Continue Outdoor Play This Winter with Floodlit MUGAs

MUGAs

What can you do if lack of space is a problem, and you need to accommodate numerous sports? How can you provide a facility that is used for football one day and hockey the next, when you do not have room for two sets of markings? Multi use game areas, or MUGAs as they are commonly known, are a great solution for maximising the space you have. This is because all the markings you require are combined, in different colours, on the same surface. The convention is for the most often played sport to be lined in white, followed by yellow, blue and red. Although the concept of a MUGA is very simple, there are many things to consider. This is where a professional company, like Charles Lawrence comes in. They can give you guidance on what type of surface you should use, and they can also ensure that your MUGA adheres to any local, or national, regulations.

Choose your sports

First of all, you need to know what sports your MUGA will be used for the most, because this will influence the type of surface that you need. For example, artificial grass, generally speaking, suits football and hockey, rather than tennis, basketball or netball. However, a macadam surface is better for sports where you need a bit of rebound, such as tennis or basketball. You then need to consider which other sports you wish to cater for. This is because not all sports will be compatible with the first choice of playing surface. You may need to compromise and select a surface that isn’t the best for either sport, but can be tolerated. You could argue that it’s better to design a MUGA with flooring that will satisfy two or three compatible sports, than one with five or six sports, where the flooring is completely wrong for two of them.

Decide on the level of sport

Another important consideration is, how high a level you wish to play the sport. For example if you wanted to use the MUGA for competitions, you would need the playing surface to comply with the sport’s regulations, whereas if the MUGA is just to be used recreationally then the type of surface wouldn’t be as compulsory.

Further considerations

A professional company would be able to factor in other practical considerations for the MUGA, such as drainage, line markings, entrance/exits, floodlighting and electrical supply. So that you can market your MUGA as all-weather, it’s vital that it’s not likely to flood or become waterlogged. Equally important is the quality of the markings on the MUGA; so the players can see easily where their boundaries are. It would be rather frustrating for tennis players if they couldn’t see where they were serving to! Similarly, if you need the MUGA to be useful until late into the evening, you need to have a power supply to connect your floodlights to. Finally, you may wish to provide seating for spectators near the MUGA. This could mean a higher footfall to your MUGA and increase its usage. MUGAs are very popular in schools, universities, parks and leisure centres, due to their all-weather surface and versatility. MUGAs can be used for a wide range of sports; including: football, netball, basketball, tennis and hockey. Given the all-weather surface, if you were to add floodlighting to the area, it would mean you would have practically 24 hour use, no matter what time of year. To enquire further about MUGAs, get in touch with Charles Lawrence Tennis Courts today. We design and install sports court surfaces across the UK, so arrange a consultation today.