Sports court line marking
Court lines are the most used marking on most school playgrounds, and the one where accuracy matters. A netball court that is half a metre short still gets played on, but it is wrong for every fixture and every lesson that follows.
This page covers the courts schools mark most often, the space each needs, and what line marking costs in paint and in thermoplastic.
- 30.5 × 15.25 ma full netball court, inside the lines
- £850 to £1,200netball lines, installed
- £1,200 to £2,500a multi-sport line set
Before you book court lines
- Measure the playground: a full netball court needs about 33.5 × 19.25 m including run-off.
- Decide which sports matter most; overlapping courts get confusing past two or three sets of lines.
- Pick a colour for each sport and keep to it, so children can follow one set of lines.
- Check where posts and goals will stand, especially socketed posts that need holes in the tarmac.
- Look at the surface: a court on cracked tarmac will need repairs before the lines go down.
- Ask whether the lines are paint or thermoplastic; prices are not comparable otherwise.
What court line marking costs
| Item | Guide, before VAT |
|---|---|
| Netball court lines One full court, thermoplastic or paint | £850 to £1,200 |
| Basketball court lines Full court; half courts cost less | £850 to £1,500 |
| Multi-sport (MUGA) line set Several sports overlaid in different colours | £1,200 to £2,500 |
| Painted netball lines, add-on Quoted alongside resurfacing work | £360 |
| Painted football lines, add-on Quoted alongside resurfacing work | £360 |
| Painted basketball lines with keys, add-on Quoted alongside resurfacing work | £520 |
Where these figures come from
Installed ranges are from published UK contractor price guides (autumn 2026). Add-on painted line sets are from a contractor’s quotation attached to a public notice on Contracts Finder, which shows how cheap lines are when the contractor is already on site. Before VAT. A guide, not a quote.
What accurate court marking looks like
Set out from a baseline
The contractor fixes one straight line, squares the court off it with the 3-4-5 method or a laser, and checks both diagonals match before marking.
Line width
Netball lines are 50 mm wide and are part of the court, so the outer dimensions include them.
Run-off
Netball needs at least 1.5 m at the sides and 2 m at the ends clear of fences and walls; schools often fall short, so measure before you commit.
One colour per sport
White for the main sport and a distinct colour for each other set. On shared courts, fewer, clearer lines beat every sport crammed in.
Netball court dimensions
A full netball court is 30.5 m long and 15.25 m wide, divided into three equal thirds. Each goal circle is a semicircle of 4.9 m radius, and the centre circle is 900 mm across. Allow at least 1.5 m clear at each side and 2 m at each end, which takes the total footprint to about 33.5 × 19.25 m.
Goalposts are 3.05 m high for secondary and adult play and 2.75 m for younger primary pupils, and must stand off the court, not on it.
Fitting several courts on one playground
Most primary playgrounds take one netball court with a football pitch overlaid in a second colour, or a netball court plus a short-court basketball key at one end. Three or more sports on the same rectangle is a multi-sport layout and should be drawn as one plan, so the contractor can stagger lines that would otherwise sit on top of each other.
Need a court marked or remarked? Send the dimensions you have and we find a line marking contractor near you.
Get marking quotesHow court marking gets done
Survey and measure
The contractor checks the tarmac for cracks, loose stone, moss and old markings, measures the space and asks how break and lunch times actually run.
Agree the layout
Courts, colours and post positions drawn to scale on a plan of your playground, with any run-off shortfalls shown.
Set out and mark
Baseline, squaring and diagonals checked, then lines sprayed, poured or laid in preformed strips.
Handover
Markings are ready to walk on once cool or dry. Keep the layout drawing and the contractor’s guarantee terms with your site records.
Questions schools ask about markings
How much does netball court line marking cost?
About £850 to £1,200 for a full court installed, before VAT. Painted lines added while a contractor is already resurfacing have been quoted at about £360 a court.
What size is a netball court?
30.5 m by 15.25 m, with at least 1.5 m clear at the sides and 2 m at the ends.
Paint or thermoplastic for court lines?
Thermoplastic lasts far longer on tarmac and is the usual choice for a school playground. Paint is used on porous and polymeric sports surfaces and for cheap relining of existing lines.
Can we fit a netball court on a small playground?
If the space is shorter than about 33.5 m, consider a shortened practice court or high-five netball lines rather than a full court with no run-off. A contractor can draw both options.
What is a MUGA line set?
A multi-use games area marked for several sports at once, each in its own colour. Line sets typically cost £1,200 to £2,500 installed.
Can the PE and sport premium pay for markings?
Repainting existing lines, yes: the conditions of grant for 2026 to 2027 name it as allowable maintenance. New markings that your school’s accounting policy treats as an asset count as capital spending, which the premium cannot fund, unless the cost falls under your de minimis threshold.
Get quotes for court line marking
Three short steps: where the school is, what you want marked, and how to reach you. It takes about two minutes.
We are a free matching service, not a marking firm. You get the contractor’s name from us first, and the brief only goes to them once you say yes.
Thanks, your enquiry is in.
- We look for a marking contractor who covers your area, then email or phone you with their name.
- Nothing is passed on until you tell us to go ahead.
- The contractor looks at the tarmac, draws a layout and prices it. We never send marketing.