The short answer
A full netball court is 30.5 m long and 15.25 m wide, split into three equal thirds, with 4.9 m goal circles and a 0.9 m centre circle. Lines are 50 mm wide and count as part of the court. Allow at least 1.5 m clear at each side and 2 m at each end, so the full footprint is about 33.5 by 19.25 m.
On this page
A netball court is the most common sports marking on a UK school playground, and the one most often marked slightly wrong. These are the measurements to give a contractor, and to check before you sign off the layout.
Full court dimensions
| Measurement | Size |
|---|---|
| Court length | 30.5 m |
| Court width | 15.25 m |
| Each third | about 10.17 m long |
| Goal circle (semicircle) radius | 4.9 m, centred on the goal line |
| Centre circle diameter | 0.9 m |
| Line width | 50 mm |
| Run-off at each side | at least 1.5 m |
| Run-off at each end | at least 2 m |
| Total footprint with run-off | about 33.5 × 19.25 m |
The figures follow the court guidance sportscotland publishes for facility planners. For national and international play, run-off rises to 3.05 m on every side, but that is not needed for a school playground.
Lines are part of the court
The outer dimensions include the line width. When a contractor sets out a court, the outer edge of the side line sits at 15.25 m, not the inner edge. A court set out the other way is 100 mm too wide, which nobody notices in a game but shows up if your court is ever measured for a fixture.
The thirds
The court is divided into three equal parts by two transverse lines: a goal third at each end and a centre third. Each third is a little over 10.16 m long. These lines matter more than any other in a game, because players are restricted to particular thirds by position.
Goal circles and the centre circle
Each goal circle is a semicircle with a radius of 4.9 m, drawn from the midpoint of the goal line. The centre circle is small: 0.9 m across, in the middle of the court.
Run-off: where school courts fall short
Run-off is the clear space around the court. The minimum is 1.5 m at the sides and 2 m at the ends, free of walls, fences, benches and posts. On many school playgrounds the court was marked to fit the tarmac, leaving a side line a few centimetres from a fence. That is a collision risk, and worth fixing when you reline.
If your playground cannot fit 33.5 by 19.25 m, a shorter practice court with proper run-off is better than a full court with none.
Posts
| Age group | Post height |
|---|---|
| Primary school age | 2.75 m |
| Secondary and adult | 3.05 m |
Posts stand just off the court at the midpoint of each goal line and must not project onto the playing area. Socketed posts need sockets set into the tarmac; check where they will go before lines are marked.
Line colour
White is usual for the main sport. On a shared court, pick one distinct colour for netball and keep every netball line in it, so children can follow one set of lines among others.
Paint or thermoplastic for netball lines
On a tarmac playground, thermoplastic lines last for years and are the usual choice. Paint suits porous and polymeric sports surfaces, and cheap relining of lines that are already in the right place. Published contractor guides put a full court at £850 to £1,200 installed before VAT; Basketball England’s cost sheet gives £400 to £500 for painting lines on a basketball-court-sized area. See sports court line marking for more.
Checking a marked court
Three quick checks on the day:
- Length and width with a long tape along each side.
- Diagonals: corner to corner both ways should match. If they do not, the court is not square.
- Thirds: each should be the same length.
Next step
If your court is faded, in the wrong place or too close to a fence, the relining page explains your options. To get a court marked or remarked, send a brief through the form below and we will find a school playground markings contractor who covers your area.