sport england s- sports halls design and layouts

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February Revision 005 © Sport England 2012

DesignGuidance Note

Updated & Combined Guidance

Sports HallsDesign & Layouts

Creating sporting opportunities in every community



Sports Halls DesignGuidance Note

February Revision 005 1 © Sport England 2012

ForewordSport England believes that good facilities arefundamental to developing sporting opportunitiesfor everyone, from the youngest beginner to theinternational class athlete. The buildings whetherlarge or small can encourage civic pride andassist the process of revitalising deprivedneighbourhoods. Facilities that are well designedbuilt to last and well maintained are a pleasure touse and give an ample return on the time andmoney invested in their construction and day today use.

Good design needs to be based on a soundunderstanding of such issues as the current trendsand practices within individual sports, the widerleisure industry and the lessons to be learnt frompreviously built schemes.

Good design needs to be embraced within theearliest vision statement for a particular projectand enshrined in the initial briefing stage throughto the final detailed specifications and operationalarrangements.

Sport England design guidance notes aim topromote a greater general understanding of overall

design concepts, an appreciation of technicalissues and the critical factors that need to beconsidered in reaching the appropriate solution fora particular project. They also advise where furtherinformation, advice and expertise may be foundand point to benchmark examples.

Increase awareness of good design in sportsfacilities

Help key building professions, clients,user representatives

and other stakeholdersto follow best practice

Encourage welldesigned sportsfacilities that meet the

needs of sports and are a pleasure to use.

•

•

•

Sport England’s design guidance notes aim to:

To be read inconjunction with

separate Sport England publication ‘Developingthe Right Sports Hall’.

This interim update aligns with the new SportEngland publication ‘Developing the Right SportsHall’ and the ‘Sports Data Sheets’.

Later in 2012, Sport England will be rehosting afully updated revision of ‘Sports Halls Design andLayouts’ design guidance note to encompass the

latest round of developments and initiativescurrently under discussion.





Contents1.0 Introduction 3

• General• National statistics and trends• Current challenges• Levels of play• Adjustments of space requirements• Modular approach to hall sizes• Specifications for multi-sport halls• Range of sports and local needs• Quality

2.0 Site selection and planning 10• Active design objectives• Location• External planning• External appearance

3.0 Scale of facility 13

4.0 Hall and centre planning 16• Main Entrance• Reception area and ofce accommodation• Social and viewing areas• Spectator seating / viewing• Changing capacity• Changing areas• Clothes storage lockers• Showers• Equipment store• Mat store• Special events• Toilet accommodation• First aid room / physiotherapy room• Cleaners store• Staff facilities• Secondary areas

o Fitness equipment room o Ancillary halls

5.0 Detailed design of the sports hall 26• General design• Access to and from the sports hall• Structure• Sports oor• Internal walls• Exterior facades• Roof• Fittings

6.0 Environmental & sustainability issues 32• Energy efciency• Overall heating and ventilation requirements• Choice of systems• Comparison of heating / ventilation systems• Articial lighting• Daylighting• Acoustics• Reverberation times• Sound insulation

7.0 External sports facilities 37

Appendix 1 38• Standard multi-sport halls

o Four-court hallo Five-court hall

o Six-court hallo Larger hall congurations

Appendix 2 43• Court dimensions

o Badminton o Basketball o Cricket practice / Indoor cricket o Five-a-side o Futsal o Handball o (Indoor) Hockey o Korfball o Netball o Volleyball





General

This guidance note covers the design and planningof multi sports and specialist sports halls and theirattendant accommodation. These halls can be inthe form of a single ‘stand alone’ building withminimum support accommodation or as acomponent within a larger centre.

The building type can be traced back to thebeginning of the last century. Some early examplesbeing simple ‘sports barns’ on school sites thatgave basic weather projection to outdoor playingareas. Others were part of larger community sports

centres that were developed from the 1970’s. Various development projects and programmes 1 in the 1980’s saw the evolution of standard compactand cost effective designs. Further developmentwork by Sport England led to the ‘Optimum’ sportshall concept as an economically sustainable ‘off thepeg’ design package 2 for the new millennium.

Various built examples around the country providean excellent range of benchmarks for welldesigned, efficient and attractive centres that usegood quality materials and achieve a high degreeof customer appeal.

1.0 Introduction

National statistics and trends

It is estimated 3 that there are over 4,500 multi-sporthalls in England. This represents approximately2.7million m 2 of floor space and the vast majority(83%) are small halls with 3-4 badminton courts.

Almost half of the halls are operated on a pay andplay basis (44%), whilst the remainder are splitbetween membership / club and private use.

Nearly all sports halls in England were built in thesecond half of the twentieth century with one thirdbeing built since 1996 and half since 1986.

During the period 1940’s – 1960’s almost all newsports hall were built by the education sector. Inthe 1970’s, Local Authority reorganisation triggereda significant increase of provision with a peak of453 new sports halls being built between 1971 and1975. From the mid 80’s the number of localauthority sports halls declined whilst the numberof education sports halls increased up until the mid1990’s. Since then this trend has been reversedwith an increase in the number of Local Authorityhalls and a decline in education owned hallsdespite the Building Schools for the Future (BSF)programme being an important contributor.

There has been a steady trend for the educationsector to outsource the management of their sportshalls as shown by the distribution diagram below:

Current challenges

With the potential for many secondary schools to

have their physical education (PE) and sportsprovision updated, it is important to fullyunderstand the value that flexible multi-sportindoor sports halls can offer. Stakeholders shouldbe challenged to consider the future of teaching,learning and community participation and help toinspire future facility development 4.

This should include strategic planning for school andcommunity sports facilities, and appropriate designspecification for buildings and outside areas.

The investment in PE and school sport has neverbeen so good; yet many of the various capital andrevenue programmes supporting theirdevelopment are developed in isolation.There are significant variations and imbalances inthe provision of sports halls within England and theextent that they meet local needs. For example,London, that has some 12.5% of the population ofEngland, has 4% fewer sport halls than theaverage for the rest of the country.

See Active Places data base for the situation in aparticular location.

http://www.activeplaces.com/ 1 Technical Unit for Sport Development Project at Tamworthfollowed by the Sport England Standard Approach to SportsHalls (SASH) design and building programme.

2 Later updated to the Optimum Package.3 Active Places Data (January 2011) halls with 3 or morebadminton courts.

England: Sports halls by management provider

Well designed SPORTS HALLS can accommodate an extensive range of school PE and sports activities that can benetthe whole community.

4 For the key design issues in designing for sport on school sites:http://www.partnershipsforschools.org.uk/documents/library/ BSF-archive/PfS_Factsheet_DesignGuidance_PESport.pdf





Acoustic dividing screen integrated into the design

International This category relates to the lowestlevel of International play 7.

Premier This category relates to a Premier /National League Club competing inregional or inter county competitions.

Club This category relates to a localclub competing in District andCounty League competitions.

Community This category relates to school andcommunity use where there is noformal competitive structure / nospecific need for space for officialsor spectator accommodation.

6 See Appendix 4 of Sport England publication ‘Developingthe Right Sports Hall’ for more information.7 For higher levels of international competition, such as majorchampionships, the relevant NGB should be consulted at avery early stage as the requirements vary considerably.

Levels of play

The space requirements in sports halls should relateto the level of play categories for the particularactivities. Generally, the higher the level of play, themore space that is required for the safety zones andother margins around the playing area. For manycompetition events, an extra zone is also requiredfor team benches and officials’ tables. An additionalsecurity zone between teams and spectators mayalso be required for major events. Adding thesemargins around the playing area produces thecritical overall space – i.e. the minimum safe areafor a particular level of play.

For some sports such as Badminton 5, Volleyball

and trampoline the clear internal height above thecourt to any downward projection such as lightfittings, roof mounted equipment and tracking fornetting is also important.

Levels of play can be generally categorised asInternational, Premier, Club and Community 6 andan overview of what can be accommodated invarious sizes of hall is shown on page 6.

See separate Sport England publications:

• ‘Developing the RightSports Hall’

• ‘Comparative Sizes ofSports Pitches and Courts’.

5 See Sport England design guidance note ‘Badminton’ .

Adjustments of space requirements

Adjustments to the nominal sizes of sports hallsmay also be required for a number of business andprograming reasons. In addition, there may be arange of technical issues in the detailed design andconstruction processes. These might include:

• Space for division nets / screens / barriers

• Space for addional viewing / spectators /officials

• Adjustment in position of court line marking toavoid conflicts

• Structural grid requirements

• Mechanical and electrical installations

• The support of fixed sports equipment onthe walls and roof

• Location of light fittings in relationship to thecourt markings.

Early consideration of such factors will help toensure a well integrated design solution and help

to avoid compromise to the minimum safetyrequirements and the successful operation of thesports hall.

However, it should be noted that other categoriesand terms are used by a number of SportsGoverning Bodies and sports promoters for

particular events and programmes. For example:Top divisions

Local league

Lower divisions

Sports Governing Bodies also have their ownspecifications and classification system for sportfacilities.





8 In the past, Building Bulletin 98 referred to a minimum size

of 18 x 33 x 7.6m. This size is now considered by SportEngland and the NGBs to be unsuitable as it does not allowthe recommended court sizes and limits teaching / coachingand flexibility of use.

Modular approach to hall sizes

Badminton is often the sport which has the mostinfluence over the design of sports halls. It isfrequently a popular activity and has a convenientspace requirement for adopting a modularapproach to the sizing of halls. It can also influencea number of building elements such as the roofstructure, lighting, background colours and airvelocities. These issues are discussed in moredetail in Sections 5 and 6.

A single badminton court space is regarded as thesmallest practical multi-sport space. See SportEngland design guidance note ‘Community andVillage Halls’.

The number of Badminton courts is used as an easy reference forthe size of a sports hall.

(i.e. 4 or 12 court hall)See table on page 7 for nominal

hall sizes and the range of sportsthat can be accommodated.

Two or three badminton court halls are also seen

as valuable facilities, but a four court configurationis required for many sports that need to be playedalong the length of the space. However additionallength and width is likely to be required to obtainthe best value for money.

For school projects a minimum size of 34.5 x 20.0 x 7.5 m is recommended 8 .

Specifications for multi-sport halls

A hall based on a 4 badminton court module canbe successfully designed to accommodate arange of sports, but careful attention should begiven to the proposed level of play category foreach sport, the critical dimensions for the ‘principalplaying area’ and ‘run off’ spaces and the choiceof sports floor.

The Sport England publication ‘Developing theRight Sports Hall’ sets out a 7 step process thatincludes decisions about establishing which sportsare considered as ‘priority’ and ‘secondary’ withina hall. In multi-sports projects, the individual spatialrequirements of sports such as netball, handball,hockey and korfball that exceed the minimumrequirements for 4 badminton courts are critical -extra space will be required both on the width andthe length.

This has led to the updated 4 court hall modulewith nominal dimensions of 34.5 x 20.0 x 7.5 mand a larger 5 court hall module with nominaldimensions of 40.6 x 21.35 x 7.5 m being theminimum sizes for multi-sport projects, dependingon the range of sports to be accommodated. Seethe table on page 7 for the sports, level of playcategories and court numbers that can beaccommodated within a range of typical nominalhall sizes based on these modules.





Acoustic dividing screen at the centre point of a 6-court hall on a school site allows the space to be divided into two teaching spaces

The updated sizes for the 4 and 5 badminton court modules give advantagesfor the individual sportswhich include:

Volleyball • 2 training courts that can be separated

by netting• Space on side for officials tables for

central court

Basketball • Space for safety zones to NGB’s

standards• Space on side for official’s tables

Netball • Space for increased size of court and

safety zones (but still less than NGB recommendation unless the width is increased to 21.35 m)

Handball • Additional length for court (1m short)*

Cricket • Additional length for bowlers run up

end

Others• Added general flexibility for teaching

nets.

See pages 38 - 41 for details.

* if Handball is a priority then additional lengthwould be recommended.

