Sport England S - Sports Halls Design and Layouts

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Design
Guidance Note
Creating sporting opportunities in every community
Sports Halls
Design & Layouts
Updated & Combined Guidance
February Revision 005
Sport England 2012
Sports Halls
Design
Guidance Note
Foreword
Sport Englands design

guidance notes aim to:
Sport England believes that good facilities are

fundamental to developing sporting opportunities
for everyone, from the youngest beginner to the
international class athlete. The buildings whether
large or small can encourage civic pride and
assist the process of revitalising deprived
neighbourhoods. Facilities that are well designed
built to last and well maintained are a pleasure to
use and give an ample return on the time and
money invested in their construction and day to
day use.
Increase awareness of
good design in sports
facilities
Help key building

professions, clients,
user representatives
and other stakeholders
to follow best practice
Good design needs to be based on a sound

understanding of such issues as the current trends
and practices within individual sports, the wider
leisure industry and the lessons to be learnt from
previously built schemes.
Encourage well
designed sports
facilities that meet the
needs of sports and are
a pleasure to use.
Good design needs to be embraced within the

earliest vision statement for a particular project
and enshrined in the initial briefing stage through
to the final detailed specifications and operational
arrangements.
Sport England design guidance notes aim to

promote a greater general understanding of overall
design concepts, an appreciation of technical
issues and the critical factors that need to be
considered in reaching the appropriate solution for
a particular project. They also advise where further
information, advice and expertise may be found
and point to benchmark examples.
This interim update aligns with the new Sport
England publication Developing the Right Sports
Hall and the Sports Data Sheets.
Later in 2012, Sport England will be rehosting a
fully updated revision of Sports Halls Design and
Layouts design guidance note to encompass the
latest round of developments and initiatives
currently under discussion.
To be read in
conjunction with
separate Sport England
publication Developing
the Right Sports Hall.
Sport England 2012
Sports Halls
Design
Guidance Note
Contents
1.0 Introduction

2.0 Site selection and planning

10
Active design objectives

Location
External planning
External appearance
13
4.0 Hall and centre planning
16
Main Entrance
Reception area and office 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
oo
Fitness equipment room
oo
Ancillary halls
26
General design
Access to and from the sports hall
Structure
Sports floor
Internal walls
Exterior facades
Roof
Fittings
6.0 Environmental & sustainability issues 32
3.0 Scale of facility
5.0 Detailed design of the sports hall
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
Energy efficiency
Overall heating and ventilation requirements
Choice of systems
Comparison of heating / ventilation systems
Artificial lighting
Daylighting
Acoustics
Reverberation times
Sound insulation
7.0 External sports facilities
Appendix 1
37
38
Standard multi-sport halls

oo
Four-court hall
oo
Five-court hall
oo
Six-court hall
oo
Larger hall configurations
Appendix 2
43
Court dimensions
oo
Badminton
oo
Basketball
oo
Cricket practice / Indoor cricket
oo
Five-a-side
oo
Futsal
oo
Handball
oo
(Indoor) Hockey
oo
Korfball
oo
Netball
oo
Volleyball
Sport England 2012
Sports Halls
Design
Guidance Note
1.0 Introduction
During the period 1940s 1960s almost all new

sports hall were built by the education sector. In
the 1970s, Local Authority reorganisation triggered
a significant increase of provision with a peak of
453 new sports halls being built between 1971 and
1975. From the mid 80s the number of local
authority sports halls declined whilst the number
of education sports halls increased up until the mid
1990s. Since then this trend has been reversed
with an increase in the number of Local Authority
halls and a decline in education owned halls
despite the Building Schools for the Future (BSF)
programme being an important contributor.
General
This guidance note covers the design and planning

of multi sports and specialist sports halls and their
attendant accommodation. These halls can be in
the form of a single stand alone building with
minimum support accommodation or as a
component within a larger centre.
The building type can be traced back to the
beginning of the last century. Some early examples
being simple sports barns on school sites that
gave basic weather projection to outdoor playing
areas. Others were part of larger community sports
centres that were developed from the 1970s.
Various development projects and programmes 1
in the 1980s saw the evolution of standard compact
and cost effective designs. Further development
work by Sport England led to the Optimum sports
hall concept as an economically sustainable off the
peg design package 2 for the new millennium.
There has been a steady trend for the education

sector to outsource the management of their sports
halls as shown by the distribution diagram below:
Education 56%
Local Authority 16%
Various built examples around the country provide

an excellent range of benchmarks for well
designed, efficient and attractive centres that use
good quality materials and achieve a high degree
of customer appeal.
Education Sports
56%
Commercial
9%
England:
halls
by management
provider
Local Authority 16%
With the potential for many secondary schools to

have their physical education (PE) and sports
provision updated, it is important to fully
understand the value that flexible multi-sport
indoor sports halls can offer. Stakeholders should
be challenged to consider the future of teaching,
learning and community participation and help to
inspire future facility development 4.
This should include strategic planning for school and
community sports facilities, and appropriate design
specification for buildings and outside areas.
National statistics and trends
The investment in PE and school sport has never

been so good; yet many of the various capital and
revenue
programmes
supporting
their
development are developed in isolation.
It is estimated that there are over 4,500 multi-sport

halls in England. This represents approximately
2.7million m2 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 and
play basis (44%), whilst the remainder are split
between membership / club and private use.
3
There are significant variations and imbalances in

the provision of sports halls within England and the
extent that they meet local needs. For example,
London, that has some 12.5% of the population of
England, has 4% fewer sport halls than the
average for the rest of the country.
Nearly all sports halls in England were built in the

second half of the twentieth century with one third
being built since 1996 and half since 1986.
See Active Places data base for the situation in a

particular location.
1
Technical Unit for Sport Development Project at Tamworth
followed by the Sport England Standard Approach to Sports
Halls (SASH) design and building programme.
http://www.activeplaces.com/
Later updated to the Optimum Package.
Active Places Data (January 2011) halls with 3 or more

badminton courts.
Trust 10%
Other 9%
Current challenges
Well designed SPORTS

HALLS can accommodate
an extensive range of
school PE and sports
activities that can benefit
the whole community.
Education 56%
Local Authority 16%
Commercial 9%
Trust 10%
Other 9%
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
Sport England 2012
Commercial 9%
Trust 10%
Other 9%
Sports Halls
Design
Guidance Note
Levels of play
See separate Sport

England publications:
Developing the Right
The space requirements in sports halls should relate

to the level of play categories for the particular
activities. Generally, the higher the level of play, the
more space that is required for the safety zones and
other margins around the playing area. For many
competition events, an extra zone is also required
for team benches and officials tables. An additional
security zone between teams and spectators may
also be required for major events. Adding these
margins around the playing area produces the
critical overall space i.e. the minimum safe area
for a particular level of play.
Sports Hall
Comparative Sizes of
Sports Pitches and Courts.
For some sports such as Badminton 5, Volleyball

and trampoline the clear internal height above the
court to any downward projection such as light
fittings, roof mounted equipment and tracking for
netting is also important.
Levels of play can be generally categorised as
International, Premier, Club and Community 6 and
an overview of what can be accommodated in
various sizes of hall is shown on page 6.
International This category relates to the lowest
level of International play 7.
Premier
This category relates to a Premier /

National League Club competing in
regional or inter county competitions.
Club
This category relates to a local

club competing in District and
County League competitions.
Community
Acoustic dividing screen integrated into the design
Adjustments of space requirements

Adjustments to the nominal sizes of sports halls
may also be required for a number of business and
programing reasons. In addition, there may be a
range of technical issues in the detailed design and
construction processes. These might include:
This category relates to school and

community use where there is no
formal competitive structure / no
specific need for space for officials
or spectator accommodation.
However, it should be noted that other categories

and terms are used by a number of Sports
Governing Bodies and sports promoters for
particular events and programmes. For example:
Space for division nets / screens / barriers
Space for addional viewing / spectators /officials
Adjustment in position of court line marking to

avoid conflicts
Structural grid requirements
Mechanical and electrical installations
The support of fixed sports equipment on

the walls and roof
Location of light fittings in relationship to the

court markings.
Top divisions
Local league
Lower divisions
Sports Governing Bodies also have their own
specifications and classification system for sport
facilities.
5
See Sport England design guidance note Badminton.
Early consideration of such factors will help to

ensure a well integrated design solution and help
to avoid compromise to the minimum safety
requirements and the successful operation of the
sports hall.
See Appendix 4 of Sport England publication Developing

the Right Sports Hall for more information.
7
For higher levels of international competition, such as major

championships, the relevant NGB should be consulted at a
very early stage as the requirements vary considerably.
Sport England 2012
Sports Halls
Design
Guidance Note
Modular approach to hall sizes
For school projects a

minimum size of 34.5 x 20.0
x 7.5 m is recommended 8 .
Badminton is often the sport which has the most

influence over the design of sports halls. It is
frequently a popular activity and has a convenient
space requirement for adopting a modular
approach to the sizing of halls. It can also influence
a number of building elements such as the roof
structure, lighting, background colours and air
velocities. These issues are discussed in more
detail in Sections 5 and 6.
A single badminton court space is regarded as the
smallest practical multi-sport space. See Sport
England design guidance note Community and
Village Halls.
The number of Badminton courts

is used as an easy reference for
the 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 sports
that can be accommodated.
Specifications for multi-sport halls

A hall based on a 4 badminton court module can
be successfully designed to accommodate a
range of sports, but careful attention should be
given to the proposed level of play category for
each sport, the critical dimensions for the principal
playing area and run off spaces and the choice
of sports floor.
Two or three badminton court halls are also seen

as valuable facilities, but a four court configuration
is required for many sports that need to be played
along the length of the space. However additional
length and width is likely to be required to obtain
the best value for money.
The Sport England publication Developing the

Right Sports Hall sets out a 7 step process that
includes decisions about establishing which sports
are considered as priority and secondary within
a hall. In multi-sports projects, the individual spatial
requirements of sports such as netball, handball,
hockey and korfball that exceed the minimum
requirements for 4 badminton courts are critical extra space will be required both on the width and
the length.
This has led to the updated 4 court hall module
with nominal dimensions of 34.5 x 20.0 x 7.5 m
and a larger 5 court hall module with nominal
dimensions of 40.6 x 21.35 x 7.5 m being the
minimum sizes for multi-sport projects, depending
on the range of sports to be accommodated. See
the table on page 7 for the sports, level of play
categories and court numbers that can be
accommodated within a range of typical nominal
hall sizes based on these modules.
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 Sport
England and the NGBs to be unsuitable as it does not allow
the recommended court sizes and limits teaching / coaching
and flexibility of use.
Sport England 2012
Sports Halls
Design
Guidance Note
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 4 and 5 court halls

provide additional space
for teaching school PE
and coaching
The updated sizes for the

4 and 5 badminton court
modules give advantages
for the individual sports
which include:
(particularly when the hall is

sub-divided into two sections).
0m
Volleyball
2 training courts that can be separated
by netting
Space on side for officials tables for
central court
18m
0m
Basketball
Space for safety zones to NGBs
standards
Space on side for officials tables
17m
18m
0m
34.5m
0m
51.75m
0m
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)
27m
20.0m
40.0m
60.0m
0m
Handball
Additional length for court (1m short)*
Cricket
Additional length for bowlers run up
end
34.5m
21.35m
42.7m
64.05m
Others
Added general flexibility for teaching
nets.
0m
See pages 38 - 41 for details.

