MLC Tennis Hot Shots Court Development Guide - Places to Play
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MLC Tennis Hot Shots
Court Development Guide
Places to Play
hotshots.tennis.com.au
MLC Tennis Hot Shots (MLCTHS) is Tennis Australia’s official development program especially designed for children. Smaller
courts, racquets and softer tennis balls that don’t bounce too high make learning tennis fun and easy. The tailored equipment
ensures children are introduced to tennis in an environment which is suited to their age and skills level and therefore are able to
start rallying, having fun and success right from their first tennis experience.
The courts are smaller too, which makes it easier for children to play on. It also helps them develop realistic footwork patterns
and encourages them to use all parts of the court. There are three progressive stages each identified by a colour– Red, Orange
and Green – that help to develop children’s skills and confidence.
Permanent Tennis Hot Shots courts (dedicated kids zones) or blended line markings can attract families and children to a tennis
facility and assist clubs and coaches in building their MLC THS programs. The following is a guide, developed by the Places to
Play team, on the recommended Tennis Hot Shots court specifications and dedicated kids zone design options.
Dimensions and Court Layouts - Red court
PPA - Principle Playing Area
Net post tab (50 mm)
TPA - Total Playing Area
Red Court 1.5 1.5
Dimensions
Length of PPA: 11 m
Width of PPA: 5.5 m
Minimum TPA: 15 m x 7.5 m
Recommended TPA: 17 m x 8.5 m 5.5
Service Box: 2.75 m x 4 m
Net Height: 80 cm
Line Width: Max. 5 cm
Net Width: Min. 6 m 11.00
Run-offs
Ideally run-offs adjacent to fences etc. should be at least 3.0 m and side runs 2.5 m. Shorter run-offs may be adequate on courts
aimed at very young children. Where courts are laid along side each other a common siderun of at least 2.5 m is desirable,
with 1.5 m being the minimum.
Run-off Area Distance
Minimum Preferred
Run-back 2 m at each end 3 m at each end
(Distance between court baseline and any fence or other rigid structure)
Side-run 1 m at each side 2.5 m at each side
(Distance between court sideline and any fence or other rigid structure)
Common side-run 1.5 m 2.5 m
(Distance between adjacent courts, no division fence between them)
Common run-back 5m Division fence to be
(Distance between two courts laid end to end, no division fence installed between runbacks.
between them)
Minimum Space Requirements
Single court: 16 m x 8 m
Two adjacent courts with common side-runs: 16 m x 15.5 m
Three adjacent courts with common side-runs: 16 m x 23 m
Four adjacent courts with common side-runs: 16 m x 30.5 m
Two adjacent courts with common end-runs: 33 m x 8 m
Places to Play 1
Dimensions and Court Layouts - Orange Court
PPA - Principle Playing Area Net post tab (50 mm)
TPA - Total Playing Area
Orange Court 2.60 2.60
Court Dimensions
Length of PPA: 18 m
Width of PPA (doubles): 8.23 m
Width of PPA (singles): 6.5 m
Minimum TPA : 24 x 9.9 m 6.50
Recommended TPA: 26 x 10.5 m
Service box As tennis court
Net Height: 80 cm
Line Width: Max. 5 cm
Net Width: Min. 6 m 18.00
Run-offs
Ideally run-offs adjacent to fences etc. should be at least 3.0 m at ends, and 1.7 m on sides. Where courts are laid
along side each other a common side-run of at least 2.5 m is desirable.
