{"id":5389,"date":"2026-10-03T02:03:07","date_gmt":"2026-10-03T02:03:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/padel-court-construction-fip-standards\/"},"modified":"2026-10-30T15:05:00","modified_gmt":"2026-10-30T15:05:00","slug":"padel-court-construction-fip-standards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/es\/padel-court-construction-fip-standards\/","title":{"rendered":"C\u00f3mo construir una pista de p\u00e1del seg\u00fan los est\u00e1ndares FIP"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>\nh2 { font-size: 1.6em; line-height: 1.3; margin: 40px 0 18px; }\nh3 { font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.35; margin: 26px 0 12px; }\np { line-height: 1.8; margin-bottom: 28px; }\ntable { display: table !important; width: 100% !important; border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 28px; }\nth { text-align: left; padding: 12px 14px; background: #1a5c2e; color: #ffffff; font-weight: 600; }\ntd { padding: 12px 14px; border-bottom: 1px solid #e5e5e5; vertical-align: top; }\nfigcaption { text-align: center; font-style: italic; }\n.callout-note { border-left: 4px solid #1a5c2e; background: #f3f7f2; padding: 18px 22px; margin: 28px 0; border-radius: 4px; }\n.callout-warning { border-left: 4px solid #b8860b; background: #fdf7e8; padding: 18px 22px; margin: 28px 0; border-radius: 4px; }\n<\/style>\n<p>Every handover day produces the same photos: clean court, straight glass, fresh lines. The first proper training block tells a different story &#8211; uneven bounce at the glass seams, ponding in the low corner, dead sand spots under the lights. Operators who track complaints name poor installation, not product specification, as the failure source. The published glass-injury incidents made the same point harder: nobody held an acceptance checklist that could have intercepted the defects before players arrived.<\/p>\n<p>A padel court construction guide usually stops at hire a crew and follow the steps; this one is written for the buyer who has to sign. It turns the FIP Rules clauses and the SAPCA Code of Practice tolerances into per-stage acceptance checks, with the numbers each authority actually publishes. We sit on the turf side of these handovers, and the same rework sites keep returning. Sign nothing this checklist cannot measure.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"what-the-fip-rules-actually-require-from-a-finished-court\">What the FIP Rules Actually Require From a Finished Court<\/h2>\n<p>Before anything is ordered, the governing text deserves a close read: the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.padelfip.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/FIP_Rules-of-Padel.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FIP Rules of Padel<\/a> set out what a finished court must deliver, clause by clause. Most club buyers skim the drawings and skip the clauses. At handover, the clauses are the contract. A padel court construction guide that never quotes them leaves the buyer arguing taste instead of tolerances.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/padel-court-types-choose-right-court-slot2-steel-posts-mesh.webp\" data-img-slot=\"1\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" alt=\"An empty court fully enclosed by tall steel-post welded mesh fencing under an overcast sky\" class=\"wp-image-5107\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/padel-court-types-choose-right-court-slot2-steel-posts-mesh.webp 1200w, https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/padel-court-types-choose-right-court-slot2-steel-posts-mesh-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/padel-court-types-choose-right-court-slot2-steel-posts-mesh-1024x683.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/padel-court-types-choose-right-court-slot2-steel-posts-mesh-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/padel-court-types-choose-right-court-slot2-steel-posts-mesh-18x12.webp 18w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption>The court envelope first: posts, mesh and dimensions set to the FIP layout.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>Surface: Regular Bounce Is the Only Non-Negotiable<\/h3>\n<p>FIP allows cement, synthetic material or artificial grass on one condition: the surface must allow a regular bounce of the ball. Regularity is where bounce becomes measurable. The rules require differences in the inside levels to be less than 3mm, measured with a rule of 3m (1\/1000). A surface that misses that figure does not merely look uneven; the ball reports it to every player on every point.<\/p>\n<h3>Enclosure: Heights, Openings and the Safety Area<\/h3>\n<p>The enclosure carries its own clause set, and each item is an acceptance check rather than an option. Glass courts must comply with the standards for tempered and plate glass referenced in the homologation annex, and the walls must stay uniform, hard and completely smooth. The mesh fence is built from soldered rhomboids with holes no less than 5cm across the diagonal, forming a flat, vertical face. For out-of-court play, each side needs 2 access points and a clear safety area of at least 3m wide and 4m long, with 3m of height. Access openings must be protected with cushioning not less than 2cm thick, firmly fixed to the structure.