Athletes who rely on the fields around the National Mall for recreation can rejoice — the National Park Service has opened its reservation system for 24 athletic fields around the Mall. Field times from July 8 through Jul 23 are available, and more will open up each day at 10 a.m.

To make things easier, NPS has replaced its field lottery with a new online reservation system, which allows for real-time updates and shows more than 260 time slots daily.

One-hour time slots — from 7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. — for the 12 softball and 12 mixed-use fields can be reserved seven days a week for $20, on a first-come, first-served basis. The mixed-use fields include softball, volleyball, rugby, and cricket fields. Players can reserve times by searching “National Mall fields” on the NPS website or calling 877-444-6777.

NPS has invested more than $660,000 towards upgrading the fields over the past year, the agency said in a press release. Improvements include new backstops on the softball fields, new cleat-friendly Bermuda grass on the Raoul Wallenberg rugby field, and new turf on other fields.

Tournaments and larger events can still be booked with an NPS permit by contacting the Division of Permits Management.

Ayan Sheikh contributed to this story.