Sports halls: sizes and layouts guidance notes

1 Sports Halls: sizes and LayoutsDesignGuidance NoteSports Halls: sizes and Layouts2 IntroductionThis guidance Note recommends minimumdimensions for the design of multi- Sports well as being the UK s most popular indoorsport badminton has the most demandingrequirements for a number of functionalelements including lighting and associated roofstructure, background colours and air these reasons the overall dimensions of thefive halls shown are derived from the optimumarrangement of badminton courts compatiblewith the minimum spatial requirements of otherindoor space required for most games depends onthe standard of play; generally the higher thestandard the larger the space. The playing areais usually the same size but increased safetymargins and clear height may be required. Formost competition play an extra zone is requiredfor team benches and an officials table and a further security zone between teams andspectators may be required for major these margins around the playing areaproduces the critical overall space the minimumsafe area for each standard of specialist halls individual requirements, partic-ularly for Sports that need a larger pitch such ashandball, hockey and korfball, may overrule themodular method in favour of the key sport scritical dimensions.

2 Other factors which maymilitate against the modular method include: dedicated extra space for example asprint chute for indoor athletics additional spectator seating where a large hall serves as a regionalsports arena to adjust to structural and key buildingcomponent sizes non- Sports events that require increasedspace where a multi- Sports hall is designed forcounty or national standard play in one ormore Sports how many courts? guidance on selecting a hall size to accommodatea range of Sports at different levels of play isshown in the table. It covers the Sports thatrequire line markings and confirms the numberof courts and pitches for each size of hall . Thetable omits Sports that need less space forwhich all the sizes noted have ample capacityand sufficient clear height. The abbreviationsused denote:RrecreationalPpracticeCclubLDlowe r divisions, local leagueTDtop divisions, local leagueCycountyRgregionalNnational/intern ationalA few three-court halls have been built, but withan area only 20% less than four-court halls andbecause of the restrictions imposed on mostteam games they are not considered torepresent value for money.

3 However, three-court(27 x 18 x ), two-court (17 x 18 x ),and one-court (10 x 18 x ) Sports halls arecovered in the guidance Note Village andCommunity hall structure, lights and division nettingmust be aligned between badminton Halls: sizes and Layouts3 Four-court hallSix-court hallEight-court hallNine-court hallTwelve-court hall33 x 18 x x 27 x x 33/4 x x 27 x x 33 x high594m2918m21221m21377m21782m2 SportStandard of playStandard of playStandard of playStandard of playStandard of playCCyN CCyN CCyN CCyN CCyNRRRRRB adminton and4 63383/6*3/6*966126/9*6short htBasketballC(LD)C(TD) C(TD)C(LD) C(TD)C(LD) C(TD)C(LD) C(TD)1 1112111/2P1/3P131/2*1/2*2P2P 2 PGymnasticsP P 1P 2P113P11 Five-a-side1P 21 21 3 1P 331footballHandball1 1 21 2 11 311 Mini9m ht9m ht 9m htIndoor1 1 2P 2 11 311hockeyUnihocKorfballP P 1 111 3P112P9m ht 9m htNetballP P 2P1 1/2P112P1/2*1/2*Volleyball11 21/2P 221/242/3*1/342/4*2 htSports hallPP P1 2P111112P11athleticsNotes* Maximum number of courts, without spectator seating, for preliminary roundsP Below space standard for competition play recommended by the governing body, but suitable for practice and training54m33/4m37m51m0m0m18m0m27m0m33/4 m0m27m0m33mModular incremental Sports hall Halls: sizes and Layouts4 BadmintonCricket netsTeam gamesTrampoline/judoTable tennis/badmintonShort bowls/gymnasticsFour-court hallThe critical minimum dimensions for this mostpopular size of Sports hall are 33 x 18 x structure must always be aligned betweenthe badminton courts to create four bays.

4 Extrawidth can be considered to enable cricket netsto be hung alongside rather than over thebadminton courts and to provide an extendedspectator zone. An extra added to thelength and to the width allows for a full- size netball court with side and end A minimum height of must beprovided over the whole badminton courtarea and 7m minimum for most teamgames including basketball and volleyball. The 33 x 18m dimensions allow fourdoubles play badminton courts with acentral division net. County standard badminton requires alength of and a height of The 18m width is ideal for several of thesmaller space Sports . A full-length fencingpiste, short mat bowls carpet and up to fourtable tennis tables can be accommodatedacross the width of the hall . Badminton courts can be central in the hallor offset to provide a narrow circulationzone to the entrance side of the hall . Bagged cricket and hall division netting canbe stowed outside the critical play areas formost Sports but for five-a-side footballwhich utilises the whole space nets mustbe hoisted above shoulder height.

