DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION host tournaments , it is essential to understand the rules prior to making arrangements for competition .
One problem in the tennis and pickleball space has been the issue of players , as well as facility owners and managers , marking out their own lines for play on existing courts , rather than having lines professionally installed . In one case , a pickleball player in Colorado used a permanent marker to make pickleball lines on a hardwood floor . He was accused of causing $ 9,344 worth of damage , which is what the parks department said it would cost to refinish the gym floor .
Surface manufacturers , flooring installers and facility owners have long complained about people using everything from markers to chalk to paint to tape in order to mark playing lines on indoor and outdoor sport spaces — which has led to problems later on . ( Tape , for example , can ruin the finish on wood flooring on indoor courts , and can damage the acrylic coating on outdoor flooring .)
Facility owners should take an audit of space uses and demands each year , with a view to having lines professionally marked as needed , or to building separate playing spaces .
ADDING NEW COURTS TOO QUICKLY CAN CREATE PROBLEMS While requests for pickleball space have increased markedly , this has led to problems , particularly when new facilities are installed without thought to the amenities needed . Parking , restrooms , lighting and access pathways , as well as benches and other areas where players can wait for a game , all need to be considered during the design and planning stage ; otherwise , a new facility may cause more problems than it solves .
Photo courtesy of American Tennis Courts
Photo courtesy of Zaino Tennis Courts , Inc .
Photo courtesy of The Tennis Design Studio , David W . LaSota II
If , for example , parking is an afterthought , pickleball players may wind up parking in nearby neighborhoods , irritating residents ; or may cause too much pressure on existing parking lots that have not been enlarged to accommodate the increased use . If lighting is not installed , the playing hours of the courts may be severely curtailed , leading to congestion during daylight hours .
An issue that is often mentioned with regard to situating pickleball courts close to tennis courts , residences or other facilities is that of noise . While pickleball does not make a deafening racket by anyone ’ s definition , the click of paddles hitting balls has been regarded as bothersome to some . Accordingly , USA Pickleball has noted that products are being designed to help quiet the game . SFM
Mary Helen Sprecher wrote this article on behalf of the American Sports Builders Association ( ASBA ). Information on the design , construction , marking and use of courts can be found in the books , “ Pickleball Courts : Construction & Maintenance Manual ” and “ Tennis Courts : Construction and Maintenance Manual ,” both of which are available in hard copy or PDF from the ASBA at www . sportsbuilder . org . ( Note : Use the top blue toolbar to mouse over Resources , then select Publications from the drop-down menu .) sportsfieldmanagementonline . com January 2025 | SportsField Management
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