Run-off Area Distance
Minimum Preferred
Run-back 2 m at each end 3 m at each end
(Distance between court baseline and any
fence or other rigid structure)
Side-run 1 m at each side 2.5 m at each side
(Distance between court sideline and any fence
or other rigid structure)
Common side-run 1.5 m 2.5 m
(Distance between adjacent courts, no division fence between them)
Common run-back 5m Division fence to be
(Distance between two courts laid end to end, no division fence installed between runbacks.
between them)
Minimum Space Requirements
Single court: 24 m x 9.9 m
Two adjacent courts with common side-runs: 24 m x 18.90 m
Three adjacent courts with common side-runs: 24 m x 27.90 m
Four adjacent courts with common side-runs: 24 m x 36.90 m
Two adjacent courts with common end-runs: 49 m x 9.9 m
Places to Play 2
Designing Dedicated Kids Zones
The advantage of a kids zone is that there is no fixed size, design or orientation – it’s about adopting an inventive and imaginative
approach, utilising in the best possible way the area you have available. Kids zones can be created from small areas on surplus
land within a tennis facility site or the conversion of an existing full sized tennis court.
The design should be based on the available space, number of children likely to use the facility, the desires and preferences
of the coach and facility developer and last but not least the budget available. The area should be bright and vibrant so that
children are attracted to the club environment. A range of colours can be chosen with the addition of exciting features including
bull’s eyes, targets, ladders, dragons, logos etc. The area can also double up as a fitness, training or social area for other members.
Ideally the kids zone area should be sited close to the clubhouse to ensure there is supervision. The area should be carefully
arranged so that it is not in direct proximity to the car park.
Whilst red courts have recommeneded sizes, they are not set in stone with allowance to adjust the court size, however, minimum
run-backs and side-runs have been established which take into consideration safety and playability.
Design Options
Option 1 - incorporating hit up wall
Figure 1 shows a red (or orange court) with practice wall. Depending on space available courts can be orientated side by side or
back to back (figure 2 and 3). Figure 4 indicated how to make use of tight spaces whilst still keeping a dedicated coloured play
area, typically a practice wall and rebound area with coloured markings. Please note that a range of colour options are available
for Hot Shot courts.
Figure 1 Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Places to Play 3
Option 2 - Hot Shot Tennis Courts without hit up wall
Places to Play 4
Option 3 - typical layouts incoporating full sizes tennis courts
Places to Play 5
Kids Zone / Hot Shots Tennis Markings
Multi faceted activity markings can be used in the kids zone by tennis / fitness coaches to improve agility, balance and
co-ordination as well as developing movement and visual skills. Wall game markings are ideal for target practice and scoring.
Combine imaginative footwork, ball skills, fitness and fun.
Possible markings for practice walls:
Spot Row Spot Area Large
1000
5400
Ø300
Ø600
2400
350
50
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
2850 Ø1000
350 Bullseye
Places to Play 6
Blended Line Markings
If there is no spare space or insufficient resources available for a dedicated kids zone, a combination of blended red and orange
line markings can be painted over a standard existing or new build tennis court/s. Blended lines are always painted using the
same colour family as the playing surface - in a lighter or darker shade, depending on personal preference - and are 4 cm in
width. Blended lines never intersect full size tennis court lines, as they stop 7.5 cms away from all full court lines.
Two things to remember when painting permanent Hot Shots Lines on existing court:
1. The blended lines should NOT be white. They should be in the same colour family as the court itself.
2. The blended lines should stop 7.5 cms before the white lines. They should not run up to, or over the white.
The diagrams below represent a full sized tennis court with 2 x red court and 1 x orange court blended line markings. Figure 5
highlights the red and orange court playing zones and dimensions. Figure 6 is a visual representation of a completed court with
line markings.
Recommended Safety Zones
• Red Courts – 3 m behind the baseline and 2.5 m from the sideline.
• Orange Courts – 4.5 1m behind the baseline and 3 m from the sideline.
• Do not put players back to back on adjacent courts if there is not enough room to play safely.