Modular sports hall approach

0m

0m

0m

0m

0m

18m

18m

34.5m

40.0m20.0m 60.0m

42.7m 64.05m21.35m

51.75m0m

0m

17m

40.6m

27m

34.5m

The 4 and 5 court halls provide additional spacefor teaching school PE

and coaching(particularly when the hall is

sub-divided into two sections).





Overview of numbers of courts* / levels of play for nominal hall sizes

Sport andlevel of play category ** 4

C o u r t

h a

l l

( 3 4 . 5

x 2 0

. 0 x

7 . 5 m

)

5 C o u r t

h a

l l

( 4 0 . 6

x 2 1

. 3 5

x 7 . 5

m )

8 C o u r t

h a

l l

( 4 0 . 0

x 3 4

. 5 x

8 . 3 m

)

1 0 C o u r t

h a

l l

( 4 0 . 6

x 4 2

. 7 x

9 . 0 m

)

1 2 C o u r t

h a

l l

( 6 0 . 0

x 3 4

. 5 x

9 . 0 m

)

1 5 C o u r t

h a

l l

( 6 4 . 0 5 x

4 0

. 6

x 9 . 0

m )

Badminton (with 1 dividing net per 4 or 5 court module)International 1 4 2+3 4 2 8 2 8 12 12 1 Excludes ofcials zone.

2 Requires a clear height of 9.0 m.3 It is assumed that division nets are excluded.

Premier 1 4 2 5 2 8 2 10 12 15Club 1 4 5 8 10 12 15Community 1 4 5 8 10 12 15

BasketballInternational - - 1 1 2 2Premier - - 1 1 2 2Club 1 1 2 2 3 3Community 4 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 Excludes team / officials zone.Reduced court size 5 2 2 4 4 6 6 5 Excludes team / ofcials zone.

Cricket practice / Indoor cricket

Community 6 4 4 8 8 12 126 Includes allowance for a central 3.4 m wide (minimum) clear zone for

basketball goals within each 4 or 5 court module.

GymnasticsInternational - - - O P P

The new hall sizes provide more space for all the gymnasticsdisciplines.

Premier P P 1 1/2P 1/3P 1/3PClub P 1 1 1/2P 1/3P 1/3PCommunity 1 1 2 2 3 3

Five-a-side football / FutsalInternational - - P P 1 1

The new hall sizes provide more space for Five-a-side football /Futsal.

Premier P P 1 1 3 3Club 1 1 2 2 3 3Community 1 1 2 2 3 3

HandballInternational - - - 1 1 1

The new hall sizes provide more space for Handball.Premier - 1 1 2 1 3Club - 1 1 2 1 3Community 1 1 2 2 3 3

Indoor hockey

International - - - 1 1 1The new hall sizes provide more space for Indoor Hockey.

Premier - P P 1 1 1Club - P P 1 1 1Community 1 Unihoc 1 Unihoc 1 Unihoc 2 1 2

KorfballInternational - - - - 1 1

The new hall sizes provide more space for Korfball.Premier - - 1 1 1 2Club - - 1 1 1 2Community 1 1 2 2 3 3

Netball

International 7 / 8 0 0 1 1 1 1

7 A practice area will be required close to the international competition court.8

For International and Super League consult with England Netballon space required for tv equipment and anticipated club specicspectator requirements.

Premier 0 1 9 1 2 9 1 3 10

9 The hall / module width needs to be increased to 23.35 m to allow fora 2.0 m wide team / ofcials zone which cannot be accommodated inthe standard size hall.

10 Excludes team / ofcials zone which must be accommodated

by increasing the hall size and/or by sharing team/ofcial zonesbetween multiple courts.11 Where netball is not the primary sport, by agreement, England Netball

will allow club netball to be played in this size hall, with reduced runoffs and no team and ofcial zones.

Club 1 11 1 9 2 10 2 9 3 11 3 10

Community 1 1 2 2 3 3

Sports hall athleticsInternational - - - P 1P 1P

The new hall sizes provide more space for all the athleticsdisciplines.

Premier P P 2P 2P 3P 3P

Club P P 2P 2P 3P 3P

Community P P 2P 2P 3P 3P

VolleyballInternational 0 0 1 1 2 2

Premier 1 1 2 2 3 3

Club 1 1 2 2 3 3

Community 4 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 Excludes team / officials zone.

Training courts 4 2P 2P 4P 4P 6P 6P 4 Excludes team / officials zone.

General notes:• Unless noted otherwise all sizes include for team / officials

zones but DO NOT include for any spectator provision.• The number of courts noted for each hall size does not take into

account the additional option of inclusion of ‘Show Court’ overlays.

Indicative court numbers are an update of the previous revision and should be checked against the space requirements for the individual sports to be accommodated.See Appendix 4 of ‘ Developing the Right Sports Hall’ for guidance on the level of play category for each sport.P = Below space standard for competition play recommended by the governing body, but suitable for practice and training.

*

**

***





Decisions on the size ofthe sports hall and support

accommodation should be based on:

All sports hall projects shoulduse the 7 step process todevelop the project brief.

Range of sports and local need

The local need for each sports hall project, for bothnew and refurbishment schemes, may varyconsiderably and needs to be established beforeany designs are developed. Sport England and theNGBs have worked together to produce a standardmethodology for all sports hall projects to enablea clear vision and project brief to be established.Detailed guidance on the methodology and whocan help is available in Sport England’s publication ‘Developing the Right Sports Hall’ . A summary ofthe 7 steps in the methodology is set out below.

Most popular sports hall activities taken from a Surveyof Sports Halls and Swimming Pools in England - SportEngland (1999)

Other activities that can be accommodated insports halls include:

• Archery

• Boxing

• Children play

• Dodgeball

• Fencing

• Handball

• Indoor golf

• Korfball

• Roller hockey

• Tchoukball.

Activity Hall visits (%)

Badminton 24.4

Keep fit / aerobics / step / yoga 23.6

Indoor five-a-side football / Futsal 18.3

Martial arts 6.3

Carpet / mat / short bowls 6.1

Gymnastics 3.6

Basketball 2.3

Netball 2.1

Table tennis 1.9 Dance 1.8

Trampolining 1.8

Indoor hockey 1.6

Tennis / short tennis 1.5

Roller skating / roller blading 1.2

Indoor cricket 1.0

Multi-sports session 0.7

Racquetball 0.6

Volleyball 0.6

Others 0.6

1

4

6

2

5

7

3

SUPPLY AND DEMAND ISSUES

HOW MUCH USE

THE BUSINESS CASE

STRATEGIC CONSIDERATIONS

DEVELOPING THE PROJECT BRIEF

THE DECISION

TYPE OF ACTIVITY / LEVEL OF PLAYCATEGORY





Imaginative design can invite attention and focus to thebuilding entrance

Quality

Sports halls are open for long hours, seven days aweek and take heavy wear as a result. It is thereforeimportant to design durable and high qualitybuildings with good, attractive and easilymaintained finishes.

For overall participation figures see ‘Active People

Survey’ download (for ‘Sport By Sport Fact Sheet’ )available from the Sport England website.

With careful management and use of division curtains anumber of activities can be programmed simultaneously





2.0 Site selection and planning Active design objectives

Plans for the location of new sports halls shouldconsider the objectives set out in the SportEngland publication ‘Active Design’ 9. It containsguidance and information on how sport andopportunities for people to be physically active canbe integrated into planning and developmentprojects. The range of physical and managementmeasures to promote active design objectivesinclude:

• Improved accessibility

• Enhanced amenity• Increased awareness.

Key issues in the site selection process will include:

• The opportunities for co-location with othercommunity focus points in order to share carparking, access and reception facilities

• The prioritisation of pedestrian, cycle andpublic transport routes

• The prominence of the location and

opportunities for visual communication / signage to encourage use of the facility.

9 See Sport England publication ‘Active Design’.

Location:

The shape and contours of the available site willobviously influence the siting of the sports hall andany important ancillary facilities, such as artificialgrass pitches (AGP) or a group of tennis courts.However, in most instances the proximity of anexisting access road and/or the necessary mainservices will be the main factor affecting itslocation, if unnecessary and expensive sitedevelopment costs are to be avoided. It is essentialthat the site provides:

• Sufficient space for the proposed facility aswell as space for future expansion

• Adequate car parking provision, including thepotential for overspill parking

• Access for service and emergency vehicles.

External planning

Provision should be made for:

• Car and coach parking closely related to themain entrance

• Disabled parking bays with ramped curbs• Drop off point adjacent to the entrance• Appropriate bench seating along pathways.

The entrance should be easy to access, feel safe to all users and be an attractive part of the public realm





• Access and adequate turning provision forservice vehicles

• Secure cycle standing located within sight ofthe office or reception

• Ramps, if there are changes in ground level,and additional handrailing

• Well-lit car parks and footpaths for safe accessafter dark

• Pedestrian routes planned away from areas ofpotential concealment.

The location of the building on the site shouldallow space for future expansion when the

opportunity exists. The popularity of specificsports and the need for social accommodationmay change over the life of the building and pastexperience shows that sport’s dimensional andsafety requirements can increase along with userexpectations for better equipped and morecomfortable support accommodation.

A planting scheme can assist in linking the sportshall building to its surroundings and particularly inurban projects can help to create a morewelcoming entrance. Suitably selected shrubplanting will provide a barrier to the building faceand help to deter vandalism and give more privacy

to glazed accommodation. All new planting willneed initial barrier protection.

See Sport England design guidance note ‘CarParking and Landscape Design’ .

Key design features:

• Clearly identified entrance• Well articulated structure• Prominent signage• Crisp detailing• High quality roof and wall

cladding.

External appearance

Sports halls often use industrial buildingcomponents and, unless carefully designed, can alltoo easily look just like another factory orwarehouse, an impression that should be avoided.

By necessity they are large buildings with fewwindows and require considerable skill in theselection of materials, use of colour and thegeneral design so that they look attractive andinviting by day and night.

In some locations such as on existing school andcollege sites, it may be appropriate to use brickcladding, but this can often lead to a heavy andoppressive character.





Set down point

N

School Entrance

CommunityEntrance

Potential futureexpansion

Main entrance givenvisual emphasis andprotection by canopy

Well lit car parkwith simple

vehicle circulation C o a c

h p a r k

i n g

Seat

Bicycles

Assistance dogrest area Seat

Articial Pitch

Exit for use at

peak times

Bus stop

Bus stop

Pedestraincrossing

Optimum / block plan

Prominentlypositioned signindicating nameof centre,facilities providedand otherinformation

Main entrancevisible from mainroad / siteboundary

Low plantingallowing carparking to beclearly visible

Clear directpedestrianfootpaths withclearly denedcross-overpoints wherevehicle andpedestrianroutes intersect

roadMain

Exit for use at

peak times

Notional site layout





3.0 Scale of facility The scale of the facility and supportaccommodation will depend upon the size of thesports hall and the extent of other activities to beincluded as part of the facility. For instance sportshalls may be combined with swimming pools, icerinks, etc. as part of a larger sports and leisurefacility.

Each project will have its own requirements, butevery freestanding sports hall should have:

• Foyer and reception

• Refreshment area

• Changing and toilet accommodation

• Facilities for disabled people

• Office accommodation

• Integral equipment storage

• Hall viewing with seating

• Provision for first aid

• Plant room

•

Cleaners store.This is often expanded to include the followingmodel range of accommodation whichcomplements sports halls of all sizes:

• Crèche 10

• Pram store

• Club meeting room

• Fitness and exercise studio/areas

• Multi-purpose secondary hall

• Staffroom

• Physiotherapy treatment room

• Licensed lounge

• All-weather external playing area.

Sports halls should be planned to provide:

• A simple, economical and spacious circulationsystem that is clearly intelligible to the userand permits easy supervision

• The elimination of long, narrow corridors thatmight confuse visitors and impart aninstitutional image

• Safe and secure access achieved by designand not by reliance on a closed circuittelevision system (CCTV).

The circulation pattern should enforce a sequentialprogression through the building:

• The entrance foyer and reception

• Linked to a social refreshment area

• Leading on to changing and toilets

• Leading to activity spaces.

