MUGA is an acronym for “Multi-Use Games Area”. ‘MUGA flooring’ is a surface that’s suitable for all-purpose sports, from tennis to hockey.
The specification for such a surface calls for mixed elasticity. Mixed elasticity is a performance term that describes a floor with point elasticity (where a system deforms in a small area, such as when you land on your toes) and area elasticity (where a system deforms over a larger area, such as when you land on both feet).
MUGA flooring is normally made from vinyl and consists of several layers including a dedicated subfloor, high-performance underlay and a vinyl topper. The elasticity properties of the flooring are achieved with different underlays.
However, MUGA flooring can also be EPDM rubber. EPDM rubber can also be tweaked to achieve different elastomeric properties in the same way.
What is MUGA suitable for?
MUGA flooring is suitable for sports and leisure centres, school sports halls, drama rooms and gymnasiums. Most schools nowadays install MUGA flooring because it lasts a long time and offers desirable performance for most sports.
The following sports are fine with MUGA flooring:
- Five-a-side football
- Hockey
- Basketball
- Netball
- Badminton
- HIIT
- Gymnastics
You can think of MUGA flooring as a ‘jack of all trades’.
Tweaking the floor’s characteristics
It’s important to note that while there are surfaces out there that support a dozen or more sports, there are also MUGA surfaces that only support a few. A good example is an artificial grass pitch, which supports football and hockey.
There are also porous MUGA floors for the outdoors. Porous acrylic is suitable for outdoor tennis and basketball courts and it can also be used for football. We recommend choosing a flooring system that supports as many sports as possible.
You can find MUGA flooring in parks where basketball courts and football pitches are blocked off by metal fences. The surface will normally be concrete, but some have an acrylic topper on them. In our opinion, spaces that host different sports should accommodate as many sports as possible as well as possible.
Choosing the right MUGA flooring
We provide free advice and free quotes for all MUGA projects. If you fancy a chat, pick up the phone and give us a call. We’re here to help.