* if Handball is a priority then additional length
would be recommended.
40.6m
Modular sports hall approach
Sport England 2012
Sports Halls
Design
Guidance Note
General notes:
Unless noted otherwise all sizes include for team / officials
zones but DO NOT include for any spectator provision.
(64.05 x 40.6
x 9.0 m)
15 Court hall
(60.0 x 34.5 x
9.0 m)
12 Court hall
(40.6 x 42.7 x
9.0 m)
10 Court hall
(40.0 x 34.5 x
8.3 m)
8 Court hall
(40.6 x 21.35
x 7.5 m)
5 Court hall
(34.5 x 20.0 x
7.5 m)
Sport and
level of play category**
4 Court hall
Overview of numbers of courts* / levels of play for nominal hall sizes
The number of courts noted for each hall size does not take into
account the additional option of inclusion of Show Court overlays.
Badminton (with 1 dividing net per 4 or 5 court module)

International 1
Premier 1
Club 1
Community 1
4 2+3
42
4
4
42
52
5
5
82
82
8
8
8
10
10
10
12
12
12
12
12
15
15
15
1
1
2
1
1
2
1
1
2
2
4
1
1
2
2
4
2
2
3
3
6
2
2
3
3
6
1 Excludes
officials zone.
a clear height of 9.0 m.
is assumed that division nets are excluded.
2 Requires
3 It
Basketball
International
Premier
Club
Community 4
Reduced court size 5
4 Excludes
5 Excludes
team / officials zone.


Community 6
6 Includes
allowance for a central 3.4 m wide (minimum) clear zone for

basketball goals within each 4 or 5 court module.
12
12
P
P
1
P
1
1
1
1
2
O
1/2P
1/2P
2
P
1/3P
1/3P
3
P
1/3P
1/3P
3
P
1
1
P
1
1
P
1
2
2
P
1
2
2
1
3
3
3
1
3
3
3
The new hall sizes provide more space for Five-a-side football /
Futsal.
1
1
1
1
1
2
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
1
3
3
3
The new hall sizes provide more space for Handball.
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
The new hall sizes provide more space for Indoor Hockey.
1
1
2
1
1
1
3
1
2
2
3
The new hall sizes provide more space for Korfball.
Gymnastics
International
Premier
Club
Community
The new hall sizes provide more space for all the gymnastics
disciplines.
Five-a-side football / Futsal

International
Premier
Club
Community
Handball
International
Premier
Club
Community
Indoor hockey
International
Premier
Club
Community
P
P
P
P
1 Unihoc 1 Unihoc 1 Unihoc
Korfball
International
Premier
Club
Community
1
1
2
Netball
7 A practice area will be required close to the international competition court.
International
7/8
8 For
International and Super League consult with England Netball

on space required for tv equipment and anticipated club specific
spectator requirements.
Premier
19
29
310
Club
1 11
19
210
29
311
3 10
Community
The hall / module width needs to be increased to 23.35 m to allow for

a 2.0 m wide team / officials zone which cannot be accommodated in
the standard size hall.
10Excludes team / officials zone which must be accommodated
by increasing the hall size and/or by sharing team/official zones
between multiple courts.
11Where 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 official zones.
Sports hall athletics

International
1P
1P
Premier
2P
2P
3P
3P
Club
2P
2P
3P
3P
Community
2P
2P
3P
3P
The new hall sizes provide more space for all the athletics
disciplines.
Volleyball
International
Premier
Club
Community 4
4 Excludes
2P
2P
4P
4P
6P
6P
4 Excludes
Training courts 4
* 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.
Sport England 2012
Sports Halls
Design
Guidance Note
Range of sports and local need
Activity
The local need for each sports hall project, for both
new and refurbishment schemes, may vary
considerably and needs to be established before
any designs are developed. Sport England and the
NGBs have worked together to produce a standard
methodology for all sports hall projects to enable
a clear vision and project brief to be established.
Detailed guidance on the methodology and who
can help is available in Sport Englands publication
Developing the Right Sports Hall. A summary of
the 7 steps in the methodology is set out below.
Decisions on the size of

the sports hall and support
accommodation should be
based on:
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
0.7
SUPPLY AND DEMAND ISSUES
STRATEGIC CONSIDERATIONS
TYPE OF ACTIVITY / LEVEL OF PLAY

CATEGORY
Multi-sports session
HOW MUCH USE

Volleyball 0.6
DEVELOPING THE PROJECT BRIEF

Others 0.6

THE BUSINESS CASE
Most popular sports hall activities taken from a Survey

of Sports Halls and Swimming Pools in England - Sport
England (1999)
THE DECISION
Other activities that can be accommodated in

sports halls include:

Racquetball 0.6
All sports hall projects should

use the 7 step process to
develop the project brief.
Archery
Boxing
Children play
Dodgeball
Fencing
Handball
Indoor golf
Korfball
Roller hockey
Tchoukball.
Sport England 2012
Sports Halls
Design
Guidance Note
Imaginative design can invite attention and focus to the

building entrance
Quality
Sports halls are open for long hours, seven days a
week and take heavy wear as a result. It is therefore
important to design durable and high quality
buildings with good, attractive and easily
maintained 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 a

number of activities can be programmed simultaneously
Sport England 2012
Sports Halls
Design
Guidance Note
2.0 Site selection and planning
Location:
The shape and contours of the available site will
obviously influence the siting of the sports hall and
any important ancillary facilities, such as artificial
grass pitches (AGP) or a group of tennis courts.
However, in most instances the proximity of an
existing access road and/or the necessary main
services will be the main factor affecting its
location, if unnecessary and expensive site
development costs are to be avoided. It is essential
that the site provides:
Active design objectives
Plans for the location of new sports halls should

consider the objectives set out in the Sport
England publication Active Design 9. It contains
guidance and information on how sport and
opportunities for people to be physically active can
be integrated into planning and development
projects. The range of physical and management
measures to promote active design objectives
include:

Improved accessibility
Enhanced amenity
Increased awareness.
Key issues in the site selection process will include:

The opportunities for co-location with other

community focus points in order to share car
parking, access and reception facilities
The prioritisation of pedestrian, cycle and

public transport routes
The prominence of the location and

opportunities for visual communication /
signage to encourage use of the facility.
9 See
Sufficient space for the proposed facility as

well as space for future expansion
Adequate car parking provision, including the

potential for overspill parking
Access for service and emergency vehicles.
External planning
Provision should be made for:

Car and coach parking closely related to the

main entrance
Disabled parking bays with ramped curbs
Drop off point adjacent to the entrance
Appropriate bench seating along pathways.
Sport England publication Active Design.
The entrance should be easy to access, feel safe to all users and be an attractive part of the public realm
10
Sport England 2012
Sports Halls
Access and adequate turning provision for

service vehicles
Secure cycle standing located within sight of

the office or reception
Ramps, if there are changes in ground level,

and additional handrailing
Well-lit car parks and footpaths for safe access

after dark
Pedestrian routes planned away from areas of

potential concealment.
Design
Guidance Note
External appearance
Sports halls often use industrial building
components and, unless carefully designed, can all
too easily look just like another factory or
warehouse, an impression that should be avoided.
By necessity they are large buildings with
windows and require considerable skill in
selection of materials, use of colour and
general design so that they look attractive
inviting by day and night.
In some locations such as on existing school and

college sites, it may be appropriate to use brick
cladding, but this can often lead to a heavy and
oppressive character.
The location of the building on the site should

allow space for future expansion when the
opportunity exists. The popularity of specific
sports and the need for social accommodation
may change over the life of the building and past
experience shows that sports dimensional and
safety requirements can increase along with user
expectations for better equipped and more
comfortable support accommodation.
Key design features:

Clearly identified entrance
A planting scheme can assist in linking the sports

hall building to its surroundings and particularly in
urban projects can help to create a more
welcoming entrance. Suitably selected shrub
planting will provide a barrier to the building face
and help to deter vandalism and give more privacy
to glazed accommodation. All new planting will
need initial barrier protection.
Well articulated structure

Prominent signage
Crisp detailing
High quality roof and wall
cladding.
See Sport England design guidance note Car

Parking and Landscape Design.
few
the
the
and
11
Sport England 2012
Sports Halls
Design
Guidance Note
Potential future
expansion
Prominently
positioned sign
indicating name
of centre,
facilities provided
and other
information
Main entrance given

visual emphasis and
protection by canopy
Assistance dog
rest area
Seat
Community
Entrance
Main entrance
visible from main
road / site
boundary
Set down point
Clear direct
pedestrian
footpaths with
clearly defined
cross-over
points where
vehicle and
pedestrian
routes intersect
Bicycles
Optimum / block plan

Well lit car park
with simple
vehicle circulation
Seat
Coach parking
Bus stop
Pedestrain
crossing
Low planting
allowing car
parking to be
clearly visible
Exit for use at

peak times
School Entrance
Main
road
Artificial Pitch
Bus stop
Notional site layout
12
Sport England 2012
Sports Halls
Design
Guidance Note
3.0 Scale of facility

The scale of the facility and support
accommodation will depend upon the size of the
sports hall and the extent of other activities to be
included as part of the facility. For instance sports
halls may be combined with swimming pools, ice
rinks, etc. as part of a larger sports and leisure
facility.
The elimination of long, narrow corridors that

might confuse visitors and impart an
institutional image
Safe and secure access achieved by design

and not by reliance on a closed circuit
television system (CCTV).
The circulation pattern should enforce a sequential

progression through the building:
Each project will have its own requirements, but

every freestanding sports hall should have:
The entrance foyer and reception
Foyer and reception
Linked to a social refreshment area
Refreshment area
Leading on to changing and toilets
Changing and toilet accommodation
Leading to activity spaces.
Facilities for disabled people
Office accommodation
Integral equipment storage
The need to backtrack should be avoided except

where a conscious decision has been made to
rearrange accommodation for a specific purpose,
such as grouping glazed activity space around the
social hub of a centre to allow spectator viewing.
Hall viewing with seating
Provision for first aid
Plant room
Cleaners store.
Servicing and plant room access should be remote

from the main entrance or arranged on an adjoining
elevation with an internal service route direct to
kitchen store or bar cellar or into any
accommodation that needs to be provisioned for
social functions. Plant rooms should be located as
close as possible to the most heavily serviced
spaces, usually the changing rooms or the deep
end of a pool in a wet and dry centre. First aid
rooms must have direct or easy access to the
building exterior and an ambulance bay should be
provided, remote from the main entrance.
This is often expanded to include the following

model range of accommodation which
complements sports halls of all sizes:

Crche 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 circulation

system that is clearly intelligible to the user
and permits easy supervision
10
Crches national standards for under 8s day care and

childminding, Surestart DfE and DWP.
13
Sport England 2012
Sports Halls
Design
Guidance Note
C
B
1500
Four court hall

with minimum
ancillary
accommodation
2500
In Sportschair areas maintain

a minimum preferred clear width
of 2500 to allow two sports
chairs to pass
A
2000
2500
2500
1500 turning circle

to be maintained
throughout the facility
Splayed walls at changes

in direction will benefit
Radiator, hose reels and
wheelchair users and
so on set into recesses to
visually impaired people maintain corridor width
2500
5000 max
1500
Minimum corridor width of

1500 in non-sportschair areas
Doors that need to swing

out into main corridors
should be 'protected' by
being set into a recess
Key Dimensions
A Where
space hall
is tight
the circulation
Six court
with
fitness
can
be dance
reduced studios
to 2000 with 2500
and
passing places at max 5m apart
B Minimum 870 effective clear width
Where the unobstructed width of a corridor is less than

1.8m, they must have passing places at least 1.8m long
and with an unobstructed width of at least 1.8m to
allow wheelchair users to pass each other
Where double doors of unequal width are used,

the wider doors should all be on the same side of the
corridor and meet the minimum clear width requirement
Doors across corridors must have viewing panels
Note: All dimensions are in millimetres
Internal circulation diagram
Internal circulation
C Minimum 1200 effective clear width
All levels must be capable of being

accessed by users with disabilities
via a lift as even the smallest sports
hall with a minimum amount of
support accommodation will have
a floor area of at least 700 m2.
Larger centres will require 2 lifts.
Sports wheelchairs require wider
doors, 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.
Four court hall

with minimumFour court hall
ancillary
with minimum
accommodation
ancillary
accommodation
Four court hall
with minimum
ancillary
accommodationSix court hall with fitness
and dance studios
Six court hall with fitness
and dance studios
See Sport England design guidance

note Accessible Sports Facilities.
25 m pool, four court hall with social areas and

secondary sports space on two levels
Six court hall with fitness

and dance studios
Main and learner pools, an eight court hall and

other accommodation planned off a mezzanine
circulation spine
secondary
sports
space
on two
levels
25 m pool,
four court
hall with
social
areas
and
secondary sports
on two
levels
25 m space
pool, four
court
hall with social areas and
February
Revision 005

