On November 13, the China Tennis Association publicly collected amendments to "The Requirements and Test Methods for the Use of the Padel Field" (Draft for Comment) on the official website. The deadline is December 5.

The slate type tennis ball, English name Padel, originated in Mexico in the 1960s and is played by four players in teams of two. As a result Padel is an exciting, enjoyable, competitive, social, entertaining to watch, and fun to play sport. At present, the world's Pedel population has reached 10 million. Padel has also become the top-ranking sports in Europe and the United States. The International Padel Federation has 35 member associations across Europe, America, Asia, Africa and Oceania.

Padel was introduced to China in 2016, belongs to the emerging sports and has broad development prospects in China. In the process of promoting a sport, the role of the site as a sports infrastructure is self-evident, but China has not yet established a standard system for the construction of padel courts, and its construction standards are still blank in China. The lack of systems and standards will make the construction of padel field unable to be effectively regulated. Therefore, it is necessary to establish standards for padel courts, establish a standard system for venue facilities, guide the construction of padel courts, and play the functional role of the venue in sports promotion in order to promote the steady development of padel sports.

Standard drafting process

Since October 2018, under the guidance of the China Tennis Association, Beijing Huaan Test Center has carried out preliminary pre-research work on padel courts and its related equipment, and has mastered the current venue use and event promotion of domestic padel sports. After research and analysis, and in accordance with GB/T 20033.2-2005 "Artificial materials stadium requirements and test methods - Part 2: Tennis courts", GB/T 22517.10-2014 "Sports venue requirements and test methods - Part 10: Squash courts” and GB/T 22517.7-2018 "Sports Ground Use Requirements and Inspection Methods Part 7: Tennis Courts" and other relevant standards, prepared the "pre-research report on the development of padel related venues and equipment testing certification standards", the standard setting direction and related work plans are proposed.

In January 2019, the China Tennis Association approved the establishment of the group standard "Padel Field Requirements and Test Methods", and the Beijing Huaan Test Center established a drafting working group to begin the drafting of group standards.

In April 2019, after preliminary data collection and interview research, the Standard Drafting Working Group completed the “Planning Requirements and Test Methods for Padel Fields” (draft standard) and established the basic content and framework of the standard.

In August 2019, members of the drafting working group held a standardization work meeting in the conference room of the China Tennis Association. The meeting discussed and agreed on the relevant issues drafted by the standard.

In October 2019, the drafting working group made a re-adjustment of its structural framework based on the relevant national standards and the "Padel Competition Rules" on the basis of the original draft standard, and added corresponding technical content to form the final " The Requirements and Test Methods for the Use of the Padel Field” (draft for comments).

The following are the main contents of the standard draft:

1.1 DIMENSIONS

1.1.1 Padel field is a rectangle 10 metres wide and 20 metres long. As picture 1.

1.1.2   The middle service line should extend beyond the service line to the baseline by 0.2m.

1.1.3 The tolerance of the two baselines spacing is ±0.1m, and the tolerance of the two sideline spacing is ±0.05m.

1.1.4 Should ensure that both sides of the net are completely symmetrical.

1.1.5 All lines should be the same color and contrast with the color of the top layer, preferably white or black.

1.1.6 All lines have a 5-centimetre width.

1.2 Padel Surface

1.2.1 Material

The floor material can be porous concrete, cement, synthetic materials or artificial turf.

1.2.2 Appearance

1.2.2.1 The color of the field surface should be green, blue, brick red or approximate color, and the color of the indoor floor can be black. The color of the entire field should be uniform and contrast with the color of the wall.

1.2.2.2 The surface layer of the synthetic material should be firmly bonded without cracking, bubbling, peeling and hollowing.

1.2.3 Flatness

With a 3m ruler, the uneven on any surface of the site should not exceed 0.02 m.

1.2.4 Slope

1.2.4.1 One court should be on one slope.

1.2.4.2 The slope direction of the court should be inclined from the sideline to the sideline and not more than 1%.

1.4 The Enclosure

1.4.1 General

1.4.1.1 The perimeter of the padel court should be completely enclosed by the wall. The width is 10m and the length is 20m.