<\/p>\n<p>Court size, line width and free height follow fixed figures, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/padel-court-dimensions-and-size\/\">the full dimension and clearance breakdown<\/a> is written up in the companion piece. Verify those numbers on the drawing before the steel is cut, because they are expensive to fix afterwards.<\/p>\n<h3>Light and Orientation: The Checks That Happen Too Late<\/h3>\n<p>Lighting and orientation are drawing-stage checks, yet they surface last. Light poles must sit outside the court; if a pole falls within the safety area, out-of-court play is not allowed. Projectors need a minimum altitude of 6m from the ground to their underside, with 8m suggested for new facilities. Outdoors, FIP recommends a north-south longitudinal axis, admitting a variation between N-NE and N-NW.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"site-preparation-drainage-decisions-come-first\">Site Preparation: Drainage Decisions Come First<\/h2>\n<p>Drainage failures do not show up in the delivery photos; they show up in the first heavy rain. The slope question looks settled until three authorities give three different numbers. FIP caps the transverse evacuation slope at 1% from the centre towards the outer edges for surfaces without drainage. The <a href=\"https:\/\/sapca.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/CoP_for_padel_courts_v3_040321.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">SAPCA Code of Practice for the Construction of Padel Courts<\/a> builds new porous courts level, with the 1:100 gradient established at formation level instead. Published contractor figures of 0.5-1% describe impermeable routes only.<\/p>\n<p>All three readings stand once each is tied to its construction type: porous systems drain downward through the build-up, while impermeable systems drain across the surface. Any padel court construction guide that quotes one slope number without that qualifier is handing you a dispute. Quote the number that matches the base you are actually building.<\/p>\n<p>On poorly draining sites, SAPCA calls for perimeter drains located inside the ring beam, connected to an outfall pipe running through the concrete ring beam. Catchwater drains intercept water that may flow onto the court from surrounding areas. Ground preparation comes first: strip turf, vegetation and topsoil to a depth of at least 75mm. Then compact and level the formation to a tolerance of +25mm\/-50mm, replacing soft spots with appropriate compacted material.<\/p>\n<div class=\"callout-warning\">\n<p>Do not book porous turf as the drainage plan. If the formation silts up or the outfall through the ring beam is blocked, water still sits trapped inside the ring beam, however porous the turf is.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Porous construction also invites one slower failure worth naming. Wind-blown seeds land on the surface, wash into the porous build-up and germinate. Weeds that penetrate the asphalt should be treated with weed killer and removed once dead; pulled roots disturb the layers.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"choose-the-base-build-up-slab-porous-asphalt-or-conversion\">Choose the Base Build-Up: Slab, Porous Asphalt or Conversion<\/h2>\n<p>The base is the layer nobody photographs and everybody plays on. Route selection is a drainage decision as much as a structural one, because <a href=\"https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/padel-court-surface-artificial-vs-concrete\/\">how the surface choice changes the base beneath it<\/a> is the first fork in the project. A padel court construction guide that treats slab, porous asphalt and conversion as interchangeable skips the numbers below.<\/p>\n<h3>Reinforced Concrete Slab<\/h3>\n<p>Published contractor guides commonly baseline a reinforced concrete slab, levelled with a slight fall so water can move. At acceptance, the focus falls on crack control and on anchor geometry that matches the enclosure drawings. The slab crew and the enclosure crew usually work under different contracts, and the anchor positions are where those scopes meet. Check them against the drawings before the glass arrives.<\/p>\n<h3>Porous Asphalt, the SAPCA Way<\/h3>\n<p>SAPCA directs UK outdoor courts to porous sub-base construction, built with two asphalt layers: a 40mm binder course and a 25mm surface course at compacted depth. The playing surface and the ring beam are constructed level so glass panel bottoms finish flush, with no step under the panels. The stone foundation beneath uses hard, clean, well-rounded, non-frost-susceptible aggregates. SAPCA typically specifies a reduced-fines grading of MOT Type 1 or a 28mm-50mm clean stone, capped with a 10mm chipping blinding layer.