Block plans illustrating different scales and mixes

of accommodation
14
Sport England 2012
Sports Halls
Design
Guidance Note
7.5 m min clear height
Natural lighting to
ancillary areas
Plant
Changing
Sports hall
(& First Aid)
Staffroom
Changing for 30
School
Cl
St
Plant
Store
Sports
chair store
Mat
store
Changing for 30
Changing for16
Community
See pages 38-39 for a

range of court layouts
Equipment
store
Changing for16
Store
Store
Fitness
Club/meeting
room
Store
Office
Foyer
Sports hall
34.5 x 20m
Office
(& First Aid)
10m
A 34.5 x 20.0 m sports hall with a typical range of accommodation. Alternatively, the club-meeting room space could be
developed as a crche, soft play or exercise studio
15
Sport England 2012
Sports Halls
Design
Guidance Note
4.0 Hall and centre planning
which can include seating, viewing and

refreshment areas, should be designed to be as
open and transparent as possible. Natural lighting,
most probably from a roof source, will help create
a pleasant atmosphere. The volume of the entrance
is important in creating a comfortable arrival
space. A higher ceiling can also help relate to the
larger volume of the sports hall.
Main entrance
The design of the entrance should be warm and

welcoming. The entrance foyer is the hub of the
building and should have sufficient space and
volume for people to circulate, view notices or wait
for friends in comfortable surroundings. Design to
provide:

Views towards the sport hall and other main

elements of the building
Convenient and secure store for pushchairs

overlooked from reception
Draught lobby to the main entrance doors
Automatic operation of the main doors which

is particularly helpful to wheelchair users and
people with young children
Space for the inclusion of security barriers.
In dual-use centres it is preferable to separate the

main community entrance from the school
entrance, so that one is approached directly from
the main car park, and the other directly from the
school premises. This can reduce excessive usage
of the entrance and social areas and minimise
wear and tear on specified finishes.
Dual use projects can have

implications for the overall
building specification.
Check requirements for:
The management strategy will dictate foyer

planning. Options for foyer design include:

reception close to the point of entry with

sufficient space for queuing
an informal hotel type arrangement.
The first has the advantage of close control over

those entering the centre, the second provides for
a more relaxed and welcoming style of operation.
In either case the foyer and its associated spaces,
Heating and ventilation strategy

Escape routes
Examination requirements
Acoustics
Public entertainment.
Reception and office accommodation

The reception desk should:

Be prominently sited
Be of an open design with a dropped level for

wheelchair users and children, but with
sensitively designed security features as
appropriate
Incorporate storage for lost property and items

for sale or hire
Make provision for the monitoring of fire and

security systems
Allow for the integration of CCTV, PA and other

essential equipment (retrofitting such equipment
when space is tight can be difficult).
Only in dual-use schemes where club programming

predominates is it appropriate for the open
reception counter to be replaced with a glazed
screen and counter to the staff office.
16
Sport England 2012
Sports Halls
Defined space for waiting

and manoeuvring in front
of lift 1500 x 1500mm
minimum
Design
Guidance Note
Locate visual and tactile

information in obvious
and convenient positions
Lift
Telephone recess
located away from
noisy areas
Protect door swings
Logical
unobstructed
routes; clear
signage
Recess features such

as vending machines
and radiators
Low counter reception

adequate space in front
and behind with induction
loop for staff and visitors
Column
Safeguard low
headroom
Where they are

unavoidable, obstacles
should be highlighted
using colour and lighting
to assist way finding and
to minimise the risk of
accidental collision
Seating area within
defined area and
located off the main
circulation route to
avoid visually impaired
people colliding with
furniture. In addition
provide integrated
spaces for wheelchair
users
Consider assistance
dog rest area
Flush and firm matting
to entire lobby
Waiting area well lit

with a quiet
environment balance
between acoustically
hard and soft areas
Lighting levels
in lobby provide
a transition
between inside
and outside
Brackets or columns to
canopies or lights kept
clear of circulation routes
Obvious entrance with

clear views in helps
orientation
Seating areas should

incorporate loose seats
with armrests
Reception area and office accommodation
The reception desk and office accommodation

should be closely linked. An island reception
counter may be used for larger centres to control
sports hall, pool, ice rink or spectator access.
Isolated reception counters should be provided
with an integral secure cash office.
Reception and social areas

should be designed for
flexibility to allow for different
management styles and
changing local circumstances.
Whenever possible offices should be located on

an external wall for day lighting and views over the
approach to the building.
A small school / community sports hall might have
a minimum administration area consisting of an
office for one person with some storage.
Generally, a four-court hall would have a managers
office with meeting space and a general office,
unless some administrative functions take place
off-site.
Larger centres may include a separate catering
managers office, other specialist accommodation
such as a rest room and male and female staff
changing.
Open reception desk with lower height sections for

wheelchair users and children
17
Sport England 2012
Sports Halls
Design
Guidance Note
Social and viewing areas
Where it is not possible to accommodate these

facilities at ground floor level, the social areas
should be visible from the foyer and linked to it
with a prominent staircase set in a generous well.
It is important that this relationship is emphasised
and that the social content is not tucked away in
a remote corner of the building. Support
accommodation will include:
Where possible sports halls should be capable of

being viewed from social accommodation and
every hall with public use, including those on
school sites, should have some social and
refreshment accommodation. The simplest answer
is to extend the foyer to include a seating area
overlooking the hall through safety glazing fitted
with blinds or a curtain to avoid distracting
badminton players or other user groups. Two or
three vending machines with adjacent storage are
often sufficient for small halls but an alternative is
to extend the reception counter for staff to serve
drinks and snacks.
Check with operators that

there is adequate space
for vending machines (and
future expansion).
Located in or close to the entrance foyer to

enhance the welcoming ambience and to
enable the centre to benefit from customer
secondary spend
In large centres social and viewing areas can be

grouped together and may include:
A bar and lounge
Viewing into the hall and other areas.
Proper refuse storage and containment with

direct access
If there is a licensed area separate cellarage

will be needed and a physical form of
segregation may be required.
A well furnished and suitably equipped refreshments

area: an attractive image for the leisure environment
Views from entrance / reception of climbing wall and

other sports activity spaces beyond
Viewing of sports halls and

other activity areas provides
added interest and should
be designed to benefit all
users - see Accessible
Sports Facilities design
guidance note.
Designed to ensure that standards of decor

match successful high street equivalents.
Storage and servery areas serviced from a

nearby vehicle delivery point
Viewing of sports halls and other activity areas

provides added interest to the social content and
assists in breaking down the cellular characteristics
common to many older sports buildings. These
benefits have to be reconciled with the privacy
needs of some occupants so open galleries should
be capable of being shut off and glazed screens
must be fitted with curtains or blinds.
If a cafe area is included it should be:

18
Sport England 2012
Sports Halls
Design
Guidance Note
single sex activities such as keep fit or

aerobics
Screen panels fitted to first floor viewing to give privacy
For small fitness equipment rooms changing

spaces are often provided for each item of
equipment (based on 5 m2 of floor area) but for
larger facilities this can be discounted by
25-30%
Aerobics studios and other ancillary halls

require one space per 5-10 m2 and an
allowance for overlap 11
Squash courts require four spaces per court
The need to accommodate varying ratios of

males/females with buffer or individual
changing units as required
Changing areas need to be fully accessible for

disabled users
Ideally, provide a proportion of cubicles for

male and female customers who may prefer
privacy
Have entrances that screen off views from

circulation areas eg. privacy screening or
lobbies.
Spectator seating / viewing

In larger halls, bleacher seating can be integrated
into the wall and linked up to a first floor access
route. In smaller halls smaller temporary seating
units may be kept in the sports hall store. In all
cases, the space requirements need to be
considered in relationship to the court markings.
The design should allow a minimum of 1.6 m2 per

person with a 0.5 m bench run for an accessible
open group changing area and shower areas.
More space will be required where cubicles are
provided or where dedicated disabled provision is
incorporated in the general area.
See Sport England design guidance note
Accessible Sports Facilities.
If there is enough capacity the internal changing
can also serve external pitches with an artificial
playing surface, subject to a suitable access route
with hard paving and entrance matting. However,
grass pitches must have separate provision with
direct access to and from the field and boot
cleaning facilities.
Bleacher seating integrated into the side wall and access

gallery above
See Sport England design guidance note Pavilions

and Clubhouses.
Changing capacity
Management feedback
shows that split school and
community changing works
well, subject to supervision
and programming.
Changing capacity should be provided to cope

with the normal maximum occupancy level and
pattern of use. Calculations should take into
account:

The number of badminton courts (4 players) x

2 for changeover. This number can be
exceeded where there is school use and a
need to provide for two or more classes. Extra
changing spaces will also be required for
11 See Sport England design guidance note Fitness and

Exercise Studios.
19
Sport England 2012
Sports Halls
1500 min
clear
1500 min
clear
1500 min
clear
2000
clear (int)
2000
clear (int)
Vanity area
Circulation
Always use high quality, robust and easily

cleaned materials to give an immediate and
lasting impression of hygiene and cleanliness
Ceramic tiles need to be used on all wall

surfaces in showers and changing rooms, with
slip-resistant ceramic tiles on the floors
Whenever possible changing areas should be

equipped with high ceilings and rooflighting.
Note that clerestory windows and suspended
ceilings are vulnerable to vandalism.
Clothes storage lockers

The decision on the location of lockers is often
dependant on the local situation and user profile.
Lockers in the main corridor can be easily
supervised by staff and might help to deter
vandalism, whilst lockers in the changing room are
more convenient for users. In many centres a
mixture of both are provided.
Main circulation
1500 min
clear
1500
clear (int)
Customer feedback confirms

that underfloor heating is liked
for changing areas.
1100 min
clear (int)
Family / Accessible cubicles / 2 person changing
1100 min
clear (int)
1000 min
clear (int)
Changing areas often attract criticism in facilities

that would otherwise be well received.
Changing rooms and showers: some key minimum dimensions.
Note: a 600mm
bench depth is
required for
wheelchair
transfer
Circulation / lockers
1500 min
clear
Main circulation
1000 min
clear
450 min
600
500 1500 min
preferrred clear
1500 min
clear
Cubicles and benches
500
1500
1500 min
clear
Bench and lockers

Opposed benches in 'U' plan
layouts: 4 spaces are lost
A range of locker sizes

must be provided to
accomodate aids
Changing areas
Vanity area with appropriately located fittings to give

access for wheelchair users
Allow 2.5 times the assessed occupancy

levels for changing
Locate lockers in changing rooms to offer

maximum convenience for users
Typically, manufacturers supply locker units

that are 0.5 m deep, 0.3 m wide and arranged
in 1.8 m high columns. These can contain
either two individual half height lockers or a
single full height locker. There should be a
proportion of both to suit the likely use of the
centre. Some should be wider (say 0.4 m x
1.8 m) to accommodate larger sports bags,
childrens buggies and mobility aids 12.
Behind bench lockers save space but are

inconvenient at times of peak use.
Folding changing
bench with curtain
Shower area
775
1900 min
Privacy curtain
1800
375
folded
Privacy curtain
1000 min
clear
Showers
Entrance
1500 min
Door size in accordance with

Table 5 of Accessibile Sports
Facilities DGN
Design
Guidance Note
Showers

By providing a dropdown seat with the

appropriate fixed rails, the main shower area
can be made more accessible. All shower
areas should incorporate these facilities
12
See Sport England design guidance note Accessible

