FAQ

A permit is needed to use any outdoor court from the first Saturday in April to the Sunday before Thanksgiving. Full-season permits for adults ages 18 to 61 cost $100. Permits for seniors ages 62 and older cost $20. Permits cost $10 for kids and teens younger than 18 years old.

Adults (18-61): $100 per season. Seniors (62+): $20 per season. Kids & teens (under 18): $10 per season. Permits can be purchased online, via mail, or in-store at Paragon Sports Union Square.

The signup sheet is a schedule, posted every morning, that lets permit holders reserve a court any time between the hours that the court(s) are open.

Generally no, unless you are paying to play. If the courts aren't busy, sometimes the parks department employee will allow play to continue.

Some do, and some don't. Some have lights and some don't. Check out our Court Finder page for details on each court.

Sign up through Global Tennis Network. Choose your division based on your NTRP rating — A Division is 4.0-5.5, B Division is 2.0-3.75.

Most popular courts are Central Park, Riverside, Pier 42, Brian Watkins, and Hudson River. Players play on all Manhattan courts and sometimes Brooklyn, Queens, and The Bronx. Players coordinate locations directly with their opponents.

Each Manhattan Ladder culminates in an end-of-season Round of 16 tournament in October featuring players who have completed 10 or more matches and are in the top 16 places of their Division. The Finals are held on the last Sunday in October at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, Queens. All Finals Day matches are officiated by USTA certified chair umpires.

You must complete 10 matches (not including forfeits) to qualify for the end-of-season tournament and prizes. The playoff bracket determines cash prizes: Champion ($250), Runner-Up ($120), Semifinalists ($60), Quarterfinalists ($30). Other sponsored prizes are also available.

Key rules: Players have 4 days to accept or decline a challenge. Once accepted, matches must be completed within 14 days. You may challenge up to 5 positions above your rank. Declining a challenge counts as a forfeit. Each player gets 3 wildcards per season to challenge higher positions. You may only play the same opponent 3 times per season. Matches are best of 3 sets (or Fast4 format if limited to 1 hour). Both players bring a new can of balls.

NTRP (National Tennis Rating Program) is the USTA's player rating system. It rates players from 1.5 (beginner) to 7.0 (world class). A Division is 4.0-5.5, B Division is 2.0-3.75.