How Much Room Do I Need For a Backyard Multi-Game Court?

You love the idea of a multi-game court in your backyard: It’ll thrill your kids, entertain friends and maybe even get you off the couch once in a while.

But your backyard isn’t exactly Wimbledon. Will a court even fit back there?

The good news is home game courts are custom designed to fit not only the available space in your yard but also your family’s lifestyle and sports activities. So you can have a court of almost any size and configuration.

But there are a few guidelines. You can’t play a real game of basketball in that space behind the garage where you keep the compost bin.

Take a Look at Your Space

First, go out and look at the area of your yard where you envision the court.  Measure the space. (Using a tape measure is the most accurate method, but to get a rough idea, you can just pace it off, and estimate roughly 3 feet per step.)

You might find that you only have 20 feet between trees or a certain number of feet on the side of your house.

Now that you have an idea of the space, you can ponder what might fit.

What Kind of Space Does Each Sport Need?

Does your family love basketball? If a 3-point line is important, you’ll need a court at least 25 by 45 feet to allow a player to shoot from behind the line.

If volleyball is your game, you’ll need 30 by 60 feet for full court volleyball. Combine both courts by placing the basketball hoop in the center of the 60 foot side and use it as a volleyball net post.

This configuration allows for half court basketball with full court volleyball and other net sports on the same court.

The space in your yard might dictate what kind of court fits best. Bocce and shuffleboard need long, narrow courts. Got a perfect side yard? A shuffleboard court needs 20 feet by 62 feet for play. A bocce ball court requires 23 feet by an even longer 88 feet.

If you love badminton, a court requires 30 feet by 54 feet. Tennis? You’ll need 130 feet by 70 feet.

Play It All!

The great thing about a multi-game court is it allows you to enjoy all the sports you love using the same space.

Shoot some hoops, then practice your volleys and serves on the same surface by playing tennis.

One outdoor area can provide a place to enjoy all the sports you like, including basketball, tennis, badminton, paddle-ball, volleyball, weightlifting, cross-fit or yoga.

Other Rules to Keep in Mind

Keep in mind your town may have its own rules about home game courts. Courts can’t be built over septic systems, for instance, and many towns won’t allow a court to be built near wetlands.

Courts need to be placed far enough from large trees that roots won’t be an issue.

Leave It To Neave

Neave Sports custom builds all of our multi-game courts, so we can create an area designed to match whatever sport you’d like.

You can count on our expert craftsmanship and customer service.

We work with a range of sports surfaces for both indoor and outdoor courts: concrete or pavement, acrylic, real or synthetic turf, clay and, of course, premium court tiles.

We don’t stop with the court. Neave Sports can also set you up with all the enhancements you need to make your new athletic area perfect, from lighting and perimeter fencing to net systems, goals, posts and more.

And we can integrate our services with our sister divisions at Neave Group Outdoor Solutions to provide landscaping and masonry services. Your new athletic court should blend in nicely with the rest of your home.

If you’re in the Hudson Valley, call us at (845) 463-0592. If you’re in Westchester County, call (914) 271-7996; from Connecticut, dial (203) 212-4800. Or, fill out our simple web form, and we’ll contact you about setting up your free consultation.