Sports Facilities and approved www.inclusivefitness.org
Changing rooms and showers: some key minimum

dimensions
Allow one shower point to every six changing

spaces. Provide a separate dry off area and
include a proportion of cubicle showers 13.
13
20
Above the BS 6465-1 recommendations.
Sport England 2012
Sports Halls
Design
Guidance Note
Floor channels with bucket gullies and lift-off grilles give

effective drainage in shower and other wet areas. They
require regular cleaning
Strong colours add to a bright and clean appearance
Individual units allocated as required to provide flexibility. Each unit can incorporate toilets if the centres
main facilities are not adjacent.
Individual units allocated as required to provide exibility. Each unit can incorporate toilets if the centres main facilities
Individual
units allocated as required to provide flexibility. Each unit can incorporate toilets if the centres
are not adjacent.
main facilities are not adjacent.
Hardwood (light
coloured) or solid
grade laminate
slatted bench.
Cast aluminium
or galvanised
steel bracket
Wall-supported
Hardwood
(light
heat source,
coloured)
or solid
gradeprotected
laminate
beneath
slatted
bench.bench
incorporating
lockable
buffer rooms for
An arrangement
arrangementof
ofsimilar
similarcapacity
capacity
incorporating
lockable
flexibility.
Generally,
this is the
more economical
approach
buffer
rooms
for flexibility.
Generally,
this is the
more in terms of overall
floor area and
is more easily
supervised.
economical
approach
in terms
of overall floor area and is
more easily supervised.
21
An arrangement of similar capacity incorporating lockable

buffer rooms for flexibility. Generally, this is the more
economical approach in terms of overall floor area and is
Cast aluminium
or galvanised
Cantilevered
and wallwallCantilevered
benching and
steel bracket
heating source
source allow
allowfloor
floor
hung heating
surfaces to
Wall-supported
surfaces
to be
beeasily
easilycleaned
cleaned.
heat source,
protected
beneath bench
Sport England 2012
Cantilevered benching and wallhung heating source allow floor

surfaces to be easily cleaned.
Sports Halls
Shower outlets should be at 0.75 m centres

with 0.45-0.5 m between end fittings and side
walls. Fittings carried around an internal corner
should be to an increased space standard to
allow for wheelchair access.
Showers on opposing walls should be spaced

2.5 m apart to permit a central circulation route
and will require a separate dry off area to one end.
Design
Guidance Note
See separate guidance note Accessible Sports

Facilities for space requirements for showering.
Access doors to the store should be wide to allow easy

access
Adequate storage space of suitable proportions,

sited in the correct location, is essential for the
efficient operation of multi-sports halls.
A total of 12.5% of the hall floor area is required
as a minimum for sports equipment. Community
use school halls and large events halls may
require more for furniture and specialised fittings
Locate storage on the long side of four court

halls or, where this cannot be achieved, split
stores into two areas according to the pattern
of hall use
Allow ample space in the equipment store for all the

activities that are likely to occur in the sports hall
Mat storage
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 clear
height to allow for storing small trampolines
Up-and-over, sliding, folding and side-hung

doors can be considered but must be detailed
to resist impact damage and to be free from
projections that can injure users upon impact
Wide-leaf, side-hung panels usually require a

steel frame
A store depth of 5.0 m is preferred for end-on

storage of goals but excessive depth restricts
entry and increases handling difficulty
A separate racked store may be required for

roller skate hire. It should be located next to
the sports hall entrance
Provision for floor socket type posts for

badminton / netball / volleyball to be stored
vertically (if this type of post system is used).
Mats can be a potential fire risk and consideration

should be given to a separate one-hour fire-rated
enclosure vented to the external air and equipped
with a smoke detection system. Early discussions
with the fire officer are advisable. Maximum use
can be made of the available space by storing the
mats on a purpose-made trolley, which can be
pulled out for safe and easy access. Mats usually
measure 2.0 x 1.0 m.
Alternative
Store
Shelving and wall fixings

should be considered to help
use the full volume of
equipment storage areas.
Alternative
Store
Store
Store
Equipment store
The location of the equipment store should allow easy

access to various subdivisions of the hall
22
Sport England 2012
Sports Halls
Design
Guidance Note
located in wall recesses so as to retain a flush

rebound surface.
For larger halls a suitable adjustment should be
made for the additional number of courts and the
proposed programme of activities.
Badminton 4 sets of posts, 4 nets,

2 spare nets
Bowls

4 short mat carpets, rolled,

each 1.83 long x up to 0.5 m
diameter
Cricket

Roll out mats (to ECB

standards for the particular
sports hall)
Toilet accommodation
Toilets can be planned to share a common access
lobby with changing rooms. This is an economical,
proven arrangement that concentrates services
and affords convenient access to sports, social
and office areas.
Five-a-side 1 pair portable goals with

anchor points, each
football /
Futsal
3.66 / 4.99 x 1.20 m
Male:
One WC, one washbasin,

one urinal per 15-20 users
Female:
One WC per 7-10 users,

one washbasin per 15 users.
The total toilet provision should be calculated on

the likely maximum occupancy of the building in
accordance with BS 6465-1: 2006.
Handball 1 pair goals, each 3 x 2 m
8-12 court hall
Scoring equipment
Officials table / chairs
Team benches
Portable baskets (if no fixed
goals)
4-6 court hall
Basketball
Unisex accessible changing room with WC
2*
In addition, provide an accessible changing

cubicle within the main changing area
Changing room large enough for wheelchair teams
In addition, provide a unisex Changing Places

changing room
Hockey 1 pair goals, each 3 x 2m

Gymnastics * Range of apparatus with

anchorage points and

floor mats
Accessible changing provision
Judo/karate Mats, each 2 x 1m (full 14 x 14 m

matted area with an 8 x 8 m

combat 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
Accessible toilet provision

Dedicated unisex Accessible WC compartment
on each floor (in addition to any provision within
unisex accessible changing above)*
2*
Team benches
Trampoline *

2 folding trampolines, each

4.60 / 5.20 m x 2.75 / 3.05 m x
2.25 / 2.00 m high when folded
Provide a minimum of one cubicle each within

the general male and female toilets suitable
for an ambulant disabled person
In addition, provide an accessible WC
compartment located within the Sports Chair
Zone to serve people using large sports chairs
Volleyball

Posts* and nets / officials table /

chairs
Changing Places provision: include as indicated

under Accessible Changing Provision above
Key:
Notes:
* Floor socket required
m Recommended
Notes:
Typical schedule of loose equipment for a four-court hall

(dependant on sport priorities for the particular project)
See Accessible Sports Facilities for details of the layouts

for the above facilities.
Special events
* The above figures are the minimum and should be

increased if necessary to reflect the anticipated amount of
use and the relationship to the individual facilities. Unisex
accessible changing facilites must be located wherever
there is general changing provision.
Extra large external doors will be required for

additional large items of sports equipment, and
mobile seating and so on for competitions and
exhibitions. Bleacher fold-out seating should be
considered for halls with six or more courts,
l Required
Accessible changing and toilet provision for sports halls
23
Sport England 2012
Sports Halls
Design
Guidance Note
As a minimum there should be at least one unisex

accessible toilet at locations where there is public
toilet provision. See BS 8300. It is unreasonable
to expect disabled users to travel further than
other members of the public. Where single sex
changing facilities are provided, an additional
unisex accessible toilet easily accessed from the
main circulation area should be provided, thereby
enabling a disabled user to be assisted by people
of either sex. Additionally, disabled users needs
can be met within the general changing areas by
provision of:

Open bench changing or double sized cubicles
Showers fitted with fold down seats.
See Sport England design

Accessible Sports Facilities.
guidance
Accessible toilet
2200 x 1500 min
Chair
Wheelchair turning
Sink, drainer, base
zone 1500 min
unit and locakble
wall cupboards
note
Stretcher trolley/couch
1000 min Fridge
600 clear access zone

around trolley/ bed
Chair
Easy
Chair
Full height
Equipment
cupboard
Desk & Phone
Direct access to
emergency vehicles
1100 clear min
Independent panelling systems protect pipework and simplify

surface cleaning
First aid / physiotherapy room
First aid for a medium sized centre. Small centres can

incorporate first aid within a staff area subject to
sufficient space being available
The most basic provision is shared use with an

office or staff restroom containing a sink or
washbasin , a secure first aid cabinet and access
for a stretcher. A clear space of 2.0 x 1.6 m is
recommended as a minimum. A supply of drinking
water should be available and there should be an
adjacent WC compartment with a hand basin.
Cleaners store
Even in a small hall separate provision for the
storage of cleaning equipment and materials must
be made. Locate the store close to the changing
accommodation and include a Belfast sink.
Based on the provision for school table 7 in BS 6465-1:

2006
Staff facilities
BS 6465 recommends separate staff facilities for
school situations. The Workplace (health, safety
and welfare) regulations 1992 require that there
should be a suitable seating area for use during
breaks. It needs to be clean and located where
food cannot get contaminated.
Where a dedicated first aid room is to be provided,

an increase in dimensions may accommodate a
physio treatment room, and/or a drug testing
facility.
Larger centres require more dispersed

accommodation which can include separate
toilets for staff.
24
Sport England 2012
Sports Halls
Design
Guidance Note
Larger centres might devote considerably more

space to fitness training, often combined with an
exercise studio, integral office / reception, cubicle
changing, sauna, spa pool and lounge. Separate
guidance notes deal with these subjects in more
detail.
Secondary areas
Valuable complementary
facilities include:
Ancillary halls
See Sport England Fitness and Exercise Spaces

design guidance note.
Dance
Fitness rooms benefit enormously from having

windows or roof-lights but for ground floor
locations it is advisable to provide external
screening for privacy. These spaces also benefit
from increased volume. Mechanical ventilation or
air-conditioning is always required. Glazed panels
to social or circulation space help to open up and
promote these activities but all glazing, external
and internal, must be fitted with blinds or curtains.
Exercise
Martial Arts
Social
Fitness equipment areas
Ancillary halls
Ancillary halls can range upwards from a size of
10.0 x 10.0 x 3.5 m high for a range of physical and
social activities. These may be of lower
specification than the main hall, and be suitable
for activities such as training, practice, exhibitions
and wet weather social events that require less
height than the main sports hall. The potential for
social use will be enhanced by ease of servicing
which 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 category
with minimum recommended dimensions of 15.0
x 12.0-15.0 x 4.5 m high. Windows should be at
high level and admit only north light. Flexible use
of space can be achieved by including two or more
squash courts with sliding division walls.
Fitness equipment room should be bright and attractive.

The internal design can often be enhanced with the use of
natural lighting and carefully considered external views.
Fitness equipment room

A fitness equipment area can be a valuable
complementary space to a sports hall. It allows a
range of general fitness and conditioning activities
to take place on a more casual basis than the main
sports activities that are usual on a programmed
basis for the sports hall. It allows users to increase
their own personal strength and fitness and to
obtain increased attainment in their chosen sport.
The minimum practical floor area is 25.0 m2 and
80.0-100.0 m2 is the norm for small sports centres,
with a preferred ceiling height of 3.5-4.0 m.
Secondary halls have similar flooring requirements to

main halls and benefit from increased height. Natural
lighting contributes to the success of these spaces but
must be able to be blacked out.
25
Sport England 2012
Sports Halls
Design
Guidance Note
5.0 Detailed design of the sports hall
sports purposes but the primary function of safety

requirements should not be compromised.
General design
A range of materials can provide good multi-sports

floors including various timbers such as beech,
maple or oak, either solid or veneer, and various
composition and synthetic materials. Key required
features can be summarised as follows:
The hall is a functional space with stipulated court

and safety margin dimensions and with
unobstructed clear height requirements.