The need to backtrack should be avoided exceptwhere a conscious decision has been made torearrange accommodation for a specific purpose,such as grouping glazed activity space around thesocial hub of a centre to allow spectator viewing.

Servicing and plant room access should be remotefrom the main entrance or arranged on an adjoiningelevation with an internal service route direct tokitchen store or bar cellar or into anyaccommodation that needs to be provisioned forsocial functions. Plant rooms should be located asclose as possible to the most heavily servicedspaces, usually the changing rooms or the deepend of a pool in a wet and dry centre. First aidrooms must have direct or easy access to thebuilding exterior and an ambulance bay should beprovided, remote from the main entrance.

10 Crèches national standards for under 8s day care andchildminding, Surestart DfE and DWP.





Note: All dimensions are in millimetres

Main and learner pools, an eight court hall andother accommodation planned off a mezzaninecirculation spine

Block plans illustrating different scales and mixesof accommodation

Six court hall with tnessand dance studios

Four court hallwith minimumancillaryaccommodation

Minimum corridor width of1500 in non-sportschair areas

In ‘Sportschair areas’ maintaina minimum preferred clear widthof 2500 to allow two sportschairs to pass

Doors that need to swingout into main corridorsshould be 'protected' bybeing set into a recess

2 5 0 0

2 5 0 0

2500

1500

1 5 0 0

Splayed walls at changesin direction will benetwheelchair users andvisually impaired people

Minimum 870 effective clear width

Minimum 1200 effective clear width

1500 turning circleto be maintainedthroughout the facility

B

BC

B

C

Where space is tight the circulationcan be reduced to 2000 with 2500passing places at max 5m apart

Key Dimensions

A

Radiator, hose reels andso on set into recesses tomaintain corridor width

Doors across corridors must have viewing panels

Where double doors of unequal wid th are used,the wider doors should all be on the same side of thecorridor and meet the minimum clear wid th requirement

A 2 0 0 0

5000 max 2500

Where the unobstructed width of a corridor is less than1.8m, they must have passing places at least 1.8m longand with an unobstructed width of at least 1.8m toallow wheelchair users to pass each other

Internal circulation diagram

25 m pool, four court hall with social areas andsecondary sports space on two levels

All levels must be capable of being accessed by users with disabilitiesvia a lift as even the smallest sports

hall with a minimum amount of support accommodation will have a floor area of at least 700 m 2 . Larger centres will require 2 lifts.

Sports wheelchairs require widerdoors, careful consideration is

needed during the design stage to allow sports chairs to access all appropriate areas of the building, including changing rooms, toilets and social areas.

See Sport England design guidance note ‘Accessible Sports Facilities’.





A 34.5 x 20.0 m sports hall with a typical range of accommodation. Alternatively, the club-meeting room space could bedeveloped as a crèche, soft play or exercise studio

Sports hall

Plant

7 . 5

m m

i n c

l e a r

h e

i g h t

Store

Changing

Natural lighting toancillary areas

Equipmentstore

Sports hall

School

Community

34.5 x 20m

Changing for 30

Changing for16

Changing for16

Changing for 30

StoreStCl

Mat

Sportschair store

store

S t a f f r o o m

( & F i r s t A i d ) Plant

FoyerClub/meetingroom

Store OfceOfce

Fitness

S t o r e

0 10m5

(& First Aid)

See pages 38-39 for arange of court layouts





4.0 Hall and centre planningMain entranceThe design of the entrance should be warm andwelcoming. The entrance foyer is the hub of thebuilding and should have sufficient space andvolume for people to circulate, view notices or waitfor friends in comfortable surroundings. Design toprovide:

• Views towards the sport hall and other mainelements of the building

• Convenient and secure store for pushchairsoverlooked from reception

• Draught lobby to the main entrance doors

• Automatic operation of the main doors whichis particularly helpful to wheelchair users andpeople with young children

• Space for the inclusion of security barriers.

The management strategy will dictate foyerplanning. Options for foyer design include:

• reception close to the point of entry withsufficient space for queuing

• an informal hotel type arrangement.

The first has the advantage of close control overthose entering the centre, the second provides fora more relaxed and welcoming style of operation.In either case the foyer and its associated spaces,

which can include seating, viewing andrefreshment areas, should be designed to be asopen and transparent as possible. Natural lighting,most probably from a roof source, will help createa pleasant atmosphere. The volume of the entranceis important in creating a comfortable arrivalspace. A higher ceiling can also help relate to thelarger volume of the sports hall.

In dual-use centres it is preferable to separate themain community entrance from the schoolentrance, so that one is approached directly fromthe main car park, and the other directly from theschool premises. This can reduce excessive usageof the entrance and social areas and minimisewear and tear on specified finishes.

Reception and office accommodation

The reception desk should:

• Be prominently sited

• Be of an open design with a dropped level forwheelchair users and children, but withsensitively designed security features asappropriate

• Incorporate storage for lost property and itemsfor sale or hire

• Make provision for the monitoring of fire andsecurity systems

• Allow for the integration of CCTV, PA and otheressential equipment (retrofitting such equipmentwhen space is tight can be difficult).

Only in dual-use schemes where club programming

predominates is it appropriate for the openreception counter to be replaced with a glazedscreen and counter to the staff office.

Dual use projects can have implications for the overall building specication.

Check requirements for:• Heating and ventilation strategy • Escape routes•

Examination requirements• Acoustics• Public entertainment.





Reception and social areas should be designed forflexibility to allow for different

management styles andchanging local circumstances.

The reception desk and office accommodationshould be closely linked. An island receptioncounter may be used for larger centres to controlsports hall, pool, ice rink or spectator access.Isolated reception counters should be providedwith an integral secure cash office.

Whenever possible offices should be located onan external wall for day lighting and views over theapproach to the building.

A small school / community sports hall might havea minimum administration area consisting of anoffice for one person with some storage.

Generally, a four-court hall would have a manager’soffice with meeting space and a general office,unless some administrative functions take placeoff-site.

Larger centres may include a separate cateringmanagers office, other specialist accommodationsuch as a rest room and male and female staffchanging.

Open reception desk with lower height sections forwheelchair users and children

Reception area and ofce accommodation

ColumnSafeguard lowheadroom

Lift

Dened space for waiting

and manoeuvring in frontof lift 1500 x 1500mmminimum

Recess features suchas vending machinesand radiators

Telephone recesslocated away fromnoisy areas

Logicalunobstructedroutes; clearsignage

Low counter reception –adequate space in frontand behind with inductionloop for staff and visitors

Flush and rm mattingto entire lobby

Lighting levelsin lobby providea transitionbetween insideand outside

Brackets or columns tocanopies or lights keptclear of circulation routes

Obvious entrance withclear views in helpsorientation

Seating areas shouldincorporate loose seatswith armrests

Waiting area – well litwith a ‘quiet’environment balancebetween acousticallyhard and soft areas

Seating area withindened area andlocated off the main

circulation route toavoid visually impairedpeople colliding withfurniture. In additionprovide integratedspaces for wheelchairusers

Where they areunavoidable, obstaclesshould be highlightedusing colour and lightingto assist way nding andto minimise the risk ofaccidental collision

Protect door swings

Locate visual and tactileinformation in obviousand convenient positions

Consider assistancedog rest area





Social and viewing areas

Where possible sports halls should be capable ofbeing viewed from social accommodation andevery hall with public use, including those onschool sites, should have some social andrefreshment accommodation. The simplest answeris to extend the foyer to include a seating areaoverlooking the hall through safety glazing fittedwith blinds or a curtain to avoid distractingbadminton players or other user groups. Two orthree vending machines with adjacent storage areoften sufficient for small halls but an alternative isto extend the reception counter for staff to servedrinks and snacks.

If a cafe area is included it should be:

• Located in or close to the entrance foyer toenhance the welcoming ambience and toenable the centre to benefit from customersecondary spend

• Designed to ensure that standards of decormatch successful high street equivalents.

In large centres social and viewing areas can begrouped together and may include:

• A bar and lounge

• Viewing into the hall and other areas.

Where it is not possible to accommodate thesefacilities at ground floor level, the social areasshould be visible from the foyer and linked to itwith a prominent staircase set in a generous well.It is important that this relationship is emphasisedand that the social content is not tucked away ina remote corner of the building. Supportaccommodation will include:

• Storage and servery areas serviced from anearby vehicle delivery point

• Proper refuse storage and containment withdirect access

• If there is a licensed area separate cellaragewill be needed and a physical form ofsegregation may be required.

Viewing of sports halls and other activity areasprovides added interest to the social content andassists in breaking down the cellular characteristicscommon to many older sports buildings. Thesebenefits have to be reconciled with the privacyneeds of some occupants so open galleries shouldbe capable of being shut off and glazed screensmust be fitted with curtains or blinds.

Viewing of sports halls and other activity areas provides added interest and should be designed to benet allusers - see ‘AccessibleSports Facilities’ design

guidance note.

Check with operators thatthere is adequate spacefor vending machines (andfuture expansion).

Views from entrance / reception of climbing wall andother sports activity spaces beyond

A well furnished and suitably equipped refreshmentsarea: an attractive image for the leisure environment





Spectator seating / viewing

In larger halls, bleacher seating can be integratedinto the wall and linked up to a first floor accessroute. In smaller halls smaller temporary seatingunits may be kept in the sports hall store. In allcases, the space requirements need to beconsidered in relationship to the court markings.

single sex activities such as keep fit oraerobics

• For small fitness equipment rooms changingspaces are often provided for each item ofequipment (based on 5 m 2 of floor area) but forlarger facilities this can be discounted by25-30%

• Aerobics studios and other ancillary hallsrequire one space per 5-10 m 2 and anallowance for overlap 11

• Squash courts require four spaces per court

• The need to accommodate varying ratios of

males/females with buffer or individualchanging units as required

• Changing areas need to be fully accessible fordisabled users

• Ideally, provide a proportion of cubicles formale and female customers who may preferprivacy

• Have entrances that screen off views fromcirculation areas eg. privacy screening orlobbies.

The design should allow a minimum of 1.6 m 2 perperson with a 0.5 m bench run for an accessibleopen group changing area and shower areas.More space will be required where cubicles areprovided or where dedicated disabled provision isincorporated in the general area.

See Sport England design guidance note‘Accessible Sports Facilities’ .

If there is enough capacity the internal changingcan also serve external pitches with an artificialplaying surface, subject to a suitable access routewith hard paving and entrance matting. However,grass pitches must have separate provision with

direct access to and from the field and bootcleaning facilities.

See Sport England design guidance note ‘Pavilions and Clubhouses’.

Management feedback shows that split school andcommunity changing workswell, subject to supervision

and programming.

Changing capacity

Changing capacity should be provided to copewith the normal maximum occupancy level andpattern of use. Calculations should take intoaccount:

• The number of badminton courts (4 players) x2 for changeover. This number can be

exceeded where there is school use and aneed to provide for two or more classes. Extrachanging spaces will also be required for

Bleacher seating integrated into the side wall and accessgallery above

11 See Sport England design guidance note ‘Fitness andExercise Studio’s’.

Screen panels fitted to first floor viewing to give privacy





Clothes storage lockers

The decision on the location of lockers is oftendependant on the local situation and user profile.Lockers in the main corridor can be easilysupervised by staff and might help to deter

vandalism, whilst lockers in the changing room aremore convenient for users. In many centres amixture of both are provided.

• Allow 2.5 times the assessed occupancylevels for changing

• Locate lockers in changing rooms to offermaximum convenience for users

• Typically, manufacturers supply locker unitsthat are 0.5 m deep, 0.3 m wide and arrangedin 1.8 m high columns. These can containeither two individual ‘half height’ lockers or a

single ‘full height’ locker. There should be aproportion of both to suit the likely use of thecentre. Some should be wider (say 0.4 m x1.8 m) to accommodate larger sports bags,children’s buggies and mobility aids

12 .

• Behind bench lockers save space but areinconvenient at times of peak use.

Showers

• Allow one shower point to every six changingspaces. Provide a separate dry off area andinclude a proportion of cubicle showers 13 .