<\/p>\n<h3>Converting an Existing Tennis Court<\/h3>\n<p>Conversion starts with the old surface, not the new one: check its regularity and drainage before committing. SAPCA&#8217;s method for improving drainage in an existing asphalt tennis surface pierces holes typically 25mm in diameter at 450mm centres across the total area, backfilled with chippings or pea gravel. If the old base ponds, piercing will not rescue it.<\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<th>Route<\/th>\n<th>Build-up<\/th>\n<th>Acceptance focus<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>New outdoor build (SAPCA route)<\/td>\n<td>Porous asphalt, two layers: 40mm binder plus 25mm surface course (SAPCA CoP v3)<\/td>\n<td>Porous sub-base throughout; surface flush with the ring beam<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Reinforced concrete slab (contractor-guide route)<\/td>\n<td>Levelled slab with a slight fall, per published contractor guides<\/td>\n<td>Crack control; anchor geometry matching the enclosure drawings<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Tennis court conversion (SAPCA method)<\/td>\n<td>Existing asphalt pierced at 25mm diameter on 450mm centres, gravel backfilled (SAPCA CoP v3)<\/td>\n<td>Old surface regularity and drainage verified first<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<h2 id=\"accept-the-foundation-before-the-steel-arrives\">Accept the Foundation Before the Steel Arrives<\/h2>\n<p>The cheapest inspection moment in the whole build sits between base completion and steel delivery. Once posts and glass are up, correcting a settled base means dismantling them. Two different rulers govern flatness, and they must be labelled every time they appear together. SAPCA&#8217;s tolerance of \u00b16mm maximum undulation under a 3m straight edge, measured in accordance with BS EN 13036 Part 7, the external test method, governs laying the surface. FIP&#8217;s requirement of differences under 3mm with a 3m rule applies to the finished court surface.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Sweep the full surface with a 3m straight edge and record both rulers: \u00b16mm construction tolerance (SAPCA) and under 3mm on the finished court (FIP).<\/li>\n<li>Recheck the formation tolerance of +25mm\/-50mm before any layer covers it.<\/li>\n<li>Confirm the ring beam sits flush with the playing surface, with no step where the glass bottoms will land.<\/li>\n<li>Run the outfall and hose-flood the low corner; water must move, not sit.<\/li>\n<li>Reject soft spots and settlement marks outright; zero tolerance before covering.<\/li>\n<li>Confirm the cure period named in the slab specification is complete before steel arrives.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>A waved-through base rarely fails quietly. Settlement becomes unevenness, unevenness stresses glass alignment and returns as bounce complaints, and the rework path runs through dismantled steel. This is the checkpoint a serious padel court construction guide hands you before the steel arrives, and it is the cheapest signature in the whole project.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"check-the-enclosure-steel-glass-and-mesh\">Check the Enclosure: Steel, Glass and Mesh<\/h2>\n<p>No padel court construction guide can stand in for the delivery-day walkthrough, because the enclosure arrives as someone else&#8217;s contract. Verify, do not assume, and write down what you find. Every item below belongs in that record with a pass or a measured value next to it.<\/p>\n<h3>Structure and Glass: What to Verify on Delivery Day<\/h3>\n<p>FIP requires glass courts to meet its tempered and plate-glass standards through the homologation annex. On delivery day, check each post for plumb with a laser level and confirm the spacer and seating between glass and steel. Align the door to the glass line and compare tint panel to panel. The walls must read uniform, hard and completely smooth, allowing bodily contact and sliding balls.<\/p>\n<h3>Mesh, Openings and Player-Contact Protection<\/h3>\n<p>Measure the fence mesh diagonal &#8211; it must not be less than 5cm &#8211; and confirm the face is flat and vertical. Access points should sit symmetrically, and cushioning at least 2cm thick must be firmly fixed on the lateral and upper sides and at the net post. Re-measure the safety area&#8217;s clear volume after the enclosure is installed, because posts and brackets consume space the drawing assumed empty.<\/p>\n<div class=\"callout-note\">\n<p>Bounce consistency at the glass is a system outcome, not a panel property. A seam step at the 5mm scale is legible to a trained player, so walk every seam with a ball before signing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>An enclosure is easy to photograph and hard to re-quote, so the acceptance record is your only leverage. Keep the drawings open while the panels are still on the truck, not after the crew has left site.<\/p>\n<div class=\"cta-box\" style=\"background-color:#1a2b3c;border-radius:6px;padding:30px;margin:35px 0;\">\n<h3 style=\"color:#ffffff;margin-top:0;\">Will the Turf Surface Pass Your Handover Tests?