5 Basketball benefits from an increase inwidth to 19m to allow full side margins or,alternatively, the minimum margins plusofficials diagram on page 5 shows the full markingstypically used in a four-court hall with keysetting out dimensions. Recommended linecolour is shown on a background that denotes abeechwood floor. Preferred positions for dooropenings and viewing panels are includedaround the perimeter. The netball play area isshown reduced to allow full safety scale diagrams for individual Sports are shown later in the guidance Note. Theyprovide background on the possibilities andrestrictions inherent in planning multi-purposespaces but do not show all line governing body handbooks for thislevel of uses of a four-court example of enhanced dimensions for countylevel badminton also ideal for Halls: sizes and bays with beams between courtsEntrance 1 Entrance baggedcricket net'U' netting trackBadminton 1 Badminton 2 Badminton 3 Badminton 33 x 18 x four-court Halls: sizes and Layouts6 Six-court hallThe 33/34 x 27 x hall creates twoteam Sports zones or a competition playarea aligned with spectator seating.

6 The 3 + 3badminton court arrangement is recommendedin preference to the 4 + 2 layout originally usedin this type of hall . The 34m length provides therequired safety margin behind the badmintoncourts. Further increases in length will berequired for county standard Align structure between badminton courts toprovide three full-span bays or introduce aprimary beam across the centre of the hall . Division netting is hung between the threerows of courts. It can also be consideredbetween two end courts but this zone isusually designated for retractable seating. A height of and extra length isrequired for county standard badminton. Two standard basketball courts or tworeduced five-a-side football courts can belaid across the hall with modified D endmarkings. Wider pitches for recreational handball,hockey and korfball are possible in the six-court hall as well as more space for sportshall athletics. The 4 + 2 badminton court arrangementrequires a four-bay structure to ensure thatlighting and transverse netting accord withthe four primary courts.

7 In the 4 + 2 layout shown there is insufficientlength to accommodate the full run-back toend-on courts in the 9m halls can be divided into two or more teamgame or competition traditional 33 x 27m layout gives a longercompetition court for team games but structure mustrun between the four primary badminton courts9m18mSports Halls: sizes and min3m 3 Court 4 Court 5 Court 6 Court 2 Court x county netball28 x 15m county basketballTwo 25 x 14m basketball 33/34 x 27 x six-court hall . The minimum area for six badminton courts and ball Halls: sizes and Layouts8 Eight-court hallThe critical dimensions are 37 x 33/4 x This hall can be divided into two full-sizeplay zones for most Sports hall team requirements become more demandingas hall size increases and the environmentalimpact of extra high halls has to be weighedagainst more restricted use and possible balldamage in too low a This size is particularly suitable for countynetball and top division basketball.

8 Fornetball the court would be marked out totake advantage of the 37m dimension or,preferably, width would be increased. Align structure between badminton courtsto provide four full bays or introduce acentral primary beam. Four county standard badminton courts canbe marked out or rolled down and require aclear height of To accommodate a minimum size indoorhockey pitch, handball or korfball, lengthmust be increased to 39m. These halls can seat upwards of 1,000spectators for a table tennis final or forother Sports with limited space require-ments. Escape routes from the hall musttake this capacity into account. Invariably, eight-court halls are used fornon- Sports events and access for usersand equipment requires extra consider-ation. An increase in overall area issometimes visits (%) fit/aerobics/ five-a-side skating/roller in : All Sports hall : Percentages add up to more than 100% as a user could take part in more than one activity during a :Survey of Sports Halls and SwimmingPools in England, Sport England (1999).

9 Sports hall activities in order of popularitySports Halls: sizes and Layouts933m/34mVariable 22m min netballBadminton, short tennis and court hall games as belowFive-a-side/handball/unihoc/ Sports hall athleticsOr spectatorsVolleyballOr centre court playBasketball orbadminton as curtainsRetracted 37 x 33/34 x eight-court hall . The minimum area for two full zones for ball games. County standardbadminton courts would align along the hall Halls: sizes and Layouts10 Nine-court hallThis 51 x 27 x high hall is suitable for club standard indoor hockey, handball, korfballand five- or six-a-side football. Its elongateddimensions also provide more scope for sportshall athletics and gymnastics. Spectator capacitywithin the hall is limited for long pitch gameswhen extra width may be considered smaller hall 47m in length would be suitablefor a full- size indoor hockey pitch with end run-outs but does not provide such a space-efficient layout for hall area is 11% greater than the eight-court hall but there is greater sportscapacity and, essentially, space for thethree long pitch games.

10 Run main structure to divide the hall intothree zones with secondary structurebetween badminton courts. It can provide three to six activity zones withgood access from a circulation route downthe length of one side of the hall . There is space for six county standard roll-down badminton courts with seating for approximately 500 spectators in thecentral zone. The 27m width does restrict flexibility inlaying out the smaller team games andresults in more courts being run lengthwisedown the hall . Narrower dimensions than for the eight-court hall can result in a more economicalstructural seatingSpectator requirements should be establishedat the outset as seating capacity is a majordeterminant in selecting hall space can often be justified toincrease income or to add flexibility for bothsports and non- Sports events. Spectatorprovision can take several forms: Chairs or benches lined along the side ofthe hall and outside the critical overallsports space.