Customer feedback confirmsthat underfloor heating is likedfor changing areas.

Changing areas

Changing areas often attract criticism in facilitiesthat would otherwise be well received.

• Always use high quality, robust and easilycleaned materials to give an immediate andlasting impression of hygiene and cleanliness

• Ceramic tiles need to be used on all wallsurfaces in showers and changing rooms, withslip-resistant ceramic tiles on the floors

• Whenever possible changing areas should beequipped with high ceilings and rooflighting.Note that clerestory windows and suspended

ceilings are vulnerable to vandalism.

S h o w e r s

F a m

i l y / A c c e s s i b

l e c u

b i c l e s

/ 2 p e r s o n c

h a n g

i n g

C u

b i c l e s a n

d b e n c

h e s

O p p o s e

d b e n c

h e s

i n ' U ' p

l a n

l a y o u

t s : 4 s p a c e s a r e

l o s t

B e n c

h a n

d l o c

k e r s

Note: a 600mmbench depth isrequired forwheelchair

C h a n g

i n g r o o m s a n

d s h o w e r s : s o m e

k e y m

i n i m u m

d i m e n s i o n s .

1 5 0 0 m

i n

1 5 0 0 m

i n

c l e a r

1 5 0 0 m

i n

c l e a r

1 5 0 0 m

i n

c l e a r

Vanity area with appropri-ately located fittings to give

access for wheelchair users

1500

V a n

i t y a r e a

C i r c u

l a t i o n

C i r c u

l a t i o n

/ l o c

k e r s

M a

i n c

i r c u

l a t i o n

S h o w e r a r e a

1500 minclear

500

6 0 0

4 5 0 m

i n

5 0 0

p r e

f e r r r e

d

1500 minclear

Door size in accordance withTable 5 of Accessibile Sports

Facilities DGN

E n

t r a n c e

A range of locker sizesmust be provided toaccomodate aids

Folding changingbench with curtain

1900 min

1 8 0 0

775

375folded

By providing a dropdown seat with theappropriate fixed rails, the main shower areacan be made more accessible. All showerareas should incorporate these facilities

1000 min

clear (int)

1 1 0 0 m

i n

c l e a r

( i n t )

1500 minclear

1 5 0 0 m

i n

c l e a r

M a

i n c

i r c u

l a t i o n

2000

1500

clear (int)

clear (int)

2 0 0 0

c l e a r

( i n t )

1500 minclear

1000 minclear

P r i v a c y c u r t a

i n

P r i v a c y c u r t a

i n

transfer

1000 minclear

1 1 0 0 m

i n

c l e a r

( i n t )

Changing rooms and showers: some key minimumdimensions


13 Above the BS 6465-1 recommendations.

12 See Sport England design guidance note ‘AccessibleSports Facilities’ and approved www.inclusivefitness.org





Hardwood (lightcoloured) or solidgrade laminateslatted bench.

Wall-supportedheat source,protectedbeneath bench

Cast aluminiumor galvanisedsteel bracket

.

,

Floor channels with bucket gullies and lift-off grilles giveeffective drainage in shower and other wet areas. Theyrequire regular cleaning

Strong colours add to a bright and clean appearance

An arrangement of similar capacity incorporating lockable buffer rooms forflexibility. Generally, this is the more economical approach in terms of overallfloor area and is more easily supervised.

Individual units allocated as required to provide exibility. Each unit can incorporate toilets if the centre’s main facilitiesare not adjacent.

Cantilevered benching and wall-hung heating source allow floorsurfaces to be easily cleaned





• Shower outlets should be at 0.75 m centreswith 0.45-0.5 m between end fittings and sidewalls. Fittings carried around an internal cornershould be to an increased space standard toallow for wheelchair access.

• Showers on opposing walls should be spaced2.5 m apart to permit a central circulation routeand will require a separate dry off area to one end.

See separate guidance note ‘Accessible SportsFacilities’ for space requirements for showering.

Equipment store

Adequate storage space of suitable proportions,

sited in the correct location, is essential for theefficient operation of multi-sports halls.

• A total of 12.5% of the hall floor area is requiredas a minimum for sports equipment. Communityuse school halls and large events halls mayrequire more for furniture and specialised fittings

• Locate storage on the long side of four courthalls or, where this cannot be achieved, splitstores into two areas according to the patternof hall use

• In larger halls locate storage where it can

efficiently serve subdivided play areas• Stores should have easy access from the hall

with wide door openings and at least 2.5 m clearheight to allow for storing small trampolines

• Up-and-over, sliding, folding and side-hungdoors can be considered but must be detailedto resist impact damage and to be free fromprojections that can injure users upon impact

• Wide-leaf, side-hung panels usually require asteel frame

• A store depth of 5.0 m is preferred for end-onstorage of goals but excessive depth restrictsentry and increases handling difficulty

• A separate racked store may be required forroller skate hire. It should be located next tothe sports hall entrance

• Provision for floor socket type posts forbadminton / netball / volleyball to be storedvertically (if this type of post system is used).

The location of the equipment store should allow easyaccess to various subdivisions of the hall

Access doors to the store should be wide to allow easyaccess

Mat storage

Mats can be a potential fire risk and considerationshould be given to a separate one-hour fire-ratedenclosure vented to the external air and equippedwith a smoke detection system. Early discussionswith the fire officer are advisable. Maximum usecan be made of the available space by storing themats on a purpose-made trolley, which can bepulled out for safe and easy access. Mats usuallymeasure 2.0 x 1.0 m.

Shelving and wall xings should be considered to helpuse the full volume ofequipment storage areas.

Alternative

Store

S t o r e

S t o r e

Alternative

Store

Allow ample space in the equipment store for all theactivities that are likely to occur in the sports hall





located in wall recesses so as to retain a flushrebound surface.For larger halls a suitable adjustment should bemade for the additional number of courts and theproposed programme of activities.

Toilet accommodation

Toilets can be planned to share a common accesslobby with changing rooms. This is an economical,proven arrangement that concentrates servicesand affords convenient access to sports, socialand office areas.

Special events

Extra large external doors will be required foradditional large items of sports equipment, andmobile seating and so on for competitions andexhibitions. Bleacher fold-out seating should beconsidered for halls with six or more courts,

Typical schedule of loose equipment for a four-court hall(dependant on sport priorities for the particular project)

Accessible changing and toilet provision for sports halls

Badminton 4 sets of posts, 4 nets,

2 spare nets

Basketball Scoring equipment Officials table / chairs Team benches Portable baskets (if no fixed

goals)

Bowls 4 short mat carpets, rolled,each 1.83 long x up to 0.5 mdiameter

Cricket Roll out mats (to ECBstandards for the particularsports hall)

Five-a-side 1 pair portable goals withfootball / anchor points, eachFutsal 3.66 / 4.99 x 1.20 m

Handball 1 pair goals, each 3 x 2 m

Hockey 1 pair goals, each 3 x 2m

Gymnastics * Range of apparatus with anchorage points and

floor mats

Judo/karate Mats, each 2 x 1m (full 14 x 14 mmatted area with an 8 x 8 mcombat area requires 98 mats)

Netball 1 pair adjustable posts, each 3.05 m high

Table tennis 6 tables, folded, each 1.855 x 1.830 x 0.65 m, nets and

supports

Team benches 2

Trampoline * 2 folding trampolines, each4.60 / 5.20 m x 2.75 / 3.05 m x2.25 / 2.00 m high when folded

Volleyball Posts * and nets / officials table /chairs

4 - 6 c o u r t

h a

l l

8 - 1

2 c o u r t

h a l l

Accessible changing provision

Unisex accessible changing room with WC 2 2*

In addition, provide an accessible changingcubicle within the main changing area

m l

Changing room large enough for wheelchair teams l l

In addition, provide a unisex ‘Changing Places’changing room

m l

Accessible toilet provision

Dedicated unisex Accessible WC compartmenton each floor (in addition to any provision withinunisex accessible changing above)*

2 2*

Provide a minimum of one cubicle each withinthe general male and female toilets suitable

for an ambulant disabled person

l l

In addition, provide an accessible WCcompartment located within the ‘Sports ChairZone’ to serve people using large sports chairs

m m

Changing Places provision: include as indicatedunder ‘Accessible Changing Provision’ above

Key: l Required m Recommended

Notes:

See ‘Accessible Sports Facilities’ for details of the layoutsfor the above facilities.

* The above figures are the minimum and should beincreased if necessary to reflect the anticipated amount ofuse and the relationship to the individual facilities. Unisexaccessible changing facilites must be located whereverthere is general changing provision.

The total toilet provision should be calculated onthe likely maximum occupancy of the building inaccordance with BS 6465-1: 2006.

Notes:* Floor socket required

Male:

Female:

One WC, one washbasin,

one urinal per 15-20 usersOne WC per 7-10 users,one washbasin per 15 users.





As a minimum there should be at least one unisexaccessible toilet at locations where there is publictoilet provision. See BS 8300. It is unreasonableto expect disabled users to travel further thanother members of the public. Where single sexchanging facilities are provided, an additionalunisex accessible toilet easily accessed from themain circulation area should be provided, therebyenabling a disabled user to be assisted by peopleof either sex. Additionally, disabled user’s needscan be met within the general changing areas byprovision of:• Open bench changing or double sized cubicles• Showers fitted with fold down seats.

See Sport England design guidance note‘Accessible Sports Facilities’.

Cleaners store

Even in a small hall separate provision for thestorage of cleaning equipment and materials mustbe made. Locate the store close to the changingaccommodation and include a Belfast sink.

Staff facilities

BS 6465 recommends separate staff facilities forschool situations. The Workplace (health, safetyand welfare) regulations 1992 require that thereshould be a suitable seating area for use duringbreaks. It needs to be clean and located wherefood cannot get contaminated.

Larger centres require more dispersedaccommodation which can include separate

toilets for staff.

Stretcher trolley/couch

Full heightEquipmentcupboard

Direct access toemergency vehicle1100 clear min

Chair

600 clear access zonearound trolley/ bed

Accessible toilet2200 x 1500 min

Wheelchair turningzone 1500 min

1000 min Fridge

Sink, drainer, baseunit and locakble

wall cupboards

C h a i r

Desk & Phone

EasyChair

First aid for a medium sized centre. Small centres canincorporate first aid within a staff area subject tosufficient space being available

Note: All dimensions are in millimetresIndependent panelling systems protect pipework and simplifysurface cleaning

First aid / physiotherapy room

The most basic provision is shared use with anoffice or staff restroom containing a sink orwashbasin , a secure first aid cabinet and accessfor a stretcher. A clear space of 2.0 x 1.6 m isrecommended as a minimum. A supply of drinkingwater should be available and there should be anadjacent WC compartment with a hand basin.

Based on the provision for school table 7 in BS 6465-1:2006

Where a dedicated first aid room is to be provided,an increase in dimensions may accommodate aphysio treatment room, and/or a drug testingfacility.





Larger centres might devote considerably morespace to fitness training, often combined with anexercise studio, integral office / reception, cubiclechanging, sauna, spa pool and lounge. Separateguidance notes deal with these subjects in moredetail.

See Sport England ‘Fitness and Exercise Spaces’design guidance note.

Fitness rooms benefit enormously from havingwindows or roof-lights but for ground floorlocations it is advisable to provide externalscreening for privacy. These spaces also benefitfrom increased volume. Mechanical ventilation orair-conditioning is always required. Glazed panels

to social or circulation space help to open up andpromote these activities but all glazing, externaland internal, must be fitted with blinds or curtains.

Ancillary halls

Ancillary halls can range upwards from a size of10.0 x 10.0 x 3.5 m high for a range of physical andsocial activities. These may be of lowerspecification than the main hall, and be suitablefor activities such as training, practice, exhibitionsand wet weather social events that require lessheight than the main sports hall. The potential forsocial use will be enhanced by ease of servicingwhich can result in adjoining catering or bar space.Equipment storage should be a minimum of 10%of the hall area.

Dance and exercise studios fall within this categorywith minimum recommended dimensions of 15.0x 12.0-15.0 x 4.5 m high. Windows should be athigh level and admit only north light. Flexible useof space can be achieved by including two or moresquash courts with sliding division walls.