Figure 5 Figure 6
18.29 m
court Existing
singles 23.77 m
side line court
netline
Exiting
23.77 m
court
Exiting singles
side line Exiting
23.77 m 23.77 m
court court
doubles service
side line line
0.91 m
Center
2.74 m
mark
5.54 m
Base
line 4.11 m
10 cm long
TO CL center mark
Service for 18.29 m
line court
Exiting
23.77 m
court
Side baseline
line
Places to Play 7
Court Orientation
There is no preferred orientation for kids zones, although best practice for tennis courts is North/South facing to avoid sunlight in
eyes. Facilities should be designed to make the best possible use of available land. The individual units may be laid out in blocks,
rows or end to end. If courts are laid end-to-end a fence can be placed between the run-backs to prevent players colliding or
hitting each other with racquets etc. A low fence is often used to allow easy viewing from one court to the other.
Other Options
There is some flexibility with court orientation and sizes for both indoor and outdoor courts incorporating both permanent and/
or temporary lines. Here are just a few suggestions that might work for you:
• A badminton court with temporary lines used for service boxes (without back tramlines)
• Blended red and orange court lines over a standard tennis court
• The width of the standard tennis court used as the length of the Red court; (at 90 degrees)
• Use chalk, tape or throw down lines to create temporary lines on any hard, flat surface.
What is it made of?
To provide an attractive, durable and economic playing surface suitable for MLC Tennis Hot Shots, kids zones are normally
constructed with an acrylic surface applied to a concrete or ashphalt base. In some instances and depending on the current
surface, only line marking is required.
Colour Coating
Hot Shot Tennis Courts are best colour coated to make the kids zone attractive and appealing to children, whilst complementing
the surrounding neighbourhood and taking into account any planning constraints. Combinations of reds, blue, and tan have
been found to be successful, making the environment fun and exciting for kids.
The colour coatings should be acrylic based and contain carefully balanced quantities of slip-reducing agents to optimise
foothold and ball bounce. The application of acrylic paint should only be carried out under dry and warm weather conditions.
Practice Walls
Practice walls are normally a simple smooth reinforced block work construction, flush pointed, painted and built on a suitable
foundation. Alternatively they can be fabricated from tanalised timber or marine grade plywood, but need to ensure they
provide a ball rebound function.
Fencing
Kids zones should preferably be enclosed to provide a safe and secure playing environment, whilst allowing parents and friends
to observe play. Chainlink fencing is normally used with a combination of high and low levels. High level fencing is normally
2.75 m high (or 3 m if ball retention is important) and low level is 1.2m high. If low level fencing is used the top of the chain link
mesh should be enclosed to prevent the sharp ends of the cut mesh protruding and becoming a safety hazard, particularly to
younger children.
To complement the colours of Tennis Hot Shots courts, fencing suppliers are now offering fence posts in a range of colours,
although the mesh is normally black or green. To allow wheelchair access, gates should be constructed to the minimum building
code in each state.
Places to Play 8
Equipment
Brightly coloured nets, posts, free-standing micro nets, volley ladders and rebound nets add to the vibrant appearance of the
Kids Zone. To maximise the use of the Kids Zone the Tennis Hot Shots posts should be socketed, allowing them to be left out for
casual use. More information is avaliable hotshots.tennis.com.au
Floodlighting
Kids zones should be lit wherever possible so that court activity can be extended and children are encouraged to participate.
It is possible to make attachments to existing facilities i.e. columns thus allowing neat low cost solutions e.g. single column with
2 fittings.
The minimum values are:
• 300 LUX maintained average illuminance
• Minimum 0.5 uniformity (minimum/average)
Indoor
The suggested minimum under cover roof height is 4.5 metres. Although the ball may occasionally touch the roof, some valuable
activity is possible.
How much will it cost?
It is recommended that developers seek specialist advice to ensure all site-specific issues are identified and included in cost plans
before any applications for funding are made.
The cost of a ‘stand alone’ Tennis Hot Shots court varies depending on the current base and surface conditions. (If the
construction forms part of a larger court surfacing project savings may be possible). We encourage you contact your State
Member Association to discuss indicative pricing specific to your project.
Places to Play 9You can also read