Surfaces should be flush and of consistent

colour. Applied design features should be
avoided. A successful interior should rely on a
careful selection of materials, colours and
lighting.
Natural lighting invariably contributes to the
halls ambience but a suitable system will be
expensive and difficult to reconcile with sports
lighting requirements, particularly those of
badminton. See Section 6 for more details.
Access to and from the Sports Hall

The number, width, height and location of access
doors to the sports hall will depend on the overall
building layout, the fire strategy, proposals for the
delivery of large equipment, and the required
evacuation time. Sports hall access doors should
open outwards to avoid creating a hazard to the
users within. Additional doors may be required to
give direct access to sections of the hall that can
be divided into separate sections.
Structure

Columns and beams should be laid out so that

they run between the badminton courts in
order to avoid conflict with the overhead light
fittings and the hanging of division netting.
See recommendations for badminton
and the Sport England design guidance note
Badminton.
Additional structure may be required to

support specific items of fixed equipment
such as basket ball goals.
Purlins should be avoided when possible in

favour of a structural deck spanning between
the main beams. When Z-purlins are used they
must be painted white to blend with the roof
decking.
Sports floor
The structural loading must accommodate

special features such as bleacher seating or
roller skating.
The positions of fixed and portable sports

equipment and their floor sockets should be
integrated into the design.
The floor colour should be considered in order

to create an integrated design with wall
reflectance and lighting scheme. (The walls
should 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 effective
for specific floors. See ECB performance
specification).
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
Recommended court marking line colours & widths
A specialist sports floor is the critical element in

providing a comfortable and safe place in which to
play sport. Halls may also be used for some non
The sports floor should conform with the

appropriate performance standards for the
priority range of sports to be accommodated
(for example an area elastic floor complying
with BSEN 14904 or a specific National
Governing Body standard).
Court marking lines are painted on most sports

floors. PVC tape is not usually used, except for
temporary courts, whilst inlaid lines are an option for
Columns can be wholly or partly within

external walls or outside the building envelope.
They should never project into the hall.
26
Sport England 2012
Sports Halls
Design
Guidance Note
range of colours is required to avoid confusion.

See Sport England design guidance note Floors for
Indoor Sports.
A combined elastic floor, walls of the right reflectance value and compact fluorescent lights between badminton courts
provide an excellent sports hall environment.
Lighting to BSEN
12193: 2007
Heating and
lighting above
track for netting
Space for air ducts - heating

ducts to be away from netting
Tracking to run beneath

structure and other fixtures
Clear height
(7.5m - 9.0m) to
lowest projection
in roof
Basketball net in
lowered postition
3050
Cleats for
spotting rig
above 2m
Space for
basketball fittings.
Cricket net bags above

5-a-side line
1200
2000
a limited number of sports floor products. Most

sports require white lines for major competitions
although yellow is used for handball and sometimes
hockey and basketball. For multi-sports halls a
Volleyball Post
Socket
Typical coordination issues
Note:
Alternative volleyball post
socket fittings with
reduced depth requirements
are provided by some
manufacturers for retrofitting
or situations where thickening
of the slab is not feasible.
27
Thickening of
floor slab at
socket locations
Sports floor to
BSEN 14904:2006
Avoid
servicing
in floor
Sport England 2012
Sports Halls
Design
Guidance Note
Flush glazed panel and access door to give viewing from

the locker area into the sports hall
Standard proprietary flush door with a flush viewing

panel, opening outwards away from the sports hall
Internal walls
Colour
Code *
The internal walls should be flush-faced and

impact resistant. Options include:
Blue
86 BG 43/321
Green
30 GG 40/290
plywood
Blue green
fair faced brick
53 GG 50/360
87 GG 51/291
painted block work
frameless or flush-framed glazed panels.
10 GG 48/366
Notes:
* ICI colour code (Dulux) where the central number
represents the surface reflectance. i.e. 86 BG 43/321 is a
colour with a 43 % light reflectance value (LRV).
Whatever material is selected, it is preferrable if it

runs full height and with a consistent colour as
horizontal changes in material cause visual
obstruction to badminton players and can result in
a stepped back surface.

A diaphragm wall construction can be used in

all masonry solutions.
The reflectance value should be generally

around 40-50% to give sufficient contrast to a
white shuttlecock but not so dark as to result in
an oppressive interior 14. See Section 5, page 26.
The wall colour should contrast with the floor

and be uniform across the wall plane.
Include a 0.15 m skirting designed for easy

replacement if roller skating will take place in
the hall.
Doors and door frames should be flush with

the internal surfaces, and should open
outwards away from the sports hall. Escape
doors require panelling above and below the
crash bar (See diagrams on p29.)
Typical sports hall wall colours from the ICI Dulux Range.
For dedicated badminton centres, colours with

lower light reflectance values (LRV) are preferred,
whilst in constrast for a multi sports hall, a higher
LRV will help give a greater spread of light within
the space. Where cricket nets are installed lighter
coloured end walls or curtains are preferred to help
players see the cricket ball.
See Sport England design guidance note
Badminton and TS3 - Indoor sports halls with
cricket provisions available from the ECB website.
Flush doors, especially

those with panic bolt
mechanisms, are often
difficult to get right and
consideration should
be given to using metal
frames and procuring as
a single source supply
item (like an engineered
window).
14 For cricket a lighter coloured end wall (reflectance value

>0.7) will be required behind the bowler end and additional
lighting for cricket nets. See ECB recommendation for club
and school cricket. BSF Cricket Data Sheet England and
Wales Cricket Board (ECB).
See Sport England Badminton design guidance note for

requirements for badminton in dedicated and multi-use
sports centres.
28
Sport England 2012
Sports hall walls should be detailed for safety and without

hazardous projections. Flush surfaces should extend to
2.0 m minimum, preferably to 2.7 m above floor.
All edges of the All edges of the

recess should be
recess should be
radiused to minimise
radiused to minimise
risk of impact injury
risk of impact injury
Design
Guidance Note
Store doors should be flush detailed, and unless they can

only be opened by operators and otherwise kept locked,
they should not open out into the sports hall Doors may
need to perform as rebound panels and therefore their
construction needs to be robust and safe for users. Net
bags should have no projecting fittings/features that
could create a hazard and be high enough to not
compromise the five-a-side rebound zone (1.21 m).
Flush secondaryFlush
glazing
secondary glazing
with suitable impact
with suitable impact
resistance ratingresistance
(to act rating (to act
as a rebound panel)
as a and
rebound panel) and
positioning to conform
positioning
to to conform to
Building Regs Part
Building
M, Regs Part M,
British Standards
British
and Standards and
Accessible Sports
Accessible Sports
Facilities requirements
Facilities requirements
including minimum
including minimum
zones of visibility
zones of visibility
250app
Note:
Note:
Note on adjacent
Note on adjacent
diagram regarding
diagram regarding
modifying standard
modifying standard
proprietary doors
proprietary doors
applies
applies
8-950 approx
Rebound panelsRebound panels

flush with
flush with
surrounding wallsurrounding wall
face
face
1050 max
8-950 approx
250app
Recessed panicRecessed panic

bolt bar set at bolt bar set at
height to conform
height to conform
to Building Regsto Building Regs
Part M, British Part M, British
Standards and Standards and
Accessible Sports
Accessible Sports
Facilities
Facilities
requirements requirements
1050 max
Sports Halls
Note:
Note:
Modifying a standard
Modifying a standard
proprietary doorproprietary
(as
door (as
indicated) can be
indicated)
a cost can be a cost
effective alternative
effective
to a alternative to a
specialist manufacturer
specialist manufacturer
supplied door (see
supplied door (see
example shown example
on page shown on page
28). However, issues
28). However, issues
such as the added
such as the added
weight of construction
weight /of construction /
certification using
certification
this
using this
approach must be
approach must be
carefully considered.
carefully considered.
Rebound panelsRebound panels
flush with
flush with
surrounding wallsurrounding wall
face
face
Door openings
should be
designed for
the movement
of the largest
pieces of
sports
equipment
Door openings
should be
designed for
the movement
of the largest
pieces of
sports
equipment
Vision panel
supplied with
standard
Proprietary
door to meet
general fire
/impact
resistance
regulation
requirements
Vision panel
supplied with
standard
Proprietary
door to meet
general fire
/impact
resistance
regulation
requirements
External escape doors must be panelled out to line through
Internal doors must be panelled out to line through with
with
the escape
wall
surface.
Themust
lower out
section
can then
form
part through
the wall
surface,
including
vision
panels
External escape
External
doors
must
be
doors
panelled
be
panelled
to line
through
out
to line
Internal
entrance
Internal
doors
entrance
must
be
doors
panelled
mustwhich
out
be panelled
tomust
line through
out to line throu
of the
football
rebound
zone
high along
have
impact
resistance
as including
part panels.
of theglazed
rebound
with the wallwith
surface.
thefive-a-side
wall
Thesurface.
bottom
1.2m
The
bottom
is part
1.2m
of(1.21m
theis part
of the
with
thesuitable
wallwith
surface,
the wall
including
surface,
glazed
panels.
walls) rebound
and afootball
flushzone
facing
is essential
for
overall
safety.
zone.
five-a-side football
five-a-side
rebound
and
a flush
zonefacing
and
a flush
facing
is essential for
is essential
overall
safety.
for
overall
safety.
29
Sport England 2012
Sports Halls
Design
Guidance Note
The roof decking should span the main beams

to achieve minimum visual obstruction
Where unavoidable, internal linings or

suspended ceilings must be impact-resistant
Suspended
ceilings
are
generally
inappropriate for sports halls. Mill-finish
standing seam aluminium roof finish is likely
to provide the best value for money for most
sports buildings and can be curved, avoiding
interruption of the ridge.
Where the location demands a slate or tile roof

the better quality pressed steel sheet products
can provide a convincing appearance for
buildings of this scale without the weight penalty
of the genuine product.
Wall colour should have a reflectance value of around

50%. Only halls specialising in table tennis or dedicated
badminton centres will benefit from a darker
background.
Fittings
Climbing walls should not be located in a

sports hall. For safety and operational reasons
they require a separate dedicated space.
Early consultation is
recommended with
specialist equipment
companies to ensure
coordination of clear
heights, court markings,
floor fittings and safety
requirements.
Exterior facades
When selecting materials for exterior facades
consider the following points:

Successful external claddings can include

colour-coated steel. Where profiled metal is
used this looks better when run horizontally.
Cedar boarding can be appropriate as it is

cheaper than metal cladding and if properly
specified requires minimal maintenance.
The hall should be equipped with a range of fixed

equipment depending on the chosen priority
sports. Typically this might be:
Metal cladding used above brickwork at a

lower level invariably gives a very industrial
appearance and should be avoided.
Wall- or roof structure -mounted basketball

goals with additional practice goals fixed
directly to the wall
Roof structure-mounted spotting rig for

gymnastic (wall fitting to be above 2.0 m high)
and tracked division netting
The roof soffit and structure should:
Cricket nets
Be uniform, preferably white with more than

90% reflectance value
Make provision for acoustic absorbency.

Reverberation time should not exceed two
seconds at mid-frequency 15
Floor and possibly wall sockets with flush

fitted cover plates will be required for specific
items of equipment
Pulley-mounted net bags.
External windows and door frames must be in

powder-coated aluminium or galvanised steel,
PVCu or hardwood.
Roof
Care should be taken to ensure that there are no

dimensional conflicts with the court markings and
the safety requirements.
15 See later section on acoustics
30
Sport England 2012
Sports Halls
Design
Guidance Note
WC
Foyer
Handrail
Skate store
Boot
change/
sitting
out
Matting
to slow skaters
Sports hall
Demountable 1.2m
high barrier
Ramped thresholds
See Sport England publication Developing the Right Sports Hall for sports activities and business plan considerations
the
ofsports
the halls
hallbut
torequires an appropriate
when developingRoller
a projectskating
brief. Rollerrequires
skating might
be entry
popular zone
for some
specification for the
skirtings, music
and a
storage.
befloor,
sectioned
off equipment
to create
skate change and
sitting out area. Other requirements

are a skate hire
31
Sport England 2012
issue store and a music system.
Sports Halls
Design
Guidance Note
6.0 Environmental and

sustainability issues
The use of presence

detectors and temperature
sensors should be
considered for all systems.
Heating, lighting and ventilation services can

account for a significant proportion of construction
costs. It has been estimated that energy can
account for between 24-30% of the overall
operating cost of a dry sports facility. It is often the
next largest item to staff cost. The full environmental
impact of a sports hall building through its life cycle
should be carefully considered and it is
recommended that the BREEAM assessment
method be considered 16.
Subject to the introduction of adequate fresh air to

meet the requirements of occupants (minimum
20%), the air in the sports hall can be re-circulated
in order to minimise the energy needed to heat up
the incoming air. Such a system can have automatic
controls and carbon dioxide or other types of
detectors to achieve acceptable air quality.
Energy efficiency
The fresh air requirement will generally depend on

the number of occupants, unless dependant on
the cooling needs. The CIBSE Guide does not
define a value for sporting activities but a value of
8-12 l/s of fresh air per person is appropriate in
most circumstances. A ventilation rate of approx
1.5 air changes per hour is adequate for most 4
court sports halls of between 7.0-8.0 m high
assuming heat gain or large occupancies are not
an issue and that there is good air distribution.
Installations should be designed for simplicity and

serviceability to achieve the required environmental
conditions and energy saving criteria. Good
insulation and air sealing of the building envelope
should be achieved together with careful selection
and operation of the optimum temperature and
ventilation rates for the occupied space.
Simple energy conservation techniques, such as
heat recovery and efficient thermal and time
controls will also be beneficial. The way sports halls
are used make them particularly suitable for
occupancy sensors or presence detectors to
automatically control heating, lighting and/or
ventilation systems, in order to avoid wasteful
conditioning of spaces when they are unoccupied.
Unlike other building types, sports halls generally
need to exclude solar penetration and are less able
to benefit from solar gain as a contributor to energy
efficiency.
Air velocities should generally be kept below 0.1

m/s with the sports activity volume. This is
particularly important for badminton where the
flight of the shuttle cocks is likely to be up to
6.0-7.0 m over the court.
In the interests of sustainability, consideration
should be given to providing separate controls for
heating and ventilation so that the space can be
maintained at a comfortable temperature ready for
use, and the ventilation is linked to occupancy and
air quality. Such an approach can provide fresh air
at the required rate and save on fan power and
heating energy.
Overall heating and ventilation requirements