Fitness equipment room should be bright and attractive.The internal design can often be enhanced with the use ofnatural lighting and carefully considered external views.

Secondary areas

Valuable complementaryfacilities include:

Ancillary halls• Dance• Exercise• Martial Arts

• Social

Fitness equipment areas

Fitness equipment room

A fitness equipment area can be a valuablecomplementary space to a sports hall. It allows arange of general fitness and conditioning activitiesto take place on a more casual basis than the mainsports activities that are usual on a programmedbasis for the sports hall. It allows users to increasetheir own personal strength and fitness and toobtain increased attainment in their chosen sport.The minimum practical floor area is 25.0 m 2 and80.0-100.0 m 2 is the norm for small sports centres,with a preferred ceiling height of 3.5-4.0 m.

Secondary halls have similar flooring requirements tomain halls and benefit from increased height. Naturallighting contributes to the success of these spaces butmust be able to be blacked out.





5.0 Detailed design of the sports hallGeneral designThe hall is a functional space with stipulated courtand safety margin dimensions and withunobstructed clear height requirements.

• Surfaces should be flush and of consistentcolour. Applied design features should beavoided. A successful interior should rely on acareful selection of materials, colours andlighting.

• Natural lighting invariably contributes to thehall’s ambience but a suitable system will be

expensive and difficult to reconcile with sportslighting requirements, particularly those ofbadminton. See Section 6 for more details.

Access to and from the Sports Hall

The number, width, height and location of accessdoors to the sports hall will depend on the overallbuilding layout, the fire strategy, proposals for thedelivery of large equipment, and the requiredevacuation time. Sports hall access doors shouldopen outwards to avoid creating a hazard to theusers within. Additional doors may be required togive direct access to sections of the hall that can

be divided into separate sections.Structure

• Columns and beams should be laid out so thatthey run between the badminton courts inorder to avoid conflict with the overhead lightfittings and the hanging of division netting.See recommendations for badmintonand the Sport England design guidance note‘Badminton’ .

• Columns can be wholly or partly withinexternal walls or outside the building envelope.

They should never project into the hall.• Additional structure may be required to

support specific items of fixed equipmentsuch as basket ball goals.

• Purlins should be avoided when possible infavour of a structural deck spanning betweenthe main beams. When Z-purlins are used theymust be painted white to blend with the roofdecking.

Sports floor

A specialist sports floor is the critical element inproviding a comfortable and safe place in which toplay sport. Halls may also be used for some non

sports purposes but the primary function of safetyrequirements should not be compromised.

A range of materials can provide good multi-sportsfloors including various timbers such as beech,maple or oak, either solid or veneer, and variouscomposition and synthetic materials. Key requiredfeatures can be summarised as follows:

• The sports floor should conform with theappropriate performance standards for thepriority range of sports to be accommodated(for example an area elastic floor complyingwith BSEN 14904 or a specific NationalGoverning Body standard).

• The structural loading must accommodatespecial features such as bleacher seating orroller skating.

• The positions of fixed and portable sportsequipment and their floor sockets should beintegrated into the design.

• The floor colour should be considered in orderto create an integrated design with wallreflectance and lighting scheme. (The wallsshould have a 40-50% light reflectance).

• Mats should be provided for sports that cannot

be accommodated on the chosen sports floor(Note that cricket mats can only be effectivefor specific floors. See ECB performancespecification).

Court marking lines are painted on most sportsfloors. PVC tape is not usually used, except fortemporary courts, whilst inlaid lines are an option for

Recommended court marking line colours & widths

Sport Line colour Width

Hockey Blue or Other 50mm

Netball Red 50mm

Volleyball Green or Other 50mm

Five-a-side football Other 80mm

Basketball Black 50mm

Tennis Yellow 50mm

Badminton/Short Tennis White 40mm





Tracking to run beneathstructure and other xtures

Lighting to BSEN12193: 2007

Space for air ducts - heatingducts to be away from netting

Space forbasketball ttings.

Basketball net inlowered postition

Note: Alternative volleyball postsocket ttings withreduced depth requirements

are provided by somemanufacturers for retrottingor situations where thickeningof the slab is not feasible.

Cricket net bags above5-a-side line

Thickening ofoor slab atsocket locations

Cleats forspotting rigabove 2m

2 0 0 0

1 2 0 0

Clear height(7.5m - 9.0m) tolowest projectionin roof

Heating andlighting abovetrack for netting

3 0 5 0

Sports oor toBSEN 14904:2006

Avoidservicingin oor

Volleyball PostSocket

Typical coordination issues

A combined elastic oor, walls of the right reectance value and compact uorescent lights between badminton courtsprovide an excellent sports hall environment.

a limited number of sports floor products. Mostsports require white lines for major competitionsalthough yellow is used for handball and sometimeshockey and basketball. For multi-sports halls a

range of colours is required to avoid confusion.

See Sport England design guidance note ‘Floors forIndoor Sports’ .





14 For cricket a lighter coloured end wall (reflectance value>0.7) will be required behind the bowler end and additionallighting for cricket nets. See ECB recommendation for cluband school cricket. BSF Cricket Data Sheet England andWales Cricket Board (ECB).

See Sport England ‘Badminton’ design guidance note forrequirements for badminton in dedicated and multi-usesports centres.

Typical sports hall wall colours from the ICI Dulux Range.

For dedicated badminton centres, colours withlower light reflectance values (LRV) are preferred,whilst in constrast for a multi sports hall, a higherLRV will help give a greater spread of light withinthe space. Where cricket nets are installed lightercoloured end walls or curtains are preferred to helpplayers see the cricket ball.

See Sport England design guidance note ‘Badminton’ and TS3 - ‘Indoor sports halls withcricket provisions’ available from the ECB website.

Internal wallsThe internal walls should be flush-faced andimpact resistant. Options include:

• plywood• fair faced brick• painted block work

• frameless or flush-framed glazed panels.

Whatever material is selected, it is preferrable if itruns full height and with a consistent colour ashorizontal changes in material cause visualobstruction to badminton players and can result ina stepped back surface.

• A diaphragm wall construction can be used inall masonry solutions.

• The reflectance value should be generallyaround 40-50% to give sufficient contrast to awhite shuttlecock but not so dark as to result inan oppressive interior 14. See Section 5, page 26.

• The wall colour should contrast with the floorand be uniform across the wall plane.

• Include a 0.15 m skirting designed for easyreplacement if roller skating will take place inthe hall.

• Doors and door frames should be flush withthe internal surfaces, and should openoutwards away from the sports hall. Escapedoors require panelling above and below thecrash bar (See diagrams on p29.)

Flush glazed panel and access door to give viewing fromthe locker area into the sports hall

Standard proprietary ush door with a ush viewingpanel, opening outwards away from the sports hall

Flush doors, especiallythose with panic bolt

mechanisms, are oftendifcult to get right andconsideration should

be given to using metalframes and procuring as

a single source supply

item (like an engineeredwindow).

Colour Code *

Blue 86 BG 43/321

Green 30 GG 40/290

Blue green 53 GG 50/36087 GG 51/29110 GG 48/366

Notes:

* ICI colour code (Dulux) where the central numberrepresents the surface reflectance. i.e. 86 BG 43/321 is acolour with a 43 % light reflectance value (LRV).





Sports hall walls should be detailed for safety and withouthazardous projections. Flush surfaces should extend to2.0 m minimum, preferably to 2.7 m above oor.

Store doors should be ush detailed, and unless they canonly be opened by operators and otherwise kept locked,they should not open out into the sports hall Doors mayneed to perform as rebound panels and therefore theirconstruction needs to be robust and safe for users. Netbags should have no projecting ttings/features thatcould create a hazard and be high enough to notcompromise the ve-a-side rebound zone (1.21 m).

External escape doors must be panelled out to line throughwith the wall surface. The lower section can then form partof the ve-a-side football rebound zone (1.21m high alongwalls) and a ush facing is essential for overall safety.

Internal doors must be panelled out to line through withthe wall surface, including vision panels which musthave suitable impact resistance as part of the reboundzone.

Note:Note on adjacentdiagram regardingmodifying standardproprietary doorsapplies

8 - 9

5 0 a p p r o x

1 0 5 0 m a x

2

5 0 a p p

Rebound panelsush withsurrounding wallface

All edges of therecess should beradiused to minimiserisk of impact injury

Recessed panicbolt bar set atheight to conformto Building RegsPart M, British

Standards and‘Accessible SportsFacilities’ requirements

Flush secondary glazingwith suitable impact

resistance rating (to actas a rebound panel) andpositioning to conform toBuilding Regs Part M,British Standards and‘Accessible SportsFacilities’ requirementsincluding minimumzones of visibility

Note:Modifying a standardproprietary door (asindicated) can be a costeffective alternative to aspecialist manufacturersupplied door (see

example shown on page28). However, issuessuch as the addedweight of construction /certication using thisapproach must becarefully considered.

Rebound panelsush withsurrounding wallface

Door openingsshould bedesigned forthe movementof the largestpieces ofsportsequipment

Vision panelsupplied withstandardProprietarydoor to meetgeneral re

/impactresistanceregulationrequirements






• Climbing walls should not be located in asports hall. For safety and operational reasonsthey require a separate dedicated space.

Exterior facades

When selecting materials for exterior facadesconsider the following points:

• Successful external claddings can includecolour-coated steel. Where profiled metal isused this looks better when run horizontally.

• Cedar boarding can be appropriate as it ischeaper than metal cladding and if properlyspecified requires minimal maintenance.

• Metal cladding used above brickwork at alower level invariably gives a very industrialappearance and should be avoided.

• External windows and door frames must be inpowder-coated aluminium or galvanised steel,PVCu or hardwood.

Roof

The roof soffit and structure should:

• Be uniform, preferably white with more than90% reflectance value

• Make provision for acoustic absorbency.Reverberation time should not exceed twoseconds at mid-frequency 15

15 See later section on acoustics

Wall colour should have a reectance value of around50%. Only halls specialising in table tennis or dedicatedbadminton centres will benet from a darkerbackground.

• The roof decking should span the main beamsto achieve minimum visual obstruction

• Where unavoidable, internal linings orsuspended ceilings must be impact-resistant

• Suspended ceilings are generallyinappropriate for sports halls. Mill-finishstanding seam aluminium roof finish is likelyto provide the best value for money for mostsports buildings and can be curved, avoidinginterruption of the ridge.

Where the location demands a slate or tile roofthe better quality pressed steel sheet productscan provide a convincing appearance forbuildings of this scale without the weight penaltyof the genuine product.

Fittings

Early consultation is recommended with specialist equipmentcompanies to ensurecoordination of clear

heights, court markings,oor ttings and safety

requirements.

The hall should be equipped with a range of fixedequipment depending on the chosen prioritysports. Typically this might be:

• Wall- or roof structure -mounted basketballgoals with additional practice goals fixeddirectly to the wall

• Roof structure-mounted spotting rig forgymnastic (wall fitting to be above 2.0 m high)and tracked division netting

• Cricket nets

• Floor and possibly wall sockets with flushfitted cover plates will be required for specificitems of equipment

• Pulley-mounted net bags.

Care should be taken to ensure that there are nodimensional conflicts with the court markings and

the safety requirements.





Foyer

WC

Handrail

Skate store

Mattingto slow skatersBoot

change/ sitting

out

Sports hall

Demountable 1.2mhigh barrier

Ramped thresholds

See Sport England publication ‘Developing the Right Sports Hall’ for sports activities and business plan considerationswhen developing a project brief. Roller skating might be popular for some sports halls but requires an appropriatespecification for the floor, skirtings, music equipment and storage.





6.0 Environmental and

sustainability issuesHeating, lighting and ventilation services canaccount for a significant proportion of constructioncosts. It has been estimated that energy canaccount for between 24-30% of the overalloperating cost of a dry sports facility. It is often thenext largest item to staff cost. The full environmentalimpact of a sports hall building through its life cycleshould be carefully considered and it isrecommended that the BREEAM assessmentmethod be considered 16 .