<\/h3>\n<p style=\"color:#ffffff;\">Send us the spec your contract names &#8211; our team matches pile, density and roll width so the turf arrives ready for your acceptance tests.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/sports-artificial-grass\/padel-turf\/\" style=\"display:inline-block;background-color:#1a5c2e;color:#ffffff;padding:12px 24px;border-radius:4px;text-decoration:none;font-weight:600;\">See Padel Turf Systems<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2 id=\"install-and-accept-the-turf-surface\">Install and Accept the Turf Surface<\/h2>\n<p>This is the stage where our own scope begins &#8211; we make and sell the turf rolls, factory-direct &#8211; and where specification plus workmanship decide the bounce directly. No padel court construction guide should treat the carpet as an afterthought; the rules give it a full clause set.<\/p>\n<h3>What the Standards Ask of a Padel Carpet<\/h3>\n<p>FIP requires the surface to allow a regular bounce, in a single permitted colour clearly different from the wall colour &#8211; green, blue or terracotta or like tones. Synthetic and artificial grass surfaces must comply with the homologation annex. SAPCA&#8217;s UK frame describes a typical product: pile 10-15mm, dtex 9,000-10,000, monofilament preferred, silica sand infill, and compliance with UNE 147301:2018 named in its text.<\/p>\n<p>Our own line reads differently by market custom: a 25mm sand-filled PP monofilament system, 27,300 tufts per square metre, 3\/8-inch gauge, rolls at 2m, 4m or 5m widths. Different markets keep different customary ranges; the FIP annex plus the supplier spec sheet govern. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/padel-court-turf-specifications\/\">The pile, dtex and density numbers explained<\/a> in the companion piece show how to compare two spec sheets line by line.<\/p>\n<h3>Laying and Sand Dressing Done Right<\/h3>\n<p>SAPCA&#8217;s method lays the carpet loose onto the asphalt base. Brush the entire surface to bring the fibres upright, then apply sand evenly in stages, keeping the pile upright and the depth constant within the pile base. Wheeled vehicles on a fresh surface need smooth tyres at 8-11 psi ground pressure &#8211; no treaded herringbone tyres &#8211; and top-up sand levels may be needed after installation. Seams and edges are fixed per the surface-system method, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/padel-court-turf-surface-system\/\">the surface system layers behind these steps<\/a> are set out in the companion piece.<\/p>\n<h3>Accepting the Surface Before Handover<\/h3>\n<p>Acceptance starts with the same ball bounced at multiple points across the court and compared for consistency. FIP&#8217;s ball standard lets a new ball rebound between 135 and 145cm when dropped from 2.54m onto a hard surface. That figure describes the ball, not the court; it serves here only as a consistency reference between readings, never as a court metric. The sand face should read even, with no dead spots or heaps, and the colour single, with no patchiness between rolls.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/youth-curly-1525-yellow-padel-01.jpg\" data-img-slot=\"2\" width=\"1120\" height=\"680\" alt=\"Studio sample of padel-specific artificial turf with short, dense curly pile\" class=\"wp-image-3592\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/youth-curly-1525-yellow-padel-01.jpg 1120w, https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/youth-curly-1525-yellow-padel-01-300x182.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/youth-curly-1525-yellow-padel-01-1024x622.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/youth-curly-1525-yellow-padel-01-768x466.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/youth-curly-1525-yellow-padel-01-18x12.jpg 18w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1120px) 100vw, 1120px\" \/><figcaption>Padel turf is a purpose-built specification, not a generic sports carpet.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"lighting-height-and-the-fip-details-buyers-miss\">Lighting, Height and the FIP Details Buyers Miss<\/h2>\n<p>Lighting is where two authorities get blended into one wrong number. SAPCA&#8217;s performance classes read 500 lux average with 0.7 uniformity for national and international competition, and 300 lux with 0.5 for regional, school, recreational and indoor use. Both are SAPCA Code of Practice values for the horizontal plane at ground level. FIP&#8217;s 1000 lux figure is a vertical illumination clause for television broadcasts and film recording &#8211; a separate purpose, never a handover target for an ordinary court.<\/p>\n<p>FIP also sets 6m as the minimum height from ground to the luminaire underside, with 8m suggested for new facilities. SAPCA separately requires a 6m high clear space above the playing area. The numbers match; the clauses do not, so attribute each to its source when you cite it. Mounting follows one of two methods: extend the enclosure posts and bracket-mount luminaires about 4.0m from the back of the court, or place stand-alone columns outside the enclosure. LED supply sits in the region of 1.2-2.4kW per court in SAPCA&#8217;s typical range, useful as electrical planning context only.