Our pool was here when we moved in. It is mostly a diving pool with 10 ft bottom. Previous owners had teenage son when they built. We have very little shallow end and it drops off very fast from shallow to deep. I'm 5'7" and only have to go a few feet out from shallow end wall before I am over my head.
I don't like this although I have been a "fish" since I was a wee tot and swam competitively when I was younger. When we moved in here our daughter was a teen so about all she and her friends did in the pool was float to sun bathe.
My neighbors large rectangular pool has a beach entry, then steps, and a generous shallow end and a generous deep/diving end. They have big cookout/swim parties so I get to see the benefits of their pool layout. Their connected spa is on the shallow end and takes up about half of the width beside the beach entry and steps. They don't use is as a spa but it makes for a great kiddie pool.
And yes, I've seen the age/gender distribution a lot at her house, with a few exceptions. The swim team girls, even if teens, spend a lot of time doing what the boys do. Parents mostly jump in every once in a while, a few dives off the board and a cannonball, or some just a dip, but most don't even bring suits because of all the kid activity, but other wise are eating and drinking and gathering in groups. There are always a couple or three people visiting near the pool and watching the kids. Most of the teen girls congregate at the steps with the dogs and love having their pictures taken with the dogs. The beach entry is great for dogs who haven't discovered the delights of swimming. Some doggies, though, will never enjoy swimming. The dogs basically don't want to go near all the activity in the