Energy efficiency

Installations should be designed for simplicity andserviceability to achieve the required environmentalconditions and energy saving criteria. Goodinsulation and air sealing of the building envelopeshould be achieved together with careful selectionand operation of the optimum temperature andventilation rates for the occupied space.

Simple energy conservation techniques, such asheat recovery and efficient thermal and timecontrols will also be beneficial. The way sports hallsare used make them particularly suitable foroccupancy sensors or presence detectors to

automatically control heating, lighting and/orventilation systems, in order to avoid wastefulconditioning of spaces when they are unoccupied.Unlike other building types, sports halls generallyneed to exclude solar penetration and are less ableto benefit from solar gain as a contributor to energyefficiency.

Overall heating and ventilation requirements

The heating and ventilation of a sports hall will berequired throughout the year.

The main active sports are likely to be badminton,

basketball, and five-a-side football / futsal and aheating system that gives an overall minimumtemperature range of 12 to 16° C will satisfy mostusers. However, temperatures of up to 20° C maybe required for less physically intensive sportssuch as short-mat bowls and for other sports,coaching and training where participants may bestatic for periods of time. In practice, sports hallsmay often require low levels of heating but dobenefit from systems that have fast response timesin order to be adaptable to the needs of differentuser groups.

Subject to the introduction of adequate fresh air tomeet the requirements of occupants (minimum20%), the air in the sports hall can be re-circulatedin order to minimise the energy needed to heat upthe incoming air. Such a system can have automaticcontrols and carbon dioxide or other types ofdetectors to achieve acceptable air quality.

The fresh air requirement will generally depend onthe number of occupants, unless dependant onthe cooling needs. The CIBSE Guide does notdefine a value for sporting activities but a value of8-12 l/s of fresh air per person is appropriate inmost circumstances. A ventilation rate of approx1.5 air changes per hour is adequate for most 4court sports halls of between 7.0-8.0 m highassuming heat gain or large occupancies are notan issue and that there is good air distribution.

Air velocities should generally be kept below 0.1m/s with the sports activity volume. This isparticularly important for badminton where theflight of the shuttle cocks is likely to be up to6.0-7.0 m over the court.

In the interests of sustainability, considerationshould be given to providing separate controls forheating and ventilation so that the space can bemaintained at a comfortable temperature ready foruse, and the ventilation is linked to occupancy andair quality. Such an approach can provide fresh airat the required rate and save on fan power andheating energy.

Common complaints in sports hall H & V systems:• Overheated / stuffy in warm

summer periods (openingthe escape doors canexacerbate the problem)

• Too cold / draughty in winter• Smells from the heating

systems when started up after being dormant in the summer (school sites).16 The Building Research Establishment Environmental

Assessment Method (BREEAM) includes leisure buildings. http://www.breeam.org/podpage.jsp?id=388

The use of presencedetectors and temperature sensors should beconsidered for all systems.





Choice of systems

The following systems are often seen as the mostappropriate for sports halls:

• Radiant heating ceiling panels with a separateventilation system

• Combined ducted warm air and ventilationdelivering through air handling units (AHU).

A ducted warm air system has generally been seenas the preferred method of integrating heating andventilation. It can give a good degree of control ofair quality throughout the year and achieve gooddistribution and efficiency.

In some instances fan convectors and unit heaterswith outside air provision can provide a limitedamount of ventilation, but this is generally not verysubstantial or effective.

High-level extract fans in the roof or walls togetherwith appropriate means of outside air supply canoften be used as a separate ventilation system andcan be effective, subject to air velocities notaffecting shuttlecocks and large volumes of coldair causing high heating loads or discomfort. Thenoise caused by wind acting on the externaldamper can also be an issue.

Natural ventilation systems such as ventilationtowers that utilise wind energy can also beconsidered. However, these will need some formof supplementary system to deal with warmwindless days and some means of tempering thecold incoming air during cold winter periods. Therisk of unwanted air movements needs also to beconsidered. Some natural ventilation productsutilise solar panels to activate an auxiliaryventilation fan on warm windless days.

Where the hall is part of a larger centre, the choiceof system may be influenced by the needs of otherareas. Even in the smallest project there are likely

Natural ventilation towers in roof to give controlledventilation and compensate for the heat loads from

occupants, artificial lighting and solar gain, and anti-glareroof-lights to supplement the artificial lighting

to be changing rooms and entrances that will needto be heated and ventilated and might beintegrated with the hall system and give scope forshared fuel source and plant room space.

See Sport England design guidance note ‘Floorsfor indoor Sports’ for concerns about potentialproblems with the thermal stability andperformance of floors with under floor heatingsystems. The coordination of the exact locationsof floor sockets for sports equipments needs tobe considered. Often floor sockets are installedafter the building construction is completed andunder floor heating system may limit futureflexibility. The response time of under floor heatingsystems to cope with varying programme needsmay also be a consideration.

Light ttings suspended from main beams located

between the badminton courts. Additional lighting forcricket nets. Clear height requirement taken to thelowest point. Drop down basket ball nets to fold up tomaintain clear height requirements

See Sport England design guidance note ‘Floors forIndoor Sports’.

The type of heating system should be identied early tocoordinate with the ‘clear

height / space’ requirement and xing of sports

equipment (See diagram on page 27). Examples are:• Radiant heating systems should

not be too close to netting

• Air distribution ducts should not impact upon clear heights and sports use within the hall

• Floor socket conflicts withunder floor heating (includingfuture installations).





Artificial lighting

Adequate artificial lighting is an essential elementof the sports hall and should be integrated into thedesign from the outset, rather than be added inlater.

The sporting activities often demand critical visualtasks, with fast moving objects and players. It isimportant that the whole volume of the space isconsidered and that the quality of illumination isconsidered along with the colour and texture ofmaterials. See Section 5 page 26 for reflectancelevels of walls, floors and ceilings.

A good lighting system should provide adequateluminance, suitable brightness, contrast, uniformityof light distribution and satisfactory control ofglare. It will also have a major influence on theoverall ambiance of the hall.

• Uniformity ratio (Emin/Eave) – the ratio ofminimum to average illuminance over theplaying area

• Colour rendering (Ra) an indication of thequality /distortion when compared to naturallight.

It is vitally important thatthe roof / ceiling enclosure,

lighting system and the layout of the court markings in a hall aredesigned together.

For 34.5 x 20 m and 40.6 x 21.35 m sports halls: A 500 lux lighting systemthat caters well for

Badminton, with courts running across the hall, will be adequate for most sports that are played alongthe length of the hall.

However a switchable system should be considered:

• to improve the suitability for badminton, basketball andvolleyball

• to increase to 750 lux average and uniformity min / averageof 0.8 over cricket nets.

See separate Sport England guidance for variationsbetween technical advice (such as BSEN12193:2007 and CIBSE LG4) and requirements ofNational Governing Bodies for the priority sports ina particular project.

Daylighting

Any proposed use of daylight in a sports hall needsvery careful consideration. There are likely to betechnical issues that need to be weighed againstthe perceived benefits. These include:

• Controlling glare

• Stable and uniform levels of lighting

• Heat gain

• Local cooling.

The capital cost of incorporating daylight can be2-3 times that of a plain wall or roof, andmaintenance costs are likely to be increased. The

Many sports halls have to cater for a range ofactivities and some simultaneously where thesports hall can be divided into sections. There mayalso be a need to achieve adequate visualconditions for spectators. Non-sporting use mayalso be a requirement, for example on a school sitethe hall may be used for examinations and schoolplays. Where substantial variations in luminanceare required, additional switching of supplementarylighting could be considered.

It is generally recommended that for multi sportshalls, the lighting design is based on the

requirements of the priority activities, whilstensuring that, as far as practicable, all otherpotential activities are catered for. In most situationsin England a lighting design that caters well forbadminton, with courts running across the hall willbe more than adequate for the sports that areplayed along the length of the hall. However acommon enhancement is to provide an additionallighting system for cricket that can be controlledseparately.

The key issues for lighting design can besummarised as:

•

Illumination value ( Eave) – minimum maintainedaverage. The system should be designed with ahigher initial value and for planned replacementof lamps when output falls below the Eave level





Light ttings suspended from main beams locatedbetween the badminton courts. Additional lighting forcricket nets.

inclusion of daylight is difficult to justify solely oneconomic grounds and amenity benefits shouldbe considered.

Some sports such as badminton, table tennis andgymnastics have strict advice against daylight insports halls.

Example of daylighting successfully integrated into an indoor cricket school with north facing roof lights and screens toprevent entry of direct sunlight

Small amounts of daylighting in say a rooflight ora side wall can create a sombre and dull internalatmosphere in the hall.

See Sports Scotland publication:

‘Understanding Daylighting of Sport Halls’ SSC

www.sportscotland.org.uk/ChannelNavigation/Resource+Library/

0 5 10m

1 Playing area

2 Retractable tension nets

3 Roof blinds

4 Rooflight

5 Metal roof panels

6 Steel truss

7 Ceiling net

8 Art if ic ia l l ights

1

2

3

45

6

7

8

air in

air out

D IFFU SE SKY

air out

DIFFUSE SKY

air in





Acoustics

The internal acoustic conditions within a sports hallshould be appropriate for its intended use. It will bebeneficial to all users that the ambient noise levelsare low and that verbal communication is easy andcritically important for people with hearingimpairment or learning difficulties. This is particularlyimportant for training, teaching / learning situations,and activities that are accompanied by music.

Sports halls on school sites are required underthe Building Regulations to comply with DfESBuilding Bulletin 93 : 2003 with respect to soundinsulation, reverberation times and internalambient noise levels.

Acoustic design is a complex and specialistsubject that can be influenced by many factors.Requirements should be established early in thebriefing and design process.

Key issues are covered below.

Reverberation times

The hard surfaces required to withstand impactdamage within the sports hall tend not to havegood sound absorbency properties and results insound being repeatedly reflected from the varioussurfaces. This is exacerbated by the size and

rectangular shape of sport halls. Technically thiscan be measured from the time that a given sourceof sound decreases by a standard amount and isreferred to as the reverberation time (RT) 17 .

Characteristics that can be attributed to excessivereverberation times include:

• Poor speech intelligibility

• High background noise levels

• Increase stress for users

• Management / control difficulties.

The greater the background noise the greater theneed to shout leading to a spiral of increasednoise. An appropriate RT is likely to give the usersa more relaxed experience with less backgroundnoise, greater understanding of key communicationand making speech clearer.

The problem can be avoided through acousticdesign that integrates sound absorbent materialsinto the ceiling and/or upper wall levels.

See DfS Building Bulletin 93 : 2003 for a casestudy of remedial work to an existing hall to

introduce a pattern of sound absorbent slots andacoustic quilting into an existing timber ceiling.

Ceilings provide the best opportunity for theprovision of acoustic absorbency. They are oftenthe underlining of the roof, which is usually asandwich construction that can have a perforatedself decorated metal finish. However additionalsound absorption material on the side walls islikely to be required to achieve good acousticconditions. This should be formed with a suitablyrobust lining material.

Sound insulation

The level of sound insulation within the building

fabric to prevent distracting sound from externalsources being transmitted into the hall should alsobe considered. Heating and ventilation equipmentshould be specified to minimise background noiseand similar attention should be given to openingsin the building. A standard of NR40 would normallybe specified.

In some situations the noise that may be emittedfrom a sports hall may also be an issue.

17 See ISO 354 and BS EN ISO 140-7: 1998 for standardand test methods.

Sports hall acoustics:

•

Reverberation times should be between 1.5 and 2.0 sec at mid-frequency

• Sound insulation standard should be capable of a minimum of NR 40.





7.0 External sports facilitiesWhere site dimensions permit it is advantageousto include a floodlit and fenced multi use gamesarea close to the hall. These tennis court, or larger,sized facilities can significantly increase overall useand can reduce wear and tear in the sports hall.Overall changing capacity will have to be increasedaccording to the capacity of the play area andsome secure external equipment storage must beprovided. Artificial pitch areas will require pavedroutes connecting with the halls main or secondary

entrance, arranged so that staff can supervise thechanging to play area route.

