Multi Use Games Areas – MUGA…
MUGAs have become one of the most popular additions to community, school and sports club facilities.
But, because different activities call for different surface properties and MUGA design solution has to be based on compromise.
Five principal types of MUGA/STP are detailed in Sport England’s documentation. These are:
- Type 1 MUGA Open textured porous macadam areas used for ball rebound sports where tennis is the priority and sports such as mini-tennis, netball, and basketball are secondary users. These areas are suitable for wheelchair sports.
- Type 2 MUGA Open textured porous macadam areas used for ball rebound sports where netball is the priority and sports such as tennis, mini-tennis, and basketball are secondary users. These areas are suitable for wheelchair sports.
- Type 3 MUGA Polymeric surfaced areas used for ball rebound sports where netball is the priority and sports such as tennis, mini-tennis, and basketball are secondary users. These areas are suitable for wheelchair sports.
- Type 4 MUGA Polymeric surfaced areas used for five-a-side football, basketball and general sports and recreational training and play. Due to their greater shock absorbency and lower surface friction these areas are not recommended for tennis or netball.
- Type 5 MUGA Synthetic turf areas (MUGAs or STPs) surfaced with a shock pad and either sand filled or sand dressed synthetic turf or a needle-punch carpet. The areas are used for sports such as hockey, uni-hockey, five-aside football, football, lacrosse, American football and training areas for activities such as athletics and rugby union and rugby league.
The table below is reproduced from the Sport England documentation.
| Sports Surface / MUGA Type |
5-a-side Football |
Tennis | Mini Tennis |
Netball | Basketball | Hockey | Rugby Training |
Athletics Training |
Football Training |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Macadam (Type 1) | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Macadam (Type 2) | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Polymeric (Type 3) | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Polymeric (Type 4) | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Sand-filled Synthetic Turf (Type 5a) | 1 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 (Excluding Spikes) |
2 |
| Sand-dressed Synthetic Turf (Type 5b) | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 (Excluding Spikes) |
2 |
| Needle-punch Synthetic Turf (Type 5c) | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 (Excluding Spikes) |
2 |
| Key: | 1 = Preferred surface | 2 = Suitable surface | 3 = Possible surface though less suitable | 4 = Unsuitable |
Football
Hockey
Multi-sport MUGAs
Tennis
Athletics
Rugby
Design and Planning
Construction
Maintenance
Floodlighting
Fencing
Equipment