It is a question that comes up every time someone sees a tube of balls that is not yellow: can you use coloured balls in padel? What about pink ones? The answer is in the text the International Padel Federation (FIP) publishes alongside its list of approved balls, and the 2026 wording is different from 2025. All the gear is in the padel balls category of the shop.
What follows is based on the official document FIP Approved Balls Certifications 2026, in its "The ball" section, which reproduces an extract of the rules (consulted in October 2026).
What colour can padel balls be?
- Allowed colours: white, yellow or any other colour that offers an appropriate contrast with the court surface.
- What changes in 2026: the 2025 version of the document said only white or yellow; the 2026 one opens the door to other colours with contrast.
- Pink or coloured balls: legal as far as colour goes, if they contrast with the court.
- Official tournament: only a ball from the FIP list of approved balls is valid, whatever its colour.
- Among friends or at your club: any colour you can see clearly will do.
What colour can padel balls be? ↑ index
White, yellow or any other colour, as long as it contrasts with the court surface. That is what the FIP's official document for 2026 says.
The exact sentence in the document is this: "The ball must be a rubber sphere with a uniform outer surface in white, yellow or any other colour that offers an appropriate contrast and is different from the colour of the playing surface". The same text sets other physical characteristics of the ball:
Diameter: between 6.35 and 6.77 cm.
Weight: between 56.0 and 59.4 g.
Bounce: between 135 and 145 cm when dropped from a height of 2.54 m.
What does "appropriate contrast" mean? ↑ index
It means the ball must be clearly distinguishable from the colour of the court. The rules do not give a list of valid colours: they give the criterion.
It is compared with the playing surface: the text says "different from the colour of the playing surface", that is, the court.
A ball that blends into the court does not comply: even if its colour is on the list, if it does not stand out against the floor it does not offer the contrast the text asks for.
Yellow is still the standard: it is the colour almost everyone plays with and the one that raises the fewest doubts.
What changes in 2026 compared with 2025 ↑ index
The 2025 version of the FIP document said only white or yellow; the 2026 version adds "any other colour" with contrast.
If you have read on some website that from 2026 only white and yellow balls are valid, that does not match the FIP's official document. Check it at the link above: it is the source we used.
2025 list of approved balls: white or yellow.
2026 list of approved balls: white, yellow or another colour that contrasts with the court.
A legal colour is not an approved ball ↑ index
In official competition only balls on the FIP list of approved balls may be used. A legal colour is not enough: the ball has to be approved.
To play with friends or at your club there is no such requirement: choose the colour you see best on your court. If you are going to play a tournament, check first which ball the organisers require and make sure it appears on the FIP list.
Coloured balls: what is valid and what is not ↑ index
Any colour with contrast is legal as far as colour goes; in an official tournament the ball must also be approved.
| Situation | Valid? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow ball | Yes | Colour expressly named by the FIP |
| White ball | Yes | Colour expressly named by the FIP |
| Pink ball, or another colour that stands out against the court | Yes, colour-wise | "Any other colour" with appropriate contrast |
| Ball in a colour that blends into the court | No | It does not offer the contrast the text requires |
| Official tournament with a non-approved ball | No | Only balls on the FIP list of approved balls are valid |
| Match among friends or at the club | Yes | Approval is not required |
Practical summary: before buying, look at the colour that shows up best on your court and, if you compete, check that the ball is on the FIP list.
Frequently asked questions about padel ball colours ↑ index
What colour can padel balls be?
White, yellow or any other colour that offers an appropriate contrast with the court surface, according to the FIP's official document for 2026.
Are coloured padel balls legal?
Yes, as far as colour goes, as long as they contrast with the court. In an official tournament, the ball must also be on the FIP list of approved balls.
Are pink balls legal?
As far as colour goes, yes, if they stand out clearly against the court surface. To compete, the specific ball must be approved by the FIP.
What has changed in 2026 regarding ball colour?
The 2025 version of the FIP document said only white or yellow. The 2026 version adds any other colour with an appropriate contrast.
Can I use a coloured ball in a tournament?
Only if that ball is on the FIP list of approved balls. A legal colour does not replace approval.
What size is an official padel ball?
A diameter between 6.35 and 6.77 cm, a weight between 56.0 and 59.4 g and a bounce between 135 and 145 cm when dropped from 2.54 m.
Padel ball glossary ↑ index
Our customers ask ↑ menu
Three questions we hear in the shop and by email about ball colour.
Can I play my club tournament with coloured balls? It depends on the organiser: in official FIP competition only balls on the approved list are valid; in a social tournament the club decides. Ask before buying the tube.
Where do I check whether a ball is approved? In the FIP ball certification PDF on padelfip.com, linked above: look for the exact brand and model printed on the tube.
Which balls do you stock at Tienda Padelpoint? The padel balls category shows the tubes with up-to-date stock. If you are torn between two, write to us and we will tell you which one shows best on your court.
Tienda Padelpoint's verdict ↑ index
If you remember one thing: from 2026 the ball can be any colour that contrasts with the court, but in an official tournament it is only valid if the FIP has approved it.
To play at your club, choose the colour that shows up best on your court. To compete, first check that the ball is on the FIP list and only then look at the colour.
If you compete in the UK, the LTA (Lawn Tennis Association) applies the FIP rules and its list of approved balls. Buy your padel balls at Tienda Padelpoint with delivery to the United Kingdom (outside the EU, customs charges may apply); shipping, returns and warranty are on their own page.
