal.
Outdoor Pickleballs: 40 Smaller Holes
An outdoor ball has to deal with wind and rough courts. So it typically has 40 small holes, a harder plastic shell and a little more weight.
Smaller holes mean the wind has less to push on, so the ball holds its line better on a breezy day. The harder shell stands up to concrete and asphalt, which chew through soft plastic quickly.
On court, an outdoor ball feels fast. It comes off the paddle with a sharper pop, bounces lower and skids more, and it is harder to put heavy spin on.
The trade-off is how it wears. Hard plastic tends to crack, especially in cold weather, and a ball can also go slightly out of round after a lot of hard hitting.
Indoor Pickleballs: 26 Larger Holes
Indoors there is no wind, and the floor is usually smooth wood or a rubbery gym surface. An indoor ball is built for that: typically 26 larger holes, softer plastic and a lighter feel.
The softer shell grips a slick gym floor better and gives a more consistent bounce on it. The ball moves a touch slower through the air, which makes rallies longer and soft shots easier to control.
Indoor balls rarely crack. They wear out by going soft, and a soft ball feels dead and bounces low. They are also quieter, which matters in a shared gym.
Indoor vs. Outdoor Pickleballs at a Glance
| Outdoor ball | Indoor ball | |
| Typical hole count | 40 | 26 |
| Hole size | Smaller | Larger |
| Plastic | Harder | Softer |
| Weight | Slightly heavier | Slightly lighter |
| Speed off the paddle | Faster | Slower |
| Bounce | Lower, skids more | Truer on gym floors |
| How it wears out | Cracks | Goes soft |
| Best on | Concrete, asphalt and other hard courts | Wood and other smooth gym floors |
These are typical traits and not rules. Each brand tunes its own ball, so two outdoor balls can still feel different from each other.
Can You Use One on the Other Surface?
Yes. Nothing stops you, and plenty of players do it. The ball just behaves differently from how it was designed.
Take an indoor ball outside and the wind pushes it around. The rough court also scuffs the soft plastic, so it wears out sooner.
Bring an outdoor ball into a wood-floor gym and it tends to skid and play fast. It is louder too. That said, many dedicated indoor pickleball facilities have hard court surfaces, and a lot of them play with outdoor-style balls.
So when you compare indoor vs. outdoor pickleballs, go by the floor under your feet and not just whether there is a roof.
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Start with your courts. A club with outdoor hard courts needs outdoor balls. A program that runs in a school gym is usually happier with indoor balls. A club with both should keep both on hand.
For events, pick one ball and name it in the registration details. Players practice with the ball they expect to compete with, so telling them early is a courtesy they notice.
Order more than you think you need. Outdoor balls crack, indoor balls go soft, and a busy weekend goes through a lot of them. Our guide on how to run a pickleball tournament covers the rest of the planning list.
If your season moves inside for winter, our indoor season prep guide walks through what else changes besides the ball.
What "Meets USA Pickleball Standards" Means
USA Pickleball sets equipment standards for the ball, covering things like size, weight, bounce, hardness and hole count. A ball can be built to those standards without appearing on the official approved list.
That list is a separate step. A brand submits its ball for testing, and approval is granted to that brand's ball. Sanctioned tournaments choose their event ball from the approved list.
This matters if you are putting your own name on a ball. At Match Point Promotions, our custom pickleballs are made to meet USA Pickleball (USAPA) standards and come in 26-hole and 40-hole versions. Official certification is not included, so a brand that wants it submits its own documentation to USA Pickleball.
For club play, clinics, giveaways and non-sanctioned events, that distinction rarely comes up. If you are curious how a logo gets onto a ball in the first place, read can you print a logo on a pickleball.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between indoor and outdoor pickleballs?
Outdoor pickleballs usually have 40 small holes and a harder, slightly heavier shell, so they resist wind and rough courts. Indoor pickleballs usually have 26 larger holes and softer plastic, so they are easier to control on smooth gym floors.
How many holes does a pickleball have?
Between 26 and 40. Most outdoor balls have 40 holes and most indoor balls have 26, and both counts fall inside USA Pickleball's equipment standards.
Can you use outdoor pickleballs indoors?
Yes. On a wood gym floor an outdoor ball plays faster, skids more and is louder. On an indoor hard court it plays much the same as it does outside, which is why many indoor facilities use outdoor-style balls.
Can you use indoor pickleballs outside?
You can, but wind moves the lighter ball around and rough courts wear the soft plastic quickly. For regular outdoor play, an outdoor ball is the better choice.
Why do outdoor pickleballs crack?
The plastic is hard so the ball can handle rough courts and wind. Hard plastic gets brittle in cold weather, and repeated hard hits eventually split it. Rotating in fresh balls on cold days helps.
Do indoor and outdoor pickleballs come in different colors?
Both come in several colors. Pick one that stands out against your court and background. Yellow and neon green are common outdoors, and brighter or contrasting colors are popular in gyms with light walls.
Put Your Logo Where Every Player Is Looking
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Request a free quote and send your logo. We'll show you how it looks on a pickleball before you pay anything.
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