The same criteria will apply to tennis or netballcourts but grass pitches and cricket squaresrequire separate changing rooms with field exits.Site planning should be arranged so that routes tograss and artificial pitch areas do not cross orcoincide. In centres with extensive outdoorprovision a pavilion, suitably orientated for externalviewing and located for servicing, could beprovided.

An adjacent artificial grass pitch can complement a sports hall and be an economical way to provide additional bookingcapacity





Four court hall

The recommended minimum size for a multi-sportshall is nominally 34.5 x 20.0 x 7.5 m.

The new dimensions allow an increased range ofsports at various levels of play. For example:

Badminton: club

Basketball: club / community / training

Cricket (4 lanes) 18 : community / training

Gymnastics: training

Five-a-side football: clubFutsal: club

Handball: community

Korfball: community

Netball: community / training

Volleyball: premier / training

The benefits can be summarised as follows:

Length (34.5 m)

• The length of the hall allows division nets to beinstalled in two locations between thebadminton courts. This could extend theprogramme of use of the hall to include arange of additional sports activities such asshort mat bowls, gymnastics, table tennis andmartial arts which can be played concurrentlywith some of the other main sports notedabove. (See following diagrams).

• The length accommodates the preferredlength for cricket nets of 33.62 m.

• The length allows a full length netball courtwith reduced end runoff zones of 2.0 m thatare the recommended minimum for communitylevel play and training.

Width (20.0 m)

• The width can allow the 4 badminton courts toto be offset to allow some circulation spaceand seating for informal viewing.

• Two volleyball training courts can beaccommodated across the width and can beintegrated with practice basketball goals on theside walls (but with limited space for cricket).

• The netball court can be offset to allow a 1.75m margin along one side and a minimumrecommended side runoff of 1.5 m forcommunity level and training.

• Basketball benefits from the increased widthto allow full side margins or, alternatively, theminimum side margins plus more space forofficials.

• The width allows 4 cricket nets and a centralzone for roof mounted drop-down basketballgoals.

• The width is helpful for sports requiring asmaller amount of space. For example, afull-length fencing piste, short mat bowlscarpet and up to four table tennis tables canbe accommodated across the width of the hall.

Height (7.5 m)

• The height allows badminton to be played atclub level, and volleyball to be played atpremier level. The 7.5 m clear height should beachieved across the entirety of the hall.

General

• See pages 43-52 for detailed court informationfor the individual sports.

• The cricket nets and hall division netting canbe stored in wall bags outside the critical playareas for most sports. However, for five-a-sidefootball which utilises the whole space, netsmust be hoisted above 1.21 m (NB. Cricketand division nets require extra height to avoidconflict with the clear height requirement).

• Generally it is preferable to locate the accessand exit points on the longer sides of the halland to relate these to the circulation spacewithin the hall (see notes on the diagrams foroffset courts).

• The positions of door openings and viewingpanels should be positioned to avoid conflictwith the court layouts.

Appendix 1Standard multi-sport halls

18 Four cricket lanes are possible with centrally locatedbasketball court and goals but without basketball traininggoals on the side walls.

The 34.5 x 20 x 7.5 m hall provides additional space for teaching school PE and coaching

(particularly when the hall is sub-divided into two sections).





Court layouts for a nominal 34.5 x 20.0 x 7.5 m four-court hall

Four-court hall (Cont/d)

Badminton Volleyball

Basketball Volleyball / Basketball training

Netball Indoor cricket

Judo / Trampoline Five-a-side football / Hockey

Table tennis / Badminton Short bowls / Gymnastics

Courts can be offset to allowadditionalcirculation / casualviewing areas /ofcials

Wall mountedpractice basketballgoals reducespace for cricketnets

Space for roofmounted practicebasketball goalsassuming acentralisedbasketball court

Division net





Five court hall

The additional space within a 5 court hall allowsmore activities to take place consecutively andcreates further areas of bookable space. It alsoallows more sports to be accommodated, higherlevels of competition to be hosted and greaterflexibility for teaching and coaching.

The recommended size for this multi-sports hall isnominally 40.60 x 21.35 x 7.5 m.

Additional sports

Other benefits

General

See pages 43-52 for detailed court information forthe individual sports.

See general notes on four court hall for:

• cricket / division netting storage bags

• clear height under tracking

• access and exit points

• circulation space within the hall

• door openings and viewing.

Badminton (one additional court - seenote below)

Basketball (more space for officials andteam benches)

Cricket (more space for bowlers runup and fielding practice)

Gymnastics (more space for training)

Five-a-sidefootball

(more space for larger court)

Futsal (more runoff space forpremier level of play)

Handball (more runoff space forpremier level of play)

Netball (more runoff space for clublevel of play)

Volleyballtraining

(more run off space)

The 40.6 x 21.35 x 7.5 m hall provides additional space for teaching school PE and coaching(particularly when the hall is

sub-divided into two sections).





Court layouts for a nominal 40.6 x 21.35 x 7.5 m ve-court hall

Five-court hall (Cont/d)

Badminton Volleyball

Basketball Volleyball / Basketball training

Netball Indoor cricket

Handball Five-a-side football / Hockey

Volleyba ll / Other activitiesFutsal

Net position1 to allow aseparateactivity area

Alternativenet position2

Wall mountedpracticebasketball goalsreduce spacefor cricket nets

Space forroofmounted

practicebasketballgoalsassuming acentralisedbasketballcourt

Alternativenet position3

Courts can be off set to allow additionalcirculation / casual viewing areas / ofcials





Six court hall

The 34.5 x 27.0 x 7.5 m 6-court hall creates twoteam sports zones or a competition play areaaligned with spectator seating. This 3 + 3badminton court arrangement is recommended inpreference to the 4 + 2 layout (33 x 27 m hall)originally used for this hall size. The 34.5 m lengthprovides the required safety margin behind thebadminton courts.

Notes

• 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 9.0 m and extra length is requiredfor Premier standard badminton.

• Two standard basketball courts or two reducedfive-a-side football courts can be laid acrossthe hall.

Court layouts for a nominal 34.5 x 27.0 x 7.5 m six-court

hall (3 + 3 court arrangement)

Larger hall configurations

Larger sports halls can be conveniently organisedas multiples of the layout for 4, 5 and 6 court hallsthat are described on the previous pages (seepages 6, 38 and 40).

This gives an efficient method of organising thecourt markings and the subdivisions of the spacewith dividing nets / screens to deliver a multi-sportprogramme.

These larger halls can also provide space for arange of show courts to be overlaid and spectatoraccommodation as may be required for higherlevels of play and sporting events. In effect, suchhalls can operate as a small indoor arena 19 .However, careful consideration needs to be givento the many implications. For example:

• The strategic case for such a facility and thenational facilities strategies for the particularsports that are being considered.

• The business, operational and designimplications such as the requirements ofNGBs, sponsors and TV companies.

• Technical issues regarding the health andsafety, fire escape and general welfare of thespectators and associated accommodation.

• Additional safety zone and height requirementsfor the higher levels of play for the sportsconcerned.

See Sport England publication ‘Developing theRight Sports Hall’ .

Badminton Badminton

Badminton Badminton

Badminton Badminton

Basketball

Volleyball Volleyball

Volleyball

Cricket

Cricket

Cricket

Cricket

Cricket

Netball

19 See Arenas: A Planning, Design And Management Guide - Sports Council 1998.





Dimensions of a badminton court (mm)

Badminton space requirements (mm)

13400

6 1 0 0

1 5 0 0

– 2 0 0 0

1 5 0 0

– 2 0 0 0

Ofcials

20002000

Badminton

Community Club Premier InternationalMinimum height over court 6700 7500 9000 9000

Playing area (doubles court)

Length 13400 13400 13400 13400

Width 6100 6100 6100 6100

Wall from baseline, min 2000 2000 2000 2000

Between opposing courtsincluding division netting

3000 3000 4000 4000

Wall from sideline 1 1500 1500 1500 2000 2

Between parallel courts, min 1500 1500 1500 2000

Between parallel courtsincluding division netting

2400 2600 2600 3000

Minimum overall area: For a single court

For two parallel courts 3 For each additional court

3

17400 x 910017400 x 1670017400 x 7600

17400 x 910017400 x 1670017400 x 7600

17400 x 910017400 x 1670017400 x 7600

17400 x 1010017400 x 1820017400 x 8100

Notes:1 To accommodate umpire chairs an additional width may be needed between court sides outside of

safety run off.2 Excludes space for officials tables or division netting.3 Excludes division netting.

www.badmintonengland.co.uk Refer also to Sport England design guidance note ‘Badminton’.

Refer to Sport England design guidance note‘Badminton’ for detailed court information

Appendix 2Court dimensions





Dimensions of a basketball court (mm)

Basketball space requirements (mm)

26000 - 28000

1 4 0 0 0 -

1 5 0 0 0

6 2 5 0 r a d

i u s 6 7 5 0 r a d i u s

1 0 5 0 m

i n

2 0 5 0 p r e

f e r r e

d

1 0 5 0 m

i n

2 0 5 0 p r e

f e r r e

d

1575 15751250

8325

89504000 - 5000

2990

5800

1050 min, 2050 preferred 1050 - 2050

1800

Throw-insideline

Team Bench AreaScorer’s table

Neutral zone

Ofcials

9 0 0 -

3 0 0 0

1 4 0 0 0 -

1 5 0 0 0

9 0 0

2 0 5 0 -

3 0 5 0

1 0 5 0 -

2 0 5 0 m

i n

9 0 0

3 6 5 0 -

4 1 5 0

3 6 5 0 -

4 1 5 0

4 9 0 0

1 0 5 0 -

2 0 5 0 m

i n

1 5 0

Pre Oct 2010 / 2012layout (applies for all levels)

Post Oct 2010 (High level competition.) &Post 2012 (Med level competition.) layout(changes highlighted in green )

i

i

i ,

’i l

1 8 0 0

1200

5800

6 0 0 0

1 7 5 0 8 5 0

8 5 0 8 5 0

4 0 0

1 7 5 0 8 5 0

8 5 0 8 5 0

4 0 0

90º

i

i

l l ll l l

l ll l l

l

i

i

i ,

’i l

i

i

l l ll l l

l ll l l

l

1200375

1 75 0 5 0505050 850850850950 400

1 8 0 0 1 2 5 0

5800

4 9 0 0

5 0

1 0 0

Basketball

Community Club Premier International

Playing area

Length (minimum or preferred) 26000 or 28000 26000 or 28000 26000 or 28000 28000

Width (minimum or preferred) 14000 or 15000 14000 or 15000 14000 or 15000 15000

Out of bounds (minimum or preferred) 1050 or 2050 1050 or 2050 2050 2050

Extra one side for officials andteam areas / benches

Optional 2050 - 3050 2050 - 3050 3050

Overall space requirements

MinimumPreferred

28100 x 1610032100 x 19100

28100 x 1815032100 x 22150

30100 x 2015032100 x 22150

32100 x 22150 4

Height 7000 7000 7000 7000

Notes:1 Provision for spectator seating has been excluded2 34.5 x 20 m sports halls can accommodate the preferred size court 28 x 15 m for club / community / traininglevel use.3 Markings in green are changes from Oct 2010 (high level competition) and 2012 (medium competition).4

For international events, EBL recommend min 5.0 m additional safety zone in front of spectator seating.www.englandbasketball.co.uk





Indoor cricket space requirements (mm)

Dimensions for indoor cricket (mm)

1 0 0 0 m

i n

3 6 6 0 m

i n

4 0 0 0 m a x

3 6 6 0 m

i n

4 0 0 0 m a x

1000 min clear (applies up to 2000 height, min 500 clear of xed equipment thereafter, applicable generally)

201201500

Approx 3/4 length of hall

10000 min

7720 min31620

33620(Runup end can be reduced to allow min 31200)

1000 min

Bowler’s endBatsman’s end

Roll-out mats (if required)Batting ends - 11220 x 2000 (10000 in front of popping crease)Bowling ends - 10000 x 2000 (6000 behind bowling crease, 4000 in front)

Bowling creasePopping crease ( S e e n

o t e

b e

l o w

)

Cricket practice / Indoor cricket

Minimum Recommendedmaximum

Length 31200 33620

Width 3660 4000

Height of horizontal top net 4500 5000

Height of underside of loft net 4000

Safety margin surrounds

See ECB Facility Briefs and Guidance Note 'Indoor Sports Halls with Cricket Provision (TS3)’ .

