Tennis Court Markings

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Learn more about our outdoor tennis court markings and safe sports surface coatings in our handy guide. Whatever the size of your outdoor space, we’ll help you install the best design for your needs.

Tennis Court Markings Guide

This useful guide will give you all the answers you need as you discover more about outdoor tennis court markings. A range of information will help you choose the right tennis court design for your space. Whether you want to know more about tennis court dimensions, court designs or outdoor sports surfaces, read on for the ultimate guide for tennis line markings.

Why Install Tennis Court Markings?

Tennis is one of the world’s most popular sports. With the UK hosting the Wimbledon Championships every year, tennis easily captures children’s imaginations. It’s also arguably one of the most inclusive sports around. Although tennis involves plenty of physical activity, it’s a game that people of all agility levels can enjoy.

This is a significant benefit because a recent study by the British Journal of Sports Medicine found racket sports, including tennis, reduced the risk of death from heart disease. In fact, tennis offers a wide range of health benefits for children.

Ticking the boxes for health, inclusion and fun, tennis is a great choice for school playgrounds and parks. Let’s take a closer look at the top 6 benefits tennis delivers for children’s health and wellbeing.

Top 6 Benefits of Tennis For Children’s Health

1. Lowers risk of heart disease

From running around the court to swinging the racket, tennis works every part of the body.

The harder each muscle works, the faster the heart beats to get more oxygen and nutrients to each muscle to ensure they remain strong. This type of aerobic fitness lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease as well as heart attacks in later life.

The NHS suggests all children should engage in at least 60 minutes of vigorous to moderate exercise every day. The all-over aerobic workout tennis provides should prove useful in helping children meet their daily exercise requirement.

2. Builds stamina

The range of movements involved in a tennis match are thought to help build stamina. Periods of fast sprinting during rallies followed by moments of less intense activity provide similar benefits to those of a High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT).

Unlike cardio exercise, anaerobic exercise doesn’t use oxygen. Instead, it leads to the production of lactic acid which puts pressure on the body’s oxygen supply. Depleting oxygen supplies mean the body is forced to convert carbohydrates into energy. As the body gets better at burning lactic acid, it’s thought that the body is able to perform at a higher level for longer.

3. Improves balance and co-ordination

Whether serving or returning the ball, a game of tennis requires lots of balance and co-ordination. As children stretch to reach or serve the ball, their body will move through complex sequences of movements which involve multiple parts of the body.

If you compare tennis to football, for example, from gripping the racquet to stretching up and to one side to reach the ball, children have to use a range of motions as well as balance to keep the ball in play.

4. Builds resilience and self-esteem

We don’t often give it much thought but playing a game of tennis involves a constant cycle of overcoming disappointment and self-encouragement.

Each time children battle through disappointment to win a point; they learn they have a greater capacity to achieve and overcome than they first thought possible. From self-encouragement to the ability to overcome mistakes and try again, these are powerful lessons in resilience.

Whether pupils win or lose the game, they will have gained valuable real-life skills.

5. Improves problem-solving skills

When out on the court, children have no-one but themselves to rely on for tactical play. Tennis is a game of strategy and endurance so children’s problem-solving skills will be working at full capacity.

Children have to stay alert throughout the game and constantly analyse and adapt to remain ahead. From where to direct the ball to the best way to hit it, a variety of cognitive skills will be in use throughout the game.

6. Promotes a positive mood

Physical exercise causes the body to release endorphins. Endorphins are hormones that are naturally produced by the body to help us when we feel stressed or are in pain. By stimulating opioid receptors, endorphins lift our mood making us feel happier, more positive and relaxed.

If children have the opportunity to enjoy tennis, it may help them to unwind and have a more positive perspective. The social interactions between players as they rally against each other to win will also help children to relax further.

Tennis Court Marking Designs

At Fun & Active Playgrounds, we offer two types of tennis court designs plus a range of safe, non-slip sports surface coatings and multi-court markings for versatility.

Our tennis court markings are applied with precision and expertise. They meet all the requirements of the Lawn Tennis Association’s (LTA) safety standards, including those for non-slip surfacing.

Multi-Court Design

Multi-court line markings are a space-saving design which enables you to place 3 markings in one space. By using one colour for each marking and layering each marking on top of the other, children are able to see all three sports courts. Making it possible for children to play 3 types of sport on the court instead of 1, multi-courts are a popular option when space is limited.

Customisations

We provide an end-to-end service which includes in-house installation, playground marking removal and bespoke designs. Any of our tennis court designs can be customised to suit your needs.

Which Sports Surface Coating Should I Choose?

If you want to move beyond tarmac to install a brighter, non-slip surface we have 3 options:

Thermoplastic Sports Surfacing

Our highest performing sports surface is thermoplastic surfacing. Available in 26 vibrant colours, thermoplastic is a superior material which lasts up to 10 times longer than traditional playground paint.

Thermoplastic sports surfacing offers exceptional levels of resistance and endurance. It’s extremely hardwearing, won’t fade and will withstand all types of weather. Quick to apply and non-toxic, thermoplastic delivers a level of versatility which makes it ideal for custom designs.

Sports Coating

For smaller budgets, Sports Coating is a popular choice. Available in over 12 colours, Sports Coating is an advanced formula for marking sports courts with a durable, long-lasting finish. With a Slip Resistant Value of 60, it makes playing sports safe in all weathers.

Anti-Slip Playground Paint

If you want an economical option for larger areas, we also offer high-grade playground paint. Available in 7 bright colours, our high-performing paint is non-slip and ideal for use in busy areas such as playgrounds.

Browse all Surface Coatings

Tennis Court Markings Explained

Tennis Court Dimensions

Officially, singles tennis courts should measure 23.77m in length and 8.23m in width. Meanwhile, standard doubles tennis courts should have a width of 10.97m. These are official dimensions, however, you can easily adapt them for your school playground.

Get In Touch

Not sure which dimensions will be right for your space? Get in touch! Our expert design team have extensive experience of installing tennis courts in school playgrounds across the UK so you can trust us to find the best solution for you.

Book a free, no-obligation survey with us to discuss your requirements and create a unique, scaled playground plan for your court markings.

Which colour should tennis line markings be?

Generally, tennis line markings tend to be white, but this is not a set rule. You can use other colours, but the main requirement is that the markings are easy for everyone to see.

 From the line umpires to the players and umpire, everyone needs to be able to see the boundaries for play. It’s for this reason that a lot of contemporary outdoor courts are blue. Green sometimes hinders visibility so brilliant blue has become the colour of choice for lots of tennis courts worldwide.

Main Tennis Court Markings

The Baseline

The baseline is the external line at each end of each court width. Both players must begin play here with their feet behind the line. When the ball bounces beyond the baseline, it is out – a moment marked by the nearest line umpire.

The Side Line

For singles games, the two lines which sit along the length of each perimeter are known as the side lines. If a player hits the ball beyond this point, the ball is out, and the player loses a point.

 The Centre Line

The centre line separates the two service boxes. Each player must send the ball beyond the centre line. To begin each point, the ball must reach the opponent’s service box.

The Service Box

Each player’s service box sits on either side of the centre line. If a player hits the ball beyond the service box when beginning a rally, it’s deemed out and they must take the serve again. If the second serve is out, the player loses the point. This is known as a double fault.

Armed with all you need to know about outdoor tennis court design, browse the collection to find the perfect court marking for your needs.