Playfield Atlas is a reference for the dimensions, markings and equipment measurements of sports playing surfaces. Every field. Every line. Every story. Each figure is published with the rule it comes from, the scope it applies to, and the date it was last checked.
What the atlas publishes
Two kinds of page. A sport hub gathers everything published about one sport in one place. A guide covers one surface, or one question about it, in detail: the full set of dimensions, the line markings and their widths, equipment heights and diameters, and the clearances needed around the playing area. Figures are given in feet and inches and in meters.
Diagrams are drawn in-house as SVG, from the written rules. Federation artwork is never copied. Where a measurement leads to a planning decision, a calculator on the tools page does the arithmetic.
What makes a page here different from a snippet
A search result gives you a number. It rarely says which governing body set it, whether it applies to international competition or to a court in a driveway, or when anyone last compared it against the current rulebook. Those three questions decide whether the number is usable.
So every guide carries a Key measurements block. Each row names the figure, the scope it applies to, its status (official rule, recommendation, or calculation) and a link to the primary official source. If a figure has a weakness, the block shows it rather than hiding it in prose.
Who it is for
| Reader | What they usually come to check |
|---|---|
| Coaches and teachers | Whether a court can be marked for a younger age group, and what changes |
| Facility managers and groundskeepers | Line widths, equipment heights, and what has to be re-measured after resurfacing |
| Contractors and architects | Total surface required once run-off and side clearance are added |
| Players planning a court at home | The smallest space a playable court will fit into, and what is lost by shrinking it |
How the site is organized
The structure runs in one direction: sport hub, then guide, then measurement, then source.
- A sport hub is the entry point for one sport and links to every guide written about it.
- A guide answers one technical question and holds the diagrams.
- A measurement is a single row in the Key measurements block, with its scope and status.
- A source is the rulebook or handbook that row links to, so you can read the original wording yourself.
Where the atlas stands today
Three sports are published: tennis, basketball and badminton, each with a hub and a guide. More sports are in progress. This is a small independent publication, still being built, and pages appear when the sourcing is finished rather than on a schedule. Saying so is more useful than pretending the atlas is already complete.
Independence
Playfield Atlas sells nothing and accepts nothing in exchange for placement. No manufacturer, contractor or federation pays to appear here, and no advertising runs on this site today.
The site is a publication only. It takes no bookings, provides no services, and gives no professional, legal, engineering or construction advice. Before you pour concrete or commission a build, check the figures against the governing body’s current document and against local requirements.
Errors
Rules change and mistakes happen. If a figure here disagrees with the current rulebook, the fastest way to get it fixed is to say which page, which figure, and which document you are reading. How that works is set out on the corrections page. You can also write to contact at playfieldatlas dot com.