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Class selection against the SAPCA table: 500 lux with 0.7 uniformity, or 300 lux with 0.5, matched to the venue&#8217;s use.<\/li>\n<li>Luminaire underside height: 6m minimum under FIP, with 8m suggested for new facilities.<\/li>\n<li>Pole positions outside the court and clear of the safety area, or out-of-court play is forfeited.<\/li>\n<li>Uniformity and calculation grid &#8211; 1.0m x 1.0m grid, maximum 5.0m spacing &#8211; recorded in the design documents, with the 10% over-performance margin and 0.9 maintenance factor stated.<\/li>\n<li>Clear space above the playing area: 6m per SAPCA, consistent with the free height the rules demand over the court.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Every lighting item stays in what-to-verify language. Any padel court construction guide that merges the two lux regimes into one figure has already failed the checklist it hands you.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"run-the-final-acceptance-walkthrough\">Run the Final Acceptance Walkthrough<\/h2>\n<p>A padel court construction guide earns its keep on acceptance day, when every clause turns into a reading you can sign. Run the walkthrough in four groups, in this order, with the contract drawings open.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/padel-court-types-choose-right-court-slot4-indoor-padel-hall.webp\" data-img-slot=\"3\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" alt=\"A finished covered padel court with blue turf, mesh walls and glass back panels\" class=\"wp-image-5109\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/padel-court-types-choose-right-court-slot4-indoor-padel-hall.webp 1200w, https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/padel-court-types-choose-right-court-slot4-indoor-padel-hall-300x225.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/padel-court-types-choose-right-court-slot4-indoor-padel-hall-1024x768.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/padel-court-types-choose-right-court-slot4-indoor-padel-hall-768x576.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/padel-court-types-choose-right-court-slot4-indoor-padel-hall-16x12.webp 16w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption>A finished covered court: turf, mesh and glazing all in place.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>Bounce and Regularity<\/h3>\n<p>Sweep the surface again with the 3m straight edge and record both rulers: the \u00b16mm construction tolerance and the sub-3mm finished-surface requirement. Bounce the same ball at multiple points, including beside the glass seams. The sand face should read even, with no heaps and no dead spots.<\/p>\n<h3>Drainage Under Real Water<\/h3>\n<p>SAPCA expects a newly laid porous surface to be clear of surface ponding within fifteen minutes of rain ceasing. After real rain &#8211; or a hose flood &#8211; walk the low corners and check the outfalls and channels run clear. If water sits longer, inspect the drainage path before blaming the surface.<\/p>\n<h3>Light, Height and Safety Area<\/h3>\n<p>Measure lux against the SAPCA class the venue is contracted to. Re-verify the free height over the court, the safety area volume and the cushioning at the access openings. Anything added since the drawing stage &#8211; signage, benches, camera masts &#8211; counts against the clear volume.<\/p>\n<h3>Documents and the Punch List<\/h3>\n<p>Collect the lighting design report, the surface infiltration test record per the BS EN 12616 method, and the enclosure installation checklist. Nothing gets signed until the punch list reads zero, and every item carries a measured value rather than an opinion.<\/p>\n<p>For the stages after this walkthrough, the turf specification companion covers surface selection and on-arrival checks, and the dimensions companion covers pre-build planning. Keep both with the acceptance file; they answer the questions that surface after the crew leaves.<\/p>\n<p><!-- relyirgate:C1 --><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"frequently-asked-questions\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n<div class=\"faq-card\" style=\"background:#f9f9f9;border-left:4px solid #1a5c2e;border-radius:4px;padding:25px;margin-bottom:18px;\">\n<h3 style=\"color:#1a5c2e;margin-top:0;\">What slope does a padel court need for drainage?<\/h3>\n<p>It depends on the base construction. SAPCA builds new porous courts level with a 1:100 gradient set at formation level; an undrained surface is capped at a 1% transverse slope under FIP.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"faq-card\" style=\"background:#f9f9f9;border-left:4px solid #1a5c2e;border-radius:4px;padding:25px;margin-bottom:18px;\">\n<h3 style=\"color:#1a5c2e;margin-top:0;\">How flat is flat enough for a padel court surface?