Tennis and Pickleball Court Reservations

Tennis ball on a racket

San Francisco Recreation & Parks (RPD) Pilot Program for Instructor Licensing – APPLY NOW! The pilot program will provide dedicated instructional hours to licensed instructors to offer lessons to community members on select city courts. Please fill out the application available here. Additional details on the coaching pilot program may be found here.

Court Reservation Fees: A system to provide the ease and convenience of planning tennis or pickleball games at select city courts is now at your fingertips. For years, players have asked Rec and Park to implement a modest reservation fee to prevent unused bookings and ensure fair access. In response, we are proposing a $5 per hour fee for reservations at 28 locations. Forty-five neighborhood spots will offer free walk-up play. Read more details on the proposed court reservation fees.

 What Courts Can Be Reserved?

A directory of all tennis and pickleball courts including which courts are reservable and which are first-come, first-serve is available here. You can also search for all of our parks with tennis courts here.

All reservable tennis courts are listed on our Reservable Tennis Courts page.

All reservable pickleball courts are listed on our Reservable Pickleball Courts page. For further information about where to play pickleball, go to our Pickleball page.

How Can Reservations Be Made?

NEW! Here are the steps to make a reservation at rec.us/sfrecpark: How To Guide

When Can Courts Be Reserved?

Reservations are on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 8 am seven calendar days prior to the date you are interested in booking except that the following courts can be reserved 2 days in advance at 12 noon.

Courts That Can Be Reserved 2 Days Prior
-- All Other Courts Can Be Reserved One Week Prior
  • Alice Marble Court #4 (1 hour)
  • Balboa Park Court #4 (1 hour)
  • Crocker Amazon Court #3 (1 hour)
  • Dolores Park Court #3 (1 hour)
  • DuPont Court #4 (1 hour)
  • Fulton (single)
  • Hamilton Court #2
  • Jackson (single)
  • J.P. Murphy Court #3
  • Lafayette Park Court #2 (1 hour)
  • McLaren Park Court #5
  • McLaren Park Court #6
  • Minnie & Lovie Ward Court #2
  • Miraloma Park (single)
  • Moscone Rec Court #4 (1 hour)
  • Mountain Lake Court #4 (1 hour)
  • Parkside Square Court #4 (1 hour)
  • Potrero Hill Rec Court #2
  • Richmond tennis (single) and pickleball court A
  • Upper Noe (single)

 

What Can You Reserve?

Any individual may reserve a court, but may not book more than 1 court in a day or 3 courts in a calendar week.

How Can Reservations Be Used?

Reservation requests are for individual play only. No lessons, team practices, clinics or league matches.

What does it Cost?

Currently Free

Proposal: Court Reservation Fees

A system to provide the ease and convenience of planning tennis or pickleball games at select city courts is now at your fingertips. For years, players have asked Rec and Park to implement a modest reservation fee to prevent unused bookings and ensure fair access. In response, we are proposing a $5 per hour fee for reservations at 28 locations. Forty-five neighborhood spots will offer free walk-up play.

Read more details on the proposed court reservation fees.

Cancellations:

You may cancel your reservation online in advance of the reservation time. Courts left vacant 15 minutes after reservation time are available for walk-up play. Individuals found to have reserved and not used their time may have their account suspended.

Proof of Reservation:

You will receive an email with your reservation confirmation. You must have a printed or electronic copy of the reservation confirmation with you on the day of your reservation in order to use the court. The first and last name on your permit must match a valid form of identification.

Terms & Conditions


You must have a printed or electronic copy of the reservation confirmation with you on the day of your reservation in order to use the court.

  • Reservation is for the exact times listed and is intended for the sport that was selected during the reservation and is outlined in your reservation email. Permittee may not book more than 1 court in a day or 3 courts in a calendar week. No extra time will be given outside the reservation time. In case of emergency or issues regarding locked courts or disruptive behavior, please call Park Rangers at (415) 242-6390. In case of general emergency, please call 911.
  • Liability for Use: The Reservation Holder agrees to reimburse any person (including the Department) who sustains property damage, such as broken windows, for the cost of that damage, where such damage occurs on public or private property when such damage is caused by the use of this facility. In addition to the Reservation Holder, the person who is representing the Reservation Holder agrees to be personally liable.
  • No Assignment or Transferring: This reservation may not be assigned or transferred. Violations of any of the above conditions will result in depriving the Reservation Holder of further use of facilities.
  • No lessons, team practices, clinics or league matches. Permit may not be used to teach any sort of lesson even if no fee is being collected.
  • Prohibited Items/Activities: Alcohol, gambling, BBQ/cooking, quarreling, profane language, smoking, sales of food/drinks/merchandise, food or drinks on athletic courts, dogs, bicycles, metal cleats, motorcycles, skateboards, rollerblades, sharp objects, chewing gum, and sunflower seeds. Paid lessons and clinics are not allowed.
  • Cleanup: You are responsible for cleaning up all litter left on the court during your reserved time and taking your trash home with you of Department property. Failure to leave court litter-free may result in loss of future reservation privileges. If a previous user left garbage on the court, please let us know by calling 311.
  • No-Show Policy: If permit holder does not show up within 15 minutes after reservation start time, reservation is forfeited and voided.
  • Violations of any of the above conditions will result in depriving the Reservation Holder of further use of facilities and/or subject the Reservation Holder to fines via citations.

For all walk-up courts, tennis court rules are as follows:

Court Etiquette

  • Players must wear tennis shoes at all times.
  • Playground tennis courts are for tennis players only, unless designated as a multipurpose area.
  • No more than two balls are to be used on any court at one time.
  • Players must adhere to a first come first serve rule.
  • There is to be no rallying behind courts when play is in progress.

Waiting at Courtside

  • Players must wait their turn at only one court and must be physically present while doing so.
  • A verbal request that a person is waiting for a particular court shall be made to those who are playing and/or waiting on desired court.

Allotted Time for Play

  • A maximum of five minutes shall be allowed for warmup.
  • Doubles play or singles play is limited to one set only.
  • Rallying in lieu of a set is limited to thirty minutes.

Relinquishing the Court

  • When people arrive at courtside and are waiting to play, those players, doubles or singles, presently playing must relinquish the court at the completion of the set in progress.
  • Doubles must be played: When two or more people are waiting. When four people enter the court at the same time.

Classes and/or Tournaments

  • All tennis classes and/or tournaments must be authorized by the San Francisco Recreation & Park Department.
  • Classes and/or tournaments take precedence on the courts at all times.
  • Excluding the recreation director of the playground, any person in charge of a class and/or tournament must show written authorization before taking control of any court.

Backboard Play

  • Backboard play is limited to twenty minutes when others are waiting.
  • Backboards shall not be used for strike out play.

Law and Rule Infractions

  • No dogs, skateboards, roller skating or bicycles allowed.
  • Park code: article 3, section 3.08 prohibits tennis instruction on a public tennis court without first obtaining a permit.
  • Any dispute in the interpretation of these rules shall be settled by the recreation director of the playground.
  • Infractions of the rules can and may cause dismissal from the court or courts.

A single player may not use or hold a court when two or more players are waiting to play.

A single player may wait for a court, however, when a court becomes available and if the player’s partner(s) is not present, that court shall go to the next single or doubles players immediately & without delay

Pilot Neighborhood Tennis Courts Online Reservation System