1000 (clear) - subject to projection of fixed equipmentfrom wall e.g. basketball practice hoops





Dimensions of a ve-a-side football pitch (mm)

7 5 0 0 r a d i u s

Goal Recessed

goal

Reduced'D' radius6250 – 6750for narrow,older halls

1750 mimimumfrom corner to 'D'

25000 – 50000

1 6 5 0 0

– 3 5 0 0 0

Five-a-side football


Playing area

Length (min - max) 25000-50000 25000-50000 25000-50000 25000-50000

Width (min - max) 16500-35000 16500-35000 16500-35000 16500-35000

Out of bounds surround N/A N/A N/A N/A


For sports halls, walls may be used (where safe) as the courtboundary, or rebound boards may be provided. There are no run offrequirements.

Height No prescribed minimum height 1

Notes:1 No specific minimum height is given. Height provision is driven by other sports using the space(e.g. Badminton, Gymnastics, and Tennis etc). Wall surfaces used as boundaries must be impactresistant, smooth, with finishes to prevent dusting / flaking. There must be no protrusions and doorsshould be avoided or be flush and open outwards away from the sports hall.www.thefa.com

Five-a-side football pitch space requirements (mm)





25000 – 42000

Substitutionzone

1000-3000 1000-3000

1 5 0 0 0 –

2 5 0 0 0

1 0 0 0 - 3

0 0 0

1 0 0 0 - 3

0 0 0

Ofcials and team bench

6 0 0 0 r a d i u s

3 0 0 0

5 0 0 0

5 0 0 0

10000

250 radius

H a

l f w a y

l i n e

3 0 0 0 r a d i u s

5000 50005000 5000

Substitutionzone

400400

2000

Dimensions of a futsal pitch (mm)

Futsal


Playing area

Length (min - max) 25000-31000 1 31000-42000 1 31000-42000 38000-42000

Width (min - max) 15000-16000 16000-25000 16000-25000 18000-22000

Run off surround 1000 1000-2000 2000-3000 3000 2


Minimum Maximum

27000 x 1700033000 x 18000

33000 x 1800046000 x 29000

35000 x 2000048000 x 31000

44000 x 2400048000 x 28000

Height No prescribed minimum height 3

Notes:1 The side walls or rebound boards are not used in Futsal and a runoff is a requirement. For recreational andclub levels of play the court sizes and runoffs can be adjusted to allow Futsal to fit into a four court SportsHall, otherwise the preferred run off of 3m is required for national and international play. However, this maybe reduced to 2m where space is limited.2 Additional space is required for benching / tables / officials / team bench.3 No specific minimum height is given. Height provision is driven by other sports using the space (e.g.Badminton, Gymnastics, and Tennis etc).http://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/footballdevelopment/technicalsupport/futsal/lawsofthegame.html

Futsal pitch space requirements (mm)





Handball space requirements (mm)

Dimensions of a handball court (mm)

Goal

33000 – 40000

1 8 0 0 0 –

2 0 0 0 0

4500 4500 150

Officials, subs bench and sin bin

C e n

t r e l i n e

9 0 0 0 r a d i u s

6 0 0 0

r a d i u

s

3 0 0 0

6 0 0 0

6 0 0 0

4000 3000

1 0 0 0

1 0 0 0

M i n

0 -

0 -

0- 0-

1 0 0 0

M i n

1000Min 1000Min

Handball


Playing area

Length (minimum - preferred 1 ) 33000-40000 2 36000-40000 36000-40000 40000

Width (minimum - preferred 1 ) 18000-20000 18000-20000 18000-20000 20000

Out of bounds surround 0-1000 1000 min 1000 min 1000 min

Extra one side for officialsand team areas / benches

N/A 1000 1000 1000


MinimumPreferred (min)

33000 x 1800042000 x 22000

38000 x 2100042000 x 23000

38000 x 2100042000 x 23000

42000 x 23000

Height 7000 7000 7000 7000

Notes:1 Preferred court sizes should be provided whenever possible as playing on undersized courts presentsdifficulties. Reduced sizes will fit in standard 4, 5, 6 or 8 court halls while preferred sizes will fit in standardhalls with 9 courts and above.2 The hall walls can be used as the court limit where space is limited and mini handball courts (20 x 13 m) canbe suitable at community level of play. In both cases, safety runoffs are beneficial but not a requirementprovided boundaries are impact resistant, smooth, with finishes to prevent dusting/flaking. There must be noprotrusions and doors should be avoided or be flush and open outwards.

http://britishhandball.worldhandball.com





Dimensions of an indoor hockey pitch (mm)

(Indoor) Hockey space requirements (mm)

36000 – 44000

3000 min 3000 min

1 8 0 0 0 –

2 2 0 0 0 b e

t w e e n s i d e

b o a r d s

M i n 1 0 0 0

1 0 0

1 0 0

M i n 1 0 0 0


C e n

t r e

l i n e

9 0 0 0 r a d i u s

1 2 0 0

3 0 0 0

6 0 3

0

6 0 3 0

7000

* Court width is measued between 100mm side boards. Court length is measured overall backlines/side boards. Safety run offis measured outside the side boards/back lines.

(Indoor) Hockey


Playing area (2:1 l/w ratio)

Length (minimum - preferred)(including back lines)

36000-44000 36000-44000 36000-44000 36000-44000

Width(excl.100x100mm side boards)

18000-22000 18000-22000 18000-22000 18000-22000

Run out behind back lines 3000 3000 3000 3000

Clearance outside side boards 1000 1000 1000 1000


N/A 1200 2 1200 2 1200 3


MinimumPreferred

42000 x 2020050000 x 24200

42000 x 2140050000 x 25400

42000 x 2140050000 x 25400

42000 x 2140050000 x 25400

Height 1 No prescribed minimum height

Notes:1 No specific minimum height is given. Height provision is driven by other sports using the space (e.g.badminton, gymnastics, and tennis etc).

www.englandhockey.co.uk





6670

1000 – 2000

2500

2500 2500

2 5 0 0

2 5 0 0

1000 – 2000

1 0 0 0

– 2 0 0 0

1 0 0 0

– 2 0 0 0

1

5 5 0 0

– 2 0 0 0 0

2 0 0 0

Ofcials

I n n e r

d i v i d i n

g l i n

e

31000 – 40000

Korfball space requirements (mm)

Dimensions of a korfball pitch (mm)

Korfball


Playing area 1

Length (minimum - preferred) 31000-40000 2 36000-40000 36000-40000 40000

Width (minimum - preferred) 15500-20000 18000-20000 18000-20000 20000

Side margins 3 1000-2000 1000-2000 2000 2000


N/A 2000 2000 2000

End margins 1000-2000 2000 2000 2000

Overall space requirementsMinimumPreferred

33000 x 1750044000 x 24000

40000 x 2400044000 x 26000

40000 x 2400044000 x 26000

44000 x 26000

Height (min-preferred) 7000-9000 9000 9000 9000

Notes:1 Court length to width ratio must be 2:1.2 Sizes vary as necessary to fit a 4 and 5 court hall and can accommodate from community to premier levels of play.3 1 m run off widths for community level of play and training. Otherwise a 2 m run off width is to be provided.

www.korfball.co.uk





Netball space requirements (mm)

Dimensions of a netball court (mm)

30500

2000 / 3050 min

1 5 0 0 / 3 0 5 0 m

i n

1 5 0 0 / 3 0 5 0 m

i n

2000 / 3050 min

1 5 2 5 0

Equal EqualEqual

For International IFNA level Netball, an additional TV camera perimeter zone is required


450radius

4 9 0 0 r a d i u s

0 / 2 0 0 0 m

i n

Netball

Community Club Premier International 1

Playing area

Length 30500 30500 30500 30500 per court

Width 15250 15250 15250 15250 per court

Side margins, min 1500 2 3050 2 3050 2 3050 2 + TVcamera zone


Optional Optional 2000min 2000min

Margin space behind goallines, min

2000 3050 3050 3050 + TVcamera zone

Overall space requirements 3 34500 x 18250 36600 x 21350min

36600 x 23350min

44600 x 36600min + TV

camera zone

Height (min) 7500 7500 7500 8300

Notes:1 For International courts to IFNA standards, a practice area will be required close to the competition area -see Sport England’s publication ‘Developing the Right Sports Hall’ and ‘ Netball Data Sheets’.2 Where courts are laid side by side with no division or change in surfacing a common run off of at least 4 mis to be used in lieu of minimum requirement of 3.05 m.3 Where the full overall space requirements cannot be met, the safety margins can be reduced for Club andCommunity levels of play, subject to an appropriate risk assessment and agreement with England Netball.

www.englandnetball.co.uk

www.netball.orgwww.englandnetball.co.uk/The_Game/Facility-and-Court-Information/





Volleyball space requirements (mm)

Dimensions of a volleyball court (mm)

18000

3 0 0 0

– 5 0 0 0

3000 3000

1000–8000 1000–8000

3 0 0 0

– 5 0 0 0

2 0 0 0

– 3 0 0 0

9 0 0 0

Scorer and reserves section

1000

Volleyball

Training 1 Community Club Premier 2 International 3

Playing area

Length 18000 18000 18000 18000 18000

Width 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000

Side line clear space 3000 3000 3000 3000 5000 min

Extra one side for

officials and teamareas / benches

N/A N/A 2000 2000 3000

Backline clearspace

1000 3000 3000 5000 8000 min

Overall spacerequirements

20000 x 15000 24000 x 15000 24000 x 17000 28000 x 17000 34000 x 22000min

Height (min) 7000 7000 7500 7500 12500

Notes:1 The principles of the Volleyball training court have been proposed by Volleyball England and incorporatesreduced end run-off margins, subject to risk assessment on a site-by-site basis.2 Sizes refer to National League play competition.3 Sizes refer to FIVB governed World / Official competition

www.volleyballengland.org




Information Prepared By:Sport England, Robin Wilson Consulting, S&P Architects and DJ Deloitte

Acknowledgements:Sport England thank the following individuals and organisations for their contribution:Dave Behagg Mark HewittNick Booth Jonathan LeeDavid Bosher Jonathon MawsonTim Buckingham David MorleyFran Connolly Keith Nicholls

Andy Couling Gert-Jan PeetersBruce Cruse Ben ReesTony Cull Garry StewartPhilip Dryden Brian TowersPeter Griffiths Steve WellsMike Hall Ben Woods

Photography by: David Butler Duncan McNeil

Alistair Carew-Cox Kilian O’SullivanSimon Collins Richard SowersbyDyer Architects S&P Architects

Alan Edwards Charlotte WoodsCharlie Fawell

User Guide

Before using this guidance for any specic projects all users should refer to the User Guide to understand whenand how to use the guidance as well as understanding the limitations of use.

Issue Tracker005 - Amendments to align with ‘Developing the Right Sports Hall’ publication: February 2012004 - Minor Amendments to sports hall / wc layouts and basketball appendix layouts: February 2011003 - Minor Amendment to Page 24: April 2010002 - Updated and Amended Combined Publication: March 2010001 - Initial Publications: Sports Halls - Sizes & Layouts: February 2000 Sports Halls - Design: February 1999

Sport England

Click here for ‘User Guide’

Click here for current ‘Design and Cost Guidance’

www.sportengl and.org/faci lities__planning/design_and_cost_gui dance/user_guide.aspx

http://www.sportengland.org/facilities__planning/design_and_cost_guidance.aspx

Alternative languages and Formats:

This document can be provided in alternative languages, or alternativeformats such as large print, Braille, tape and on disk upon request.Call the Sport England switchboard on 08458 508 508 for more details

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