Proposal:Leisure=pitch surface

leisure=pitch_surface
Proposal status:	Draft (under way)
Proposed by:	CanopyFalls, LordGarySugar
Tagging:	leisure=pitch_surface
Applies to:
Definition:	A paved or surfaced area that contains one or more sports pitches
Statistics:
Draft started:	2026-10-07

Problem Statement

There is currently no agreed-upon tag for mapping a paved or surfaced that contains one or more sports pitches. There are two methods that have been used for mapping these areas, both controversially so. The first is to trace the area and tag as leisure=pitch. This means that in places where multiple pitches are grouped together, a single leisure=pitch polygon is being used to represent all of the pitches, which is misleading. The second tag that has been used is leisure=recreation_ground. This tag is actually intended to represent a large playing field with informal or painted pitches that is used for general recreation. The use of these tags in this way has degraded their meaning; by creating a new tag they can be restored to their intended definitions.

Proposal

Two new concepts are to be introduced.

1. man_made=pitch_surface - this could be compared to an area:highway=* area, it describes only the physical extent of paving or surfacing that has been laid down for the purpose of pitches being marked. The primary function is for conveying the surface and colour of an area, which may differ from that from the leisure=pitch within. It should not be considered a point of interest tag, so should never be tagged with name=*, website=* or operator=*, unless it is
2. leisure=pitch_group - to be used to convey that multiple pitches or courts should be considered a distinct point of interest, usually with a name=*, where they are not a significant enough feature to be considered a leisure=sports_centre.

Additional guidance and context to be added on related sports facility pages (leisure=pitch, landuse=recreation_ground, leisure=sports_centre etc.)

Rationale

In a poll on the community forums containing multiple possible tags, the community consensus was split between leisure=pitch_area and leisure=pitch_surface (11 votes and 10 votes respectively, with some people voting for both). Some contributors raised concerns that leisure=pitch_area was too semantically similar to the meaning of a leisure=pitch area; fewer concerns were raised about the possible interpretation of leisure=pitch_surface. For that reason this tag was selected.

Tagging

Draw a closed way around the area that has been surfaced or paved, and add leisure=pitch_surface. Map all the pitches contained within individually, according to their painted lines, using leisure=pitch. Some of these may overlap with each other. Add any additional relevant tags to the pitches or pitch surface, such as sport=*, surface=*, access=*, lit=*, or colour=*. It is appropriate to map two adjacent leisure=pitch_surface areas if they require different tags. If a pitch does not have any paved or surfaced area outside the painted markings, leisure=pitch_surface should not be mapped. Examples would include a paved square for a basketball hoop in a park, a painted pitch in a schoolyard or a grass pitch in an open space. Do not create a multipolygon with the leisure=pitch way set as an inner, even if the pitch has a different colour or surface to the out-of-play area. If a pitch has different tags to the enclosing pitch surface polygon, the tags on the pitch can be assumed to take precedence. A multipolygon is necessary if a leisure=pitch_surface polygon needs to be drawn within another leisure=pitch_surface polygon, for example a football pitch with a astroturf apron enclosed by a running track with a tartan apron. leisure=pitch_surface areas should not overlap or be nested inside each other without the use of a multipolygon, or data consumers may not know which surface=* or colour=* values apply.

Examples

• 
  A single leisure=pitch surrounded by a leisure=pitch_surface polygon w/1093409864
• 
  9 tennis courts and one field hockey pitch within a leisure=pitch_surface polygon w/286465953
• 
  Multiple separate leisure=pitch_surface polygons, each with different surface= and colour tags=, contained within a leisure=sports_centre polygon w/4796174
• 
  A grass football pitch contained within a leisure=pitch_surface polygon. It has a defined out-of-play area, which would not be the case for a pitch painted in a park or playing field. It is contained within a leisure=stadium area. w/1566673173/

Where leisure=pitch_surface should not be used

• to surround a pitch or pitches where there is no out of play area (e.g. a padel court)
• to surround a pitch or pitches that are already within a leisure=schoolyard
• to surround a pitch or pitches where there is no clear extent of the out of play area (e.g. a painted football pitch in a large grass playing field)

Impact on Data Consumers

Retagging of existing incorrectly tagged landuse=recreation_ground, leisure=sports_centre and leisure=pitch will impact how some sports centres and other complexes render.

Features/Pages affected

• leisure=pitch_surface to be created
• leisure=pitch to be expanded with more context, and made clearer that each pitch polygon should correspond to one painted pitch, not multiple
• courts=* to be recommended not to be used in combination with leisure=pitch - should only be used on leisure=sports_centre or other similar features
• landuse=recreation_ground to be expanded with more context
• leisure=sports_centre to be expanded with more context
• other proposed tags for the same concept to be absorbed, including leisure=pitch_area

External discussions

• Original forums discussion thread

Comments

Please comment on the discussion page.