1.4.1.2 The wall consists of two parts: the wall and the metallic mesh. Except for the metallic mesh area, the materials used in all the connection areas in the court should ensure the regular bounce of the ball.

1.4.2 Back wall specification

The total height of back wall is 4m, the wall from the ground up is 3m, and the metallic mesh above the wall is 1m high, as shown in Picture 2.

1.4.3 Side wall specification

1.4.3.1 The side wall includes two parts, the wall and the metallic mesh, and shall be constructed in any form specified in 4.5.3.2 or 4.5.3.3 of this standard.

1.4.3.2 The two sides of the side wall are stepped walls, the first wall is 3m high and 2m wide; the second wall is 2m high and 2m wide, and the two walls have a metallic mesh of 1m above. The metallic mesh between the walls is 3m high and 12m long, and the allowable error is ±0.1m. See picture 3.

1.4.3.3 The two sides of the side wall are stepped walls, the first wall is 3m high and 2m wide; the second wall is 2m high and 2m wide, and the two walls have a metallic mesh of 1m above. The metallic mesh between the walls is 4m high and 12m long, and the allowable error is ±0.1m. See picture 4.

1.4.4 Wall

1.4.4.1 Structure

1.4.4.1.1 The wall may be made of transparent or opaque material, but the surrounding walls should have the same material to ensure the regular bounce of the ball.

1.4.4.1.2 The surface of the wall should be hard and smooth, and the structural design should take into account factors such as anti-corrosion and moisture-proof, sound absorption and noise reduction, and good cleaning.

1.4.4.2 Color

1.4.4.2.1 Hard, smooth paint should be used on the wall. Walls (including glass) treated with paint should not be reflective.

1.4.4.2.2 The wall should be kept in the same color. It should be green, blue or brick red and contrast with the ground color.

1.4.4.2.3 A maximum of one logo appears on each side wall, and the size and color should not interfere with the athlete's vision.31.4.4.3 Verticality

The wall should be kept upright and the vertical tolerance of the wall within 2m height should be ±0.05m.

1.4.4.4 Straightness

The allowable error of the straightness of any wall 1m above the ground shall be ±0.15m.

1.4.4.5 Flatness

1.4.4.5.1 The surface of the wall should be flat and there should be no dents, holes or gaps with a diameter or depth greater than 0.02 m.

1.4.4.5.2 In any direction within the measurement range of 1.8m ruler, the relative height difference of any two points should be no more than 0.03m.

1.4.4.6 Strength

1.4.4.6.1 The wall and its components should be able to withstand the impact of the athlete's body and the ball during normal competition.

1.4.4.6.2 When the wall of the site is made of glass, it shall comply with the requirements of mandatory provisions 5.5, 5.6 and 5.7 of GB 15763.22005. The outer side of the glass should be evenly supported by glass ribs. Each part should pass the safety test before installation.

1.4.4.7 Metallic mesh

1.4.4.7.1 Metallic mesh should be placed inside the wall.

1.4.4.7.2 The mesh of the metallic mesh should be rhombic or square, and the diagonal length of the mesh should be 0.5~0.708m.

1.4.4.7.3 The metallic mesh is made of wire weaving or welding. The diameter of the wire should be 0.016~0.03m and the maximum should not exceed 0.04m.

1.4.4.7.4 A metallic mesh made of metal bended wire, the bending point should be outside the metallic mesh. The bending points should be properly handled and there should be no sharp seams.

1.4.4.7.5 Metallic mesh made of wire welding, all weld points should be properly handled to avoid injury to athletes.

1.4.4.7.6 When the metallic mesh made by welding is not interlaced up and down, the shape of the mesh should be square, and two wires parallel in the lateral direction are located inside the metallic mesh, and the wires perpendicular to the vertical are located outside the metallic mesh. The metallic mesh should be kept in tension to enable the ball to bounce on its surface.

1.5 Net and Net Post

1.5.1 The length of the net should be 10m, the height of the net center should be 0.88m from the ground, the height of the two ends from the ground should be 0.92m, and the allowable error of the size is ±0.005m.

