SIST EN 13865:2017

Overview

EN 13865:2017 is a CEN European Standard that specifies a laboratory and on‑site method to determine the behaviour of a tennis ball striking a sports surface at an angle. The method quantifies rebound and lateral behaviour through measurements of inbound and outbound ball velocities and angles, and expresses surface performance using a Court Pace Rating (CPR) derived from measured coefficients of restitution and friction. This standard supersedes EN 13865:2003 and is intended for synthetic and textile sports surfaces and in‑situ testing of mineral surfaces.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Scope: Measurement of angled ball behaviour for tennis on sports surfaces.
• Apparatus
  • Ball projector capable of launching balls at a specified angle/velocity with spin ≤ 3 rev/s.
  • Ball track monitor (photographic or light‑sensitive receivers) to measure velocity to ±0.05 m/s and angles to ±0.1° (measurement uncertainty ≤ 2%).
• Test balls
  • Specified test balls from pressurized canisters with defined mass, diameter and deformation characteristics (see ITF rules); alternatively, commercially available ITF‑conforming balls.
  • Balls conditioned ≥1 hour before testing and pre‑compressed per ITF method.
• Test pieces and conditioning
  • Test specimens (synthetic turf/textile) prepared per EN 12229; minimum size 500 mm × 500 mm and tested with supporting layers as used in service.
  • Laboratory temperature normally (23 ± 2) °C; on‑site testing at ambient temperature (commonly +10 °C to +30 °C).
• Procedure
  • Launch angle of incidence: (16 ± 2)°; velocity: (30 ± 2) m/s.
  • Nine tests total (three balls, three repeats each), each impact on a fresh area; avoid firing any ball more than 10 times.
• Calculations
  • From inbound/outbound horizontal (Vix, Vfx) and vertical (Viy, Vfy) velocities compute the coefficient of restitution (COR) and coefficient of friction (COF), apply a temperature adjustment and calculate the Court Pace Rating (CPR). Standard constants provided include temperature coefficient c = 0.003, mean restitution b = 0.81 and pace perception constant a = 150.
• Test report
  • Must reference EN 13865:2017 and include surface identification, supporting layers, test direction, temperature, mean COR and CPR, individual results (if required) and surface condition (wet/dry).

Applications - who uses EN 13865:2017

• Sports facility designers and surface manufacturers validating tennis court play characteristics.
• Test laboratories performing conformity or performance testing of synthetic turf, textile and in‑situ mineral tennis surfaces.
• Tournament organizers, facility managers and procurement teams specifying surface pace and playability.
• Standards bodies and certification agencies assessing compliance with European performance criteria.

Related standards

• EN 12229 - Preparation of synthetic turf and needle‑punch test pieces (normative reference).
• International Tennis Federation (ITF) Rules of Tennis - ball conditioning and performance criteria.

Keywords: EN 13865:2017, angled ball behaviour, tennis surface testing, Court Pace Rating, coefficient of restitution, ball projector, ball track monitor, synthetic turf testing, sports surface standards.