by Colin Corline, Technical Lead, SAPCA
Padel is growing at a phenomenal rate. While the global expansion of padel has been largely driven by southern and, more recently, northern Europe, regions outside Europe are feeling the boom too. US is a prime growth area for padel court construction, while the Middle East, southern Asia and some areas of Africa are also seeing significant growth. The Sports and Play Construction Association (SAPCA), UK’s trade association for the sports and play construction industry, provides technical guidance with their latest publication ‘SAPCA Code of Practice for the Construction of Padel Courts’. In this article, Colin Corline, Technical Lead at SAPCA, summarizes the key points.
As the demand for padel courts continues to outstrip the supply, the boom is unlikely to slow down any time soon. As well as padel centres popping up everywhere, courts are also being added to a wide range of other construction projects – from tennis clubs, multi-sports centres and commercial properties to hotels, golf clubs and schools.
©Heron Club
©Portico Sport (Rocket Padel Ilford)
While the ongoing race to build courts might entice some to look for the easiest, quickest and cheapest way to build courts, it is important that padel courts are built in a sustainable way – and according to suitable standards. This is particularly true for outdoor courts.
There are also concerns over the use of secondhand structures and enclosures. Not all climates and environments are the same, which means that the types of courts that work well in sunny, dry and warm conditions might be less than ideal for more inclement climates. This is why second-hand courts should not be considered without a thorough assessment of the condition of the court. It is also important that required structural calculations meet with local standards and more importantly, the specific site where they are being constructed.