The heating and ventilation of a sports hall will be
required throughout the year.
The main active sports are likely to be badminton,
basketball, and five-a-side football / futsal and a
heating system that gives an overall minimum
temperature range of 12 to 16 C will satisfy most
users. However, temperatures of up to 20 C may
be required for less physically intensive sports
such as short-mat bowls and for other sports,
coaching and training where participants may be
static for periods of time. In practice, sports halls
may often require low levels of heating but do
benefit from systems that have fast response times
in order to be adaptable to the needs of different
user groups.
Common complaints in
sports hall H & V systems:
Overheated / stuffy in warm

summer periods (opening
the escape doors can
exacerbate 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
32
Sport England 2012
Sports Halls
Design
Guidance Note
Choice of systems
The following systems are often seen as the most

appropriate for sports halls:

Radiant heating ceiling panels with a separate

ventilation system
Combined ducted warm air and ventilation

delivering through air handling units (AHU).
A ducted warm air system has generally been seen

as the preferred method of integrating heating and
ventilation. It can give a good degree of control of
air quality throughout the year and achieve good
distribution and efficiency.
Natural ventilation towers in roof to give controlled

ventilation and compensate for the heat loads from
occupants, artificial lighting and solar gain, and anti-glare
roof-lights to supplement the artificial lighting
In some instances fan convectors and unit heaters

with outside air provision can provide a limited
amount of ventilation, but this is generally not very
substantial or effective.
to be changing rooms and entrances that will need

to be heated and ventilated and might be
integrated with the hall system and give scope for
shared fuel source and plant room space.
High-level extract fans in the roof or walls together

with appropriate means of outside air supply can
often be used as a separate ventilation system and
can be effective, subject to air velocities not
affecting shuttlecocks and large volumes of cold
air causing high heating loads or discomfort. The
noise caused by wind acting on the external
damper can also be an issue.
See Sport England design guidance note Floors

for indoor Sports for concerns about potential
problems with the thermal stability and
performance of floors with under floor heating
systems. The coordination of the exact locations
of floor sockets for sports equipments needs to
be considered. Often floor sockets are installed
after the building construction is completed and
under floor heating system may limit future
flexibility. The response time of under floor heating
systems to cope with varying programme needs
may also be a consideration.
Natural ventilation systems such as ventilation

towers that utilise wind energy can also be
considered. However, these will need some form
of supplementary system to deal with warm
windless days and some means of tempering the
cold incoming air during cold winter periods. The
risk of unwanted air movements needs also to be
considered. Some natural ventilation products
utilise solar panels to activate an auxiliary
ventilation fan on warm windless days.
The type of heating system

should be identified early to
coordinate with the clear
height / space requirement
and fixing of sports
equipment (See diagram on
page 27). Examples are:
Where the hall is part of a larger centre, the choice

of system may be influenced by the needs of other
areas. Even in the smallest project there are likely
Light fittings suspended from main beams located

between the badminton courts. Additional lighting for
cricket nets. Clear height requirement taken to the
lowest point. Drop down basket ball nets to fold up to
maintain clear height requirements
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 with

under floor heating (including
future installations).
See Sport England design guidance note Floors for

Indoor Sports.
33
Sport England 2012
Sports Halls
Design
Guidance Note
Artificial lighting
Adequate artificial lighting is an essential element
of the sports hall and should be integrated into the
design from the outset, rather than be added in
later.
Uniformity ratio (Emin/Eave) the ratio of

minimum to average illuminance over the
playing area
Colour rendering (Ra) an indication of the

quality /distortion when compared to natural
light.
The sporting activities often demand critical visual

tasks, with fast moving objects and players. It is
important that the whole volume of the space is
considered and that the quality of illumination is
considered along with the colour and texture of
materials. See Section 5 page 26 for reflectance
levels of walls, floors and ceilings.
For 34.5 x 20 m and 40.6

x 21.35 m sports halls:
A 500 lux lighting system
that caters well for
Badminton, with courts
running across the hall, will
be adequate for most
sports that are played along
the length of the hall.
A good lighting system should provide adequate

luminance, suitable brightness, contrast, uniformity
of light distribution and satisfactory control of
glare. It will also have a major influence on the
overall ambiance of the hall.
It is vitally important that

the roof / ceiling enclosure,
lighting system and the
layout of the court
markings in a hall are
designed together.
However a switchable system

should be considered:
to improve the suitability for

badminton, basketball and
volleyball
Many sports halls have to cater for a range of

activities and some simultaneously where the
sports hall can be divided into sections. There may
also be a need to achieve adequate visual
conditions for spectators. Non-sporting use may
also be a requirement, for example on a school site
the hall may be used for examinations and school
plays. Where substantial variations in luminance
are required, additional switching of supplementary
lighting could be considered.
to increase to 750 lux average

and uniformity min / average
of 0.8 over cricket nets.
See separate Sport England guidance for variations

between technical advice (such as BSEN
12193:2007 and CIBSE LG4) and requirements of
National Governing Bodies for the priority sports in
a particular project.
It is generally recommended that for multi sports

halls, the lighting design is based on the
requirements of the priority activities, whilst
ensuring that, as far as practicable, all other
potential activities are catered for. In most situations
in England a lighting design that caters well for
badminton, with courts running across the hall will
be more than adequate for the sports that are
played along the length of the hall. However a
common enhancement is to provide an additional
lighting system for cricket that can be controlled
separately.
Daylighting
Any proposed use of daylight in a sports hall needs
very careful consideration. There are likely to be
technical issues that need to be weighed against
the perceived benefits. These include:
The key issues for lighting design can be

summarised as:

Illumination value ( Eave) minimum maintained

average. The system should be designed with a
higher initial value and for planned replacement
of lamps when output falls below the Eave level
Controlling glare
Stable and uniform levels of lighting
Heat gain
Local cooling.
The capital cost of incorporating daylight can be

2-3 times that of a plain wall or roof, and
maintenance costs are likely to be increased. The
34
Sport England 2012
Sports Halls
Design
Guidance Note
Small amounts of daylighting in say a rooflight or

a side wall can create a sombre and dull internal
atmosphere in the hall.
See Sports Scotland publication:
Understanding Daylighting of Sport Halls SSC
www.sportscotland.org.uk/ChannelNavigation/Resource+Library/
Light fittings suspended from main beams located

between the badminton courts. Additional lighting for
cricket nets.
inclusion of daylight is difficult to justify solely on

economic grounds and amenity benefits should
be considered.
Some sports such as badminton, table tennis and
gymnastics have strict advice against daylight in
sports halls.
DIFFUSE
DIFFUSE SKY
SKY
air
air out
out
5
6
air in
in
10m
Playing area
Retractable tension nets
Roof blinds
Rooflight
1
2
5
3
6
4
5
7
6
8
7
8
Playing area
Retractable tension nets
Metal roof panels
Roof
blinds
Steel truss
Rooflight
Metal
roof panels
Ceiling net
Steel truss
Artificial
Ceiling
netlights
Artificial lights
Example of daylighting successfully integrated into an indoor cricket school with north facing roof lights and screens to
prevent entry of direct sunlight
SHORT SECTION
35
5
Sport England 2012
10
Sports Halls
Design
Guidance Note
Acoustics
introduce a pattern of sound absorbent slots and

acoustic quilting into an existing timber ceiling.
The internal acoustic conditions within a sports hall

should be appropriate for its intended use. It will be
beneficial to all users that the ambient noise levels
are low and that verbal communication is easy and
critically important for people with hearing
impairment or learning difficulties. This is particularly
important for training, teaching / learning situations,
and activities that are accompanied by music.
Ceilings provide the best opportunity for the

provision of acoustic absorbency. They are often
the underlining of the roof, which is usually a
sandwich construction that can have a perforated
self decorated metal finish. However additional
sound absorption material on the side walls is
likely to be required to achieve good acoustic
conditions. This should be formed with a suitably
robust lining material.
Sports halls on school sites are required under

the Building Regulations to comply with DfES
Building Bulletin 93 : 2003 with respect to sound
insulation, reverberation times and internal
ambient noise levels.
Sound insulation
The level of sound insulation within the building
fabric to prevent distracting sound from external
sources being transmitted into the hall should also
be considered. Heating and ventilation equipment
should be specified to minimise background noise
and similar attention should be given to openings
in the building. A standard of NR40 would normally
be specified.
Acoustic design is a complex and specialist

subject that can be influenced by many factors.
Requirements should be established early in the
briefing and design process.
Key issues are covered below.
Reverberation times
In some situations the noise that may be emitted

from a sports hall may also be an issue.
The hard surfaces required to withstand impact

damage within the sports hall tend not to have
good sound absorbency properties and results in
sound being repeatedly reflected from the various
surfaces. This is exacerbated by the size and
rectangular shape of sport halls. Technically this
can be measured from the time that a given source
of sound decreases by a standard amount and is
referred to as the reverberation time (RT) 17.
Sports hall acoustics:

Reverberation times
should be between 1.5 and
2.0 sec at mid-frequency
Characteristics that can be attributed to excessive

reverberation times include:

Poor speech intelligibility
High background noise levels
Increase stress for users
Management / control difficulties.
Sound insulation standard

should be capable of a
minimum of NR 40.
The greater the background noise the greater the

need to shout leading to a spiral of increased
noise. An appropriate RT is likely to give the users
a more relaxed experience with less background
noise, greater understanding of key communication
and making speech clearer.
The problem can be avoided through acoustic
design that integrates sound absorbent materials
into the ceiling and/or upper wall levels.
See DfS Building Bulletin 93 : 2003 for a case
study of remedial work to an existing hall to
17 See ISO 354 and BS EN ISO 140-7: 1998 for standard
and test methods.
36
Sport England 2012
Sports Halls
Design
Guidance Note
7.0 External sports facilities
entrance, arranged so that staff can supervise the

changing to play area route.
Where site dimensions permit it is advantageous

to include a floodlit and fenced multi use games
area close to the hall. These tennis court, or larger,
sized facilities can significantly increase overall use
and can reduce wear and tear in the sports hall.
Overall changing capacity will have to be increased
according to the capacity of the play area and
some secure external equipment storage must be
provided. Artificial pitch areas will require paved
routes connecting with the halls main or secondary
The same criteria will apply to tennis or netball

courts but grass pitches and cricket squares
require separate changing rooms with field exits.
Site planning should be arranged so that routes to
grass and artificial pitch areas do not cross or
coincide. In centres with extensive outdoor
provision a pavilion, suitably orientated for external
viewing and located for servicing, could be
provided.
An adjacent artificial grass pitch can complement a sports hall and be an economical way to provide additional booking
capacity
37
Sport England 2012
Sports Halls
Design
Guidance Note
Appendix 1
The netball court can be offset to allow a 1.75

m margin along one side and a minimum
recommended side runoff of 1.5 m for
community level and training.
Basketball benefits from the increased width

to allow full side margins or, alternatively, the
minimum side margins plus more space for
officials.
The width allows 4 cricket nets and a central

zone for roof mounted drop-down basketball
goals.
The width is helpful for sports requiring a

smaller amount of space. For example, a
full-length fencing piste, short mat bowls
carpet and up to four table tennis tables can
be accommodated across the width of the hall.
Standard multi-sport halls