<\/h3>\n<p>FIP requires level differences under 3mm measured with a 3m rule on the finished surface. SAPCA&#8217;s \u00b16mm under a 3m straight edge is the construction tolerance for laying it &#8211; two rulers, both labelled.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"faq-card\" style=\"background:#f9f9f9;border-left:4px solid #1a5c2e;border-radius:4px;padding:25px;margin-bottom:18px;\">\n<h3 style=\"color:#1a5c2e;margin-top:0;\">How long until water clears after rain?<\/h3>\n<p>SAPCA expects a newly laid porous surface to be clear of ponding within fifteen minutes of rain ceasing. If water sits longer, check the drainage path and the outfall before blaming the turf.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"faq-card\" style=\"background:#f9f9f9;border-left:4px solid #1a5c2e;border-radius:4px;padding:25px;margin-bottom:18px;\">\n<h3 style=\"color:#1a5c2e;margin-top:0;\">What lighting level should we accept at handover?<\/h3>\n<p>Accept the SAPCA class your contract names: 500 lux with 0.7 uniformity, or 300 lux with 0.5 for regional and recreational use. The FIP 1000 lux figure is a separate broadcast clause, not a handover target.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"faq-card\" style=\"background:#f9f9f9;border-left:4px solid #1a5c2e;border-radius:4px;padding:25px;margin-bottom:18px;\">\n<h3 style=\"color:#1a5c2e;margin-top:0;\">What turf spec should we order?<\/h3>\n<p>The FIP homologation annex plus the supplier spec sheet govern. SAPCA&#8217;s UK-typical frame is a 10-15mm pile, 9,000-10,000 dtex, silica sand dressed; other markets keep other customary ranges.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"faq-card\" style=\"background:#f9f9f9;border-left:4px solid #1a5c2e;border-radius:4px;padding:25px;margin-bottom:18px;\">\n<h3 style=\"color:#1a5c2e;margin-top:0;\">Can we convert a tennis court instead of a new build?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes, after checking the old surface&#8217;s regularity and drainage first. SAPCA&#8217;s method pierces the existing asphalt at 25mm diameter on 450mm centres, backfilled with chippings or pea gravel.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n{\n \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n \"@type\": \"Article\",\n \"headline\": \"Padel Court Construction Guide: Build to FIP Standards\",\n \"description\": \"A padel court construction guide to FIP-aligned build order: base, structure, enclosure, lighting and turf acceptance before you sign.\",\n \"author\": {\"@type\": \"Organization\", \"name\": \"Relyir Artificial Grass\"},\n \"publisher\": {\"@type\": \"Organization\", \"name\": \"Relyir Artificial Grass\"},\n \"datePublished\": \"2026-10-03\",\n \"dateModified\": \"2026-10-03\",\n \"mainEntityOfPage\": \"https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/padel-court-construction-fip-standards\/\"\n}\n<\/script><br \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n{\n \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\n \"mainEntity\": [\n  {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"What slope does a padel court need for drainage?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"It depends on the base construction. SAPCA builds new porous courts level with a 1:100 gradient set at formation level; an undrained surface is capped at a 1% transverse slope under FIP.\"}},\n  {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"How flat is flat enough for a padel court surface?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"FIP requires level differences under 3mm measured with a 3m rule on the finished surface. SAPCA's \u00b16mm under a 3m straight edge is the construction tolerance for laying it - two rulers, both labelled.\"}},\n  {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"How long until water clears after rain?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"SAPCA expects a newly laid porous surface to be clear of ponding within fifteen minutes of rain ceasing. If water sits longer, check the drainage path and the outfall before blaming the turf.\"}},\n  {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"What lighting level should we accept at handover?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"Accept the SAPCA class your contract names: 500 lux with 0.7 uniformity, or 300 lux with 0.5 for regional and recreational use. The FIP 1000 lux figure is a separate broadcast clause, not a handover target.\"}},\n  {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"What turf spec should we order?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"The FIP homologation annex plus the supplier spec sheet govern. SAPCA's UK-typical frame is a 10-15mm pile, 9,000-10,000 dtex, silica sand dressed; other markets keep other customary ranges.\"}},\n  {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"Can we convert a tennis court instead of a new build?