Honolulu is rolling out a new island-wide system for booking public sports fields, which should help youth sports groups get fairer access to crowded parks.

• The city's parks department is putting every field on the same permit system after testing it earlier this year.
• Permits now run in six-month blocks: December through May, and June through November.
• Demand keeps growing because youth sports run year-round now, and newer sports like girls flag football need field time too.
• When two groups want the same field at the same time, they will meet in person to work out a compromise.
• An early rollout in the Pearl City area has worked well, with clubs sharing fields and knowing when they are open.

Outlook: Three public Zoom sessions in early September will walk families and clubs through the new rules before the winter-spring block opens.