Four court hall
The recommended minimum size for a multi-sports
hall is nominally 34.5 x 20.0 x 7.5 m.
The new dimensions allow an increased range of
sports 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: club

Futsal: club
Handball:
community
Korfball:
community
Netball:
community / training
Volleyball:
Height (7.5 m)

premier / training
The benefits can be summarised as follows:

Length (34.5 m)

General
The length of the hall allows division nets to be

installed in two locations between the
badminton courts. This could extend the
programme of use of the hall to include a
range of additional sports activities such as
short mat bowls, gymnastics, table tennis and
martial arts which can be played concurrently
with some of the other main sports noted
above. (See following diagrams).
The length accommodates the preferred

length for cricket nets of 33.62 m.
The length allows a full length netball court

with reduced end runoff zones of 2.0 m that
are the recommended minimum for community
level play and training.
Width (20.0 m)

The width can allow the 4 badminton courts to

to be offset to allow some circulation space
and seating for informal viewing.
Two volleyball training courts can be

accommodated across the width and can be
integrated with practice basketball goals on the
side walls (but with limited space for cricket).
See pages 43-52 for detailed court information

for the individual sports.
The cricket nets and hall division netting can

be stored in wall bags outside the critical play
areas for most sports. However, for five-a-side
football which utilises the whole space, nets
must be hoisted above 1.21 m (NB. Cricket
and division nets require extra height to avoid
conflict with the clear height requirement).
Generally it is preferable to locate the access

and exit points on the longer sides of the hall
and to relate these to the circulation space
within the hall (see notes on the diagrams for
offset courts).
The positions of door openings and viewing

panels should be positioned to avoid conflict
with the court layouts.
The 34.5 x 20 x 7.5 m

hall provides additional
space for teaching
school PE and coaching
18 Four cricket lanes are possible with centrally located
basketball court and goals but without basketball training

goals on the side walls.
The height allows badminton to be played at

club level, and volleyball to be played at
premier level. The 7.5 m clear height should be
achieved across the entirety of the hall.
38
Sport England 2012
Sports Halls
Design
Guidance Note
Four-court hall (Cont/d)
Courts can be off

set to allow
additional
circulation / casual
viewing areas /
officials
Badminton
Volleyball
Wall mounted
practice basketball
goals reduce
space for cricket
nets
Basketball
Volleyball / Basketball training

Space for roof
mounted practice
basketball goals
assuming a
centralised
basketball court
Netball
Indoor cricket
Judo / Trampoline
Five-a-side football / Hockey
Division net
Table tennis / Badminton
Short bowls / Gymnastics
Court layouts for a nominal 34.5 x 20.0 x 7.5 m four-court hall
39
Sport England 2012
Sports Halls
Design
Guidance Note
Five court hall

The additional space within a 5 court hall allows
more activities to take place consecutively and
creates further areas of bookable space. It also
allows more sports to be accommodated, higher
levels of competition to be hosted and greater
flexibility for teaching and coaching.
The recommended size for this multi-sports hall is
nominally 40.60 x 21.35 x 7.5 m.
Additional sports

Badminton
(one additional court - see
note below)

Other benefits
Basketball

The 40.6 x 21.35 x 7.5 m

hall provides additional
space for teaching school
PE and coaching
(more space for officials and

team benches)
Cricket
(more space for bowlers run

up and fielding practice)

Gymnastics
(more space for training)

Five-a-side
(more space for larger court)
football

Futsal

Handball

(more runoff space for

premier level of play)
(more runoff space for
premier level of play)
Netball
(more runoff space for club

level of play)
Volleyball
training
(more run off space)
General
See pages 43-52 for detailed court information for
the 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.
40
Sport England 2012
Sports Halls
Five-court hall (Cont/d)
Design
Guidance Note
Courts can be off set to allow additional

circulation / casual viewing areas / officials
Net position
1 to allow a
separate
activity area
Badminton
Volleyball
Alternative
net position
2
Basketball
Volleyball / Basketball training

Wall mounted
practice
basketball goals
reduce space
for cricket nets
Netball
Space for
roof
mounted
practice
basketball
goals
assuming a
centralised
basketball
court
Indoor cricket
Handball
Five-a-side football / Hockey
Alternative
net position
3
Futsal
Volleyball / Other activities
Court layouts for a nominal 40.6 x 21.35 x 7.5 m five-court hall
41
Sport England 2012
Sports Halls
Design
Guidance Note
Six court hall
Larger hall configurations
The 34.5 x 27.0 x 7.5 m 6-court hall creates two

team sports zones or a competition play area
aligned with spectator seating. This 3 + 3
badminton court arrangement is recommended in
preference to the 4 + 2 layout (33 x 27 m hall)
originally used for this hall size. The 34.5 m length
provides the required safety margin behind the
badminton courts.
Larger sports halls can be conveniently organised

as multiples of the layout for 4, 5 and 6 court halls
that are described on the previous pages (see
pages 6, 38 and 40).
This gives an efficient method of organising the
court markings and the subdivisions of the space
with dividing nets / screens to deliver a multi-sport
programme.
Notes

Align structure between badminton courts to

provide three full-span bays or introduce a
primary beam across the centre of the hall.
Division netting is hung between the three

rows of courts. It can also be considered
between two end courts but this zone is
usually designated for retractable seating.
A height of 9.0 m and extra length is required

for Premier standard badminton.
Two standard basketball courts or two reduced

five-a-side football courts can be laid across
the hall.
These larger halls can also provide space for a

range of show courts to be overlaid and spectator
accommodation as may be required for higher
levels of play and sporting events. In effect, such
halls can operate as a small indoor arena 19.
However, careful consideration needs to be given
to the many implications. For example:

The strategic case for such a facility and the

national facilities strategies for the particular
sports that are being considered.
The business, operational and design

implications such as the requirements of
NGBs, sponsors and TV companies.
Technical issues regarding the health and

safety, fire escape and general welfare of the
spectators and associated accommodation.
Additional safety zone and height requirements

for the higher levels of play for the sports
concerned.
Cricket
Badminton
Badminton
Volleyball
Volleyball
Cricket
Cricket
Netball Basketball
Badminton
See Sport England publication Developing the

Right Sports Hall.
Badminton
Volleyball
Badminton
Badminton
Cricket
Cricket
Court layouts for a nominal 34.5 x 27.0 x 7.5 m six-court

hall (3 + 3 court arrangement)
19
See Arenas: A Planning, Design And Management Guide

- Sports Council 1998.
42
Sport England 2012
Sports Halls
Design
Guidance Note
Appendix 2
Court dimensions
Badminton
1500 2000
Officials
1500 2000
6100
Refer to Sport England design guidance note

Badminton for detailed court information
2000
13400
2000
Dimensions of a badminton court (mm)
Community
Club
Premier
International
6700
7500
9000
9000
Length
13400
13400
13400
13400
Width
6100
6100
6100
6100
Wall from baseline, min
2000
2000
2000
2000
Between opposing courts

including division netting
3000
3000
4000
4000
Wall from sideline 1
1500
1500
1500
2000
Between parallel courts, min
1500
1500
1500
2000
Between parallel courts

including division netting
2400
2600
2600
3000
17400 x 9100
17400 x 16700
17400 x 7600
17400 x 9100
17400 x 16700
17400 x 7600
17400 x 9100
17400 x 16700
17400 x 7600
17400 x 10100
17400 x 18200
17400 x 8100
Minimum height over court

Playing area (doubles court)
Minimum overall area:

For a single court
3
For two parallel courts
For each additional court 3
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.
Badminton space requirements (mm)
43
Sport England 2012
Sports Halls
Throw-in
Throw-in
sidelinesideline
8325 8325
1575
2050 - 3050
ius
1050 - 2050 min
1250 1575
26000 26000
- 28000
- 28000
1050 -1050
2050- 2050
Pre OctPre
2010
Oct/ 2012
2010 / 2012
Post Oct
Post
2010
Oct(High
2010level
(Highcompetition.)
level competition.)
&
&
layout (applies
layout (applies
for all levels)
for all levels)
Post 2012
Post(Med
2012level
(Medcompetition.)
level competition.)
layout layout
(changes
(changes
highlighted
highlighted
in green)
in green)
Throw-in
sideline
1050 min
2050 preferred
14000 - 15000
1050 min
2050 preferred
1800
Neutral zone
rad
8325
26000 - 28000
1050 min, 2050 preferred
Pre Oct 2010 / 2012
layout (applies for all levels)
5800
5800
850
375
00
18
90
85500
850
8
850 408050 400
1750
00
00
18
850
100 50
90
1750
18
18
12
00
100 50
1200
6000
6000
1200
50
375
1200
1200
12
50
4900
5800 5800
1750
850 408050 400
850
85
8500
1050 - 2050
4900
1750
Post Oct 2010 (High level competition.) &

Post 2012 (Med level competition.) layout
(changes highlighted in green)
1050 - 2050 min
50
4900
67
3650 - 4150 900
1250 1575
1250 15755800
s
diu
1050 min,
10502050
min,preferred
2050 preferred
40050850
50 50
1750 50
950 50950
850 50 850
850 50
400850
850
1750
Dimensions of a basketball court (mm)

5800
Playing area
850 400
Community
850
Club
Premier
5800
International
850
Length (minimum or preferred)
26000 or 28000 26000 or 28000 26000 or 28000
Width (minimum
or preferred)
1200
14000 or 15000 14000 or 15000 14000 or 15000
Out of bounds (minimum or preferred)

Extra one side for officials and
team areas / benches
00
18
1050
18
00
or 2050
375
1200
28000
15000
12
50
1050 or 2050
2050
2050
Optional
2050 - 3050
2050 - 3050
3050
28100 x 16100
32100 x 19100
28100 x 18150
32100 x 22150
30100 x 20150
32100 x 22150
32100 x 221504
7000
7000
4900
1750
6000
Overall space requirements

Minimum
Preferred
Height
90
1750
850 400
850
850
100 50
2990
900 3650 - 4150
1800 1800
5800 5800
6Neutral
75
Neutral
zone zone
rad 0 rad
ius
ius
4900
14000 - 15000
50
14000 - 15000
67
1050 - 2050 min
150
8950
1575 1575
62
1050 - 2050 min
Team Bench Area
2990 2990
4000 - 5000
ius dius
rad
ra
50 250
62
6
36501050
- 4150
900min
- 2050
8950 8950
Scorers table
4900
1050 - 2050 min 900 3650 - 4150
14000 - 15000
150
150
1050 min
2050 preferred
Officials
2050 - 3050
Team Bench
Team Area
Bench Area
4000 -4000
5000- 5000
r
50
1050 min
2050 preferred
ScorersScorers
table table
3650 - 4150 900
900 3000
Officials
Officials
900 3650 - 4150
14000 - 15000
14000 - 15000
1050 min
2050 preferred
1050 min
2050 preferred
900 3000
900 3000
Basketball
2050 - 3050
Design
Guidance Note
950 50 850 50 850 400 850 50 1750 50
7000
7000
Notes:
1
Provision for spectator seating has been excluded

x 20 m sports halls can accommodate the preferred size court 28 x 15 m for club / community / training
level 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.
2 34.5
www.englandbasketball.co.uk
Basketball space requirements (mm)
44
Sport England 2012
Sports Halls
Design
Guidance Note
3660 min 3660 min

4000 max 4000 max 1000 min (See note
below)
Popping crease
Bowling crease
Approx 3/4 length of hall
Batsmans end
1500
7720 min
Bowlers end
10000 min
20120
31620
1000 min clear (applies up to 2000 height, min 500 clear of fixed equipment thereafter, applicable generally)
33620
(Runup end can be reduced to allow min 31200)
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)
1000 min
Dimensions for indoor cricket (mm)