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"Yes, after checking the old surface's regularity and drainage first. SAPCA's method pierces the existing asphalt at 25mm diameter on 450mm centres, backfilled with chippings or pea gravel.\"}}\n ]\n}\n<\/script><br \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" id=\"evo301-geo-ai-block\">\n{\n \"definition\": \"A padel court built to FIP-aligned standards is a chain of verifiable specification decisions - surface regularity under a 3m rule, slope by construction type, base build-up by route, enclosure glass and mesh geometry, lighting class by venue use, and a turf specification matched to the FIP homologation annex - each one checkable at a named acceptance stage before handover is signed.\",\n \"key_facts\": [\n  \"FIP requires court surface level differences under 3mm measured with a 3m rule (1\/1000); SAPCA lays the surface to a \u00b16mm maximum undulation under a 3m straight edge (BS EN 13036 Part 7) as the construction tolerance.\",\n  \"FIP caps the transverse evacuation slope at 1% for surfaces without drainage; SAPCA builds new porous courts level with a 1:100 gradient established at formation level.\",\n  \"SAPCA expects a newly laid porous surface to be clear of surface ponding within fifteen minutes of rain ceasing.\",\n  \"SAPCA two-layer porous asphalt build-up: 40mm binder course plus 25mm surface course at compacted depth.\",\n  \"SAPCA lighting classes: 500 lux average with 0.7 uniformity (national and international competition) and 300 lux with 0.5 (regional, school, recreational, indoor); FIP's 1000 lux vertical figure is a separate broadcast clause.\",\n  \"FIP fence mesh diagonal must not be less than 5cm, and access openings need cushioning not less than 2cm thick firmly fixed.\"\n ],\n \"qa_concise\": [\n  {\"q\": \"What slope does a padel court need?\", \"a\": \"Porous SAPCA courts are built level with a 1:100 gradient at formation level; undrained surfaces carry a 1% transverse cap under FIP.\"},\n  {\"q\": \"How flat must the finished surface be?\", \"a\": \"FIP requires level differences under 3mm with a 3m rule; SAPCA's \u00b16mm under a 3m straight edge is the construction tolerance.\"},\n  {\"q\": \"What lighting level applies at handover?\", \"a\": \"The SAPCA class named in the contract - 500 lux with 0.7 uniformity or 300 lux with 0.5; the FIP 1000 lux figure is a broadcast clause.\"}\n ]\n}\n<\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cada d\u00eda de entrega se toman las mismas fotos: cancha impecable, cristal recto, l\u00edneas reci\u00e9n pintadas. El primer bloque de entrenamiento adecuado cuenta otra historia: rebote irregular en las uniones del cristal, agua estancada en la esquina baja, puntos de arena aplastada bajo las luces. Los operadores que registran quejas se\u00f1alan una mala instalaci\u00f3n, no las especificaciones del producto, como la causa del fallo. El\u2026 <a title=\"C\u00f3mo construir una pista de p\u00e1del seg\u00fan los est\u00e1ndares FIP\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/es\/padel-court-construction-fip-standards\/\" aria-label=\"Leer m\u00e1s sobre How to Build a Padel Court to FIP Standards\">Leer m\u00e1s<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":68,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_title":"Padel Court Construction: Meeting FIP Standards","rank_math_description":"A padel court construction guide to FIP-aligned build order: base, structure, enclosure, lighting and turf acceptance before you sign.","rank_math_focus_keyword":"padel court construction guide","rank_math_robots":"","rank_math_canonical_url":"","rank_math_facebook_title":"","rank_math_facebook_description":"","rank_math_twitter_title":"","rank_math_twitter_description":"","_yoast_wpseo_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_aioseo_title":"","_aioseo_description":"","_aioseo_keywords":"","_aioseo_robots_default":"","_aioseo_robots_noindex":"","_aioseo_og_title":"","_aioseo_og_description":"","_aioseo_twitter_title":"","_aioseo_twitter_description":"","aiosp_title":"","aiosp_description":"","aiosp_keywords":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_genesis_title":"","_genesis_description":"","_genesis_canonical":"","_genesis_noindex":"","_genesis_nofollow":"","slim_seo":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5389","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports-field-turf"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5389","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5389"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5389\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6456,"href":"https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5389\/revisions\/6456"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/68"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5389"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5389"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.relyirgrass.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5389"}],"curies":[{"name":"WordPress","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}