1.5.2 The net is suspended by a wire rope with a diameter of not more than 0.01 m, and both ends of the wire rope should be firmly fixed on the net post with a height of not more than 1.05 m. The outside of the post should be parallel to the side boundary of the court, and the edge of the post should be curved.

1.5.3 The ball net should be wrapped with a white mesh. The width of the white mesh should be 0.05~0.063m. The wire rope should pass through the white mesh to fix mesh.

1.5.4 Advertisements can be placed on the white mesh, and the white mesh can be widened to 0.09m if necessary.

1.5.5 The net should be adequately covered between the two posts to divide the site into two. There should be no space between the net and the post, and the net should not be completely tight.

1.5.6 The material of the net should be manmade fiber, and the mesh size should be 0.045×0.045m to prevent the ball from passing through the net.

1.6 Access channel

1.6.1 General

1.6.1.1 Access channels can be placed on either side or both sides of the court, the access channels should be symmetrical.

1.6.1.2 The access channel on each side can be one or two, with or without a door.

1.6.1.3 When there is no door in the access channel, a metal or other material support should be installed at the channel to fix the metallic mesh.

1.6.1.4 When there is a door in the access channel, the armrest of the door should be installed on the outside of the door, and there should be no protrusion on the inside of the door.

1.6.1.5 Access channels should meet the relevant requirements of GB 50763-2012.

1.6.2 Specification

1.6.2.1 When there is only one access channel on each side, the width of the channel should be 1.05~2m and the height should be 2~2.2m. See picture 5.

1.6.2.2 When there are two access channels on each side, the width of one side is 0.72~1m and the height is 2~2.2m. See picture 6.

1.7 Safety zone and off-court hitting area

1.7.1 A safety zone should be set outside the access channel. When two access channels are set on both sides of the field, the athlete can make of-court shots and the safety zone becomes the off-court hitting area.

1.7.2 There should be no obstacles in the safety zone. The width of one side should be greater than 2m, the length should be greater than 4m, and the height should be greater than 3m. See picture 7.

1.7.3 Protective devices shall be installed on the door frame, the top and the net post of the access. The thickness of the protection device should be no less than 0.02m, and it should be firmly mounted on the metal frame and the net post to ensure full absorption of the impact. The protection device should be installed to minimize the impact on normal competition.

1.8 Drainage facility

1.8.1 Should be set around the court.

1.8.2 Indoor court drainage ditch should be provided with ditch cover.

1.9 Lighting

1.9.1 Lighting should meet the requirements of Table 1 and Table 2.

Table 1 Outdoor minimum lighting requirements

Table 2 Indoor minimum lighting requirements

1.9.2 Fixture layout and lighting standard values of the artificial lighting shall comply with the relevant requirements of JGJ 153.

1.9.3 The lighting design should meet the corresponding lighting indicators while save the lighting energy.

1.9.4 Any lighting should be situated outside the courts and should be at least 6 metres above the playing surface.

1.9.5 If the light source of the new court is installed on the inside of the court, the vertical height from the lower part of the light source to the playing surface should be greater than 8m, so that the light can cover the shadow of the side wall of the stadium. When the light source is installed outside the court, a variety of heights can be selected.

1.9.6 When TV or video is recorded, the vertical illumination should be at least 1000 lx.

1.10 Acoustics

The acoustical, sound reinforcement and noise performance of the padel court shall comply with the relevant requirements of JGJ/T 131.

2. Testing method

2.1 Court orientation

According to the site positioning drawing, the theodolite is measured on site with an accuracy of ±2".

2.2 Court specification

2.2.1 On-site measurement with a range finder with an accuracy of not less than ±10 mm/km or a Class I steel tape measure in accordance with QB/T 2443. When measuring with a steel tape measure, the value of the steel tape measure should be adjusted according to the full-length correction value of the steel tape measure and the temperature expansion coefficient.

2.2.2 All measurements should be based on the outer edge of the line.

2.3 Playing surface

2.3.1 Material and appearance

Observe and touch on site to check the integrity of the court.