Minimum Recommended

maximum
Length
31200
33620
Width
3660
4000
Height of horizontal top net
4500
5000
Height of underside of loft net

Safety margin surrounds
4000
1000 (clear) - subject to projection of fixed equipment
from wall e.g. basketball practice hoops
Indoor cricket space requirements (mm)

See ECB Facility Briefs and Guidance Note 'Indoor Sports Halls with Cricket Provision (TS3).
45
Sport England 2012
Sports Halls
Design
Guidance Note
16500 35000
Five-a-side football
7500
radiu
Reduced
'D' radius
6250 6750
for narrow,
older halls
Goal
Recessed
goal
1750 mimimum
from corner to 'D'
25000 50000
Dimensions of a five-a-side football pitch (mm)
Community
Club
Premier
International
Length (min - max)
25000-50000
25000-50000
25000-50000
25000-50000
Width (min - max)
16500-35000
16500-35000
16500-35000
16500-35000
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Playing area
Out of bounds surround

For sports halls, walls may be used (where safe) as the court
boundary, or rebound boards may be provided. There are no run off
requirements.
Height
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). Wall surfaces used as boundaries must be impact
resistant, smooth, with finishes to prevent dusting / flaking. There must be no protrusions and doors
should be avoided or be flush and open outwards away from the sports hall.
www.thefa.com
Five-a-side football pitch space requirements (mm)
46
Sport England 2012
Sports Halls
Design
Guidance Note
6000
radiu
3000
radiu
5000
5000
Halfway line
10000
5000
3000
15000 25000
2000
5000
250 radius
1000-3000
1000-3000
Futsal
5000
5000
Substitution
Substitution
zone
Officials and team bench zone
400
400
25000 42000
1000-3000
1000-3000
Dimensions of a futsal pitch (mm)
Community
Club
Premier
International
Playing area
1
Length (min - max)
25000-31000
31000-42000
38000-42000
Width (min - max)
15000-16000
16000-25000
16000-25000
18000-22000
1000
1000-2000
2000-3000
27000 x 17000
33000 x 18000
33000 x 18000
46000 x 29000
35000 x 20000
48000 x 31000
Run off surround

Minimum
Maximum
Height
31000-42000
3000
44000 x 24000
48000 x 28000
Notes:
1
The side walls or rebound boards are not used in Futsal and a runoff is a requirement. For recreational and
club levels of play the court sizes and runoffs can be adjusted to allow Futsal to fit into a four court Sports
Hall, otherwise the preferred run off of 3m is required for national and international play. However, this may
be reduced to 2m where space is limited.
2
Additional space is required for benching / tables / officials / team bench.
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)
47
Sport England 2012
Sports Halls
Design
Guidance Note
0- Min 1000 1000
Handball
Officials, subs bench and sin bin
9000
150
radiu
Goal
4000
3000
Centre line
3000
0
60
6000
18000 20000
us
di
ra
4500
0- Min 1000
6000
4500
33000 40000
0- Min 1000
0- Min 1000
Dimensions of a handball court (mm)
Community
Club
Premier
International
36000-40000
36000-40000
40000
18000-20000
18000-20000
18000-20000
20000
0-1000
1000 min
1000 min
1000 min
N/A
1000
1000
1000
33000 x 18000
42000 x 22000
38000 x 21000
42000 x 23000
38000 x 21000
42000 x 23000
42000 x 23000
7000
7000
7000
7000
Playing area
Length (minimum - preferred1)
33000-40000
1)
Width (minimum - preferred

Out of bounds surround
Extra one side for officials
and team areas / benches

Minimum
Preferred (min)
Height
Notes:
1 Preferred court sizes should be provided whenever possible as playing on undersized courts presents
difficulties. Reduced sizes will fit in standard 4, 5, 6 or 8 court halls while preferred sizes will fit in standard
halls 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) can
be suitable at community level of play. In both cases, safety runoffs are beneficial but not a requirement
provided boundaries are impact resistant, smooth, with finishes to prevent dusting/flaking. There must be no
protrusions and doors should be avoided or be flush and open outwards.
http://britishhandball.worldhandball.com
Handball space requirements (mm)
48
Sport England 2012
Sports Halls
Design
Guidance Note
100
Officials and team bench
9000
radiu
7000
100
Centre line
6030
3000
6030
18000 22000 between side boards

Min 1000
Min 1000 1200
(Indoor) Hockey
36000 44000
3000 min
3000 min
* Court width is measued between 100mm side boards. Court length is measured overall backlines/side boards. Safety run off
is measured outside the side boards/back lines.
Dimensions of an indoor hockey pitch (mm)
Community
Club
Premier
International
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
12002
12003
42000 x 21400
50000 x 25400
42000 x 21400
50000 x 25400
Playing area (2:1 l/w ratio)

N/A
1200
42000 x 20200
50000 x 24200
42000 x 21400
50000 x 25400

Minimum
Preferred
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
(Indoor) Hockey space requirements (mm)
49
Sport England 2012
Sports Halls
Design
Guidance Note
2000
Korfball
6670
Inner dividing line
2500 2500
15500 20000
2500
1000 2000
1000 2000
Officials
2500
2500
31000 40000
1000 2000
1000 2000
Dimensions of a korfball pitch (mm)
Community
Club
Premier
International
Length (minimum - preferred)
31000-400002
36000-40000
36000-40000
40000
Width (minimum - preferred)
15500-20000
18000-20000
18000-20000
20000
1000-2000
1000-2000
2000
2000
N/A
2000
2000
2000
1000-2000
2000
2000
2000
33000 x 17500
44000 x 24000
40000 x 24000
44000 x 26000
40000 x 24000
44000 x 26000
44000 x 26000
7000-9000
9000
9000
9000
Playing area
Side margins

End margins
Minimum
Preferred
Height (min-preferred)
Notes:
1
Court length to width ratio must be 2:1.
Sizes vary as necessary to fit a 4 and 5 court hall and can accommodate from community to premier levels of play.
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
Korfball space requirements (mm)
50
Sport England 2012
Sports Halls
Design
Guidance Note
Netball
Equal
Equal
Equal
Officials and team bench
15250
4900
radiu
450
radius
1500 / 3050 min
1500 / 3050 min 0 / 2000 min
For International IFNA level Netball, an additional TV camera perimeter zone is required
30500
2000 / 3050 min
2000 / 3050 min
Dimensions of a netball court (mm)
International
Community
Club
Premier
Length
30500
30500
30500
30500 per court
Width
15250
15250
15250
15250 per court
Playing area
Side margins, min
1500
3050
3050
3050 2 + TV
camera zone

Optional
Optional
2000min
2000min
Margin space behind goal

lines, min
2000
3050
3050
3050 + TV
camera zone
34500 x 18250
36600 x 21350
min
36600 x 23350
min
44600 x 36600
min + TV
camera zone
7500
7500
7500
8300
Overall space requirements 3

Height (min)
Notes:
1 For International courts to IFNA standards, a practice area will be required close to the competition area see Sport Englands 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 m
is 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 and
Community levels of play, subject to an appropriate risk assessment and agreement with England Netball.
www.englandnetball.co.uk
www.netball.org
www.englandnetball.co.uk/The_Game/Facility-and-Court-Information/
Netball space requirements (mm)
51
Sport England 2012
Sports Halls
Design
Guidance Note
2000 3000
Volleyball
9000
1000
3000 5000
3000 5000
Scorer and reserves section
3000
10008000
3000
18000
10008000
Dimensions of a volleyball court (mm)
Training
Community
Club
Premier
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 team
areas / benches
N/A
N/A
2000
2000
3000
Backline clear
space
1000
3000
3000
5000
8000 min
Overall space
requirements
20000 x 15000
24000 x 15000
24000 x 17000
28000 x 17000
34000 x 22000
min
7000
7000
7500
7500
12500
Height (min)
Notes:
1
The principles of the Volleyball training court have been proposed by Volleyball England and incorporates
reduced end run-off margins, subject to risk assessment on a site-by-site basis.
2
Sizes refer to National League play competition.
Sizes refer to FIVB governed World / Official competition
www.volleyballengland.org
Volleyball space requirements (mm)
52
Sport England 2012
Sports Halls
Design
Guidance Note
Alternative languages and Formats:
This document can be provided in alternative languages, or alternative

formats such as large print, Braille, tape and on disk upon request.
Call the Sport England switchboard on 08458 508 508 for more details
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 Hewitt
Nick Booth
Jonathan Lee
David Bosher
Jonathon Mawson
Tim Buckingham
David Morley
Fran Connolly
Keith Nicholls
Andy Couling
Gert-Jan Peeters
Bruce Cruse
Ben Rees
Tony Cull
Garry Stewart
Philip Dryden
Brian Towers
Peter Griffiths
Steve Wells
Mike Hall
Ben Woods
Photography by:
David Butler
Alistair Carew-Cox
Simon Collins
Dyer Architects
Alan Edwards
Charlie Fawell
Duncan McNeil
Kilian OSullivan
Richard Sowersby
S&P Architects
Charlotte Woods
User Guide
Before using this guidance for any specific projects all users should refer to the User Guide to understand when
and how to use the guidance as well as understanding the limitations of use.
Click here for User
Guide
www.sportengland.org/facilties__planning/design_and_cost_guidance/user_guide.aspx
Click here for current Design
and Cost Guidance
http://www.sportengland.org/facilities__planning/design_and_cost_guidance.aspx
Issue Tracker
005 - Amendments to align with Developing the Right Sports Hall publication: February 2012
004 - Minor Amendments to sports hall / wc layouts and basketball appendix layouts: February 2011
003 - Minor Amendment to Page 24: April 2010
002 - Updated and Amended Combined Publication: March 2010
001 - Initial Publications: Sports Halls - Sizes & Layouts: February 2000
Sports Halls - Design: February 1999
Sport England
3rd Floor Victoria House

Bloomsbury Square
London
WC1B 4SE
ISBN 978-1-86078-260-2
Sport England, February 2012
Tel: +44 (0)8458 508 508
Further
Information:
53
Sport England 2012
To find out more about Sport England and to get the latest news and information about our various
initiatives and programmes, please go to www.sportengland.org

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Licensed copy from CIS: atkins, Atkins Plc, 14/05/2013, Uncontrolled Copy.

A single copy of this document is licensed to

This is an uncontrolled copy. Ensure use of the

Creating sporting opportunities in every community

Sport England 2012

Sport Englands design

Sport England believes that good facilities are

Help key building

Good design needs to be based on a sound

Good design needs to be embraced within the

Sport England design guidance notes aim to

February Revision 005

Sport England 2012

2.0 Site selection and planning

Active design objectives

4.0 Hall and centre planning

February Revision 005

6.0 Environmental & sustainability issues 32

3.0 Scale of facility

5.0 Detailed design of the sports hall

7.0 External sports facilities

Standard multi-sport halls

Sport England 2012

During the period 1940s 1960s almost all new

This guidance note covers the design and planning

There has been a steady trend for the education

Various built examples around the country provide

With the potential for many secondary schools to

National statistics and trends

The investment in PE and school sport has never

It is estimated that there are over 4,500 multi-sport

There are significant variations and imbalances in

Nearly all sports halls in England were built in the

See Active Places data base for the situation in a

Later updated to the Optimum Package.

Active Places Data (January 2011) halls with 3 or more

February Revision 005

Well designed SPORTS

Sport England 2012

See separate Sport

The space requirements in sports halls should relate

For some sports such as Badminton 5, Volleyball

This category relates to a Premier /

This category relates to a local

Acoustic dividing screen integrated into the design

Adjustments of space requirements

This category relates to school and

However, it should be noted that other categories

Space for division nets / screens / barriers

Space for addional viewing / spectators /officials

Adjustment in position of court line marking to

Structural grid requirements

Mechanical and electrical installations

The support of fixed sports equipment on

Location of light fittings in relationship to the

See Sport England design guidance note Badminton.

Early consideration of such factors will help to

See Appendix 4 of Sport England publication Developing

For higher levels of international competition, such as major