2.3.2 Flatness

The test is carried out in accordance with the method specified in GB/T 20033.2-2005.

2.3.3 Slope

The test is carried out in accordance with the method specified in GB/T 20033.2-2005.

2.3.4 Ball rebound rate

The test is carried out in accordance with the method specified in GB/T 22517.7-2018.

2.4 Headroom height

The height of the obstacle above the ground to the ground shall be measured by a Class I steel tape measure with a precision not less than the requirements of QB/T 2443 or a length test instrument with an accuracy of ±10 mm/km. When the steel tape is measured, a tensile force of 100 N should be applied, and the value of the steel coil should be adjusted according to the full length of the steel tape, the correction value and the temperature expansion coefficient.

2.5 The Enclosure

2.5.1 Wall

2.5.1.1 Structure test instruments and methods

On-site observation and inspection of engineering design drawings and acceptance of completed drawings should be used to verify the structural uniformity within the wall area of the competition area, and verify whether the wall structure actually takes into account the requirements of anti-corrosion, moisture absorption, noise reduction and environmental protection.

2.5.1.2 Color test methods

The gloss of the wall paint should be checked by on-site observation to see weather there is reflection and the color of the wall is uniform.

2.5.1.3 Verticality test instruments and methods

The 2m engineering quality tester should be used to measure the verticality of the wall. The position of each point should be 1 point from the end of each wall at a distance of 250mm. In addition, 1 point should be selected in the length direction of the wall. Evenly distributed. Calculate the 3-point test average as the verticality of the wall on the face.

2.5.1.4 Straightness test instrument and method

The level and ruler with accuracy of ±1mm should be used 1m away from the wall, and the line parallel to the wall should be selected as the reference line. The distance between the reference line and the side wall should be measured at a distance of 1m. Compare the deviation of two adjacent test points, that is straightness.

2.5.1.5 Flatness test instrument and method

Wall dents, holes or notched seams should be observed on site and their length or diameter measured using a standard steel ruler. The wall flatness should be measured with a 2m ruler (length accuracy of ±3mm) and a feeler gauge (0mm~25mm, accuracy of ±1mm). At least 5 test points are selected for each wall, and the average value, which is calculated for the wall, is the flatness of the wall.

2.5.1.6 Strength testing instruments and method

It is optional to place the wall formwork on the plane before installation, and carry out the impact absorption test according to the method specified in GB/T 19995.2-2005, and record the impact absorption value of the wall formwork. The glass wall shall be tested for safety in accordance with the provisions of GB 15763.2-2005.

2.5.2 Metallic mesh

The diagonal length of the metallic mesh should be measured using a standard steel ruler. The on-site observation method should be used to observe whether the joints of the curved joints of the metallic mesh or the edges of the welded joints are sharp or not.

2.6 Net and post

Products such as net, net post and central mesh belts should be inspected for their certificates of quality and operation instructions.

2.7 Access channel

2.7.1 On-site observation should be used to observe if there is a door in the access channel. When there is no door, observe whether there is a fixed object to support the metal fence; when there is a door, observe the door armrest position and other accessories.

2.7.2 The size of the access channel shall be measured using a Class I steel ruler in accordance with QB/T 2443. It should be observed whether the access channel is bilaterally symmetrical.

2.8 Safety zone and off-court hitting area

2.8.1 Field observations should be used to observe and record the installation of protection devices in safety zones and off-court hitting area.

2.8.2 The width, length, height and thickness of the protective device shall be measured by a Class I steel ruler in accordance with QB/T 2443.

2.9 Drainage facility

The drainage facilities’ materials should be checked. On-site observation should be used to observe the installation of the drainage facilities.

2.10 Lighting

The test was carried out in accordance with the method specified in JGJ 153.

2.11 Acoustics

The test was carried out in accordance with the method specified in JGJ/T 131.

3 Qualification determination rule

3.1 When there is a non-conformity in the test result, the unqualified point shall be re-examined once, and if the result of the re-inspection is still unqualified, the item shall be rejected.

3.2 All test items meet the requirements of Chapter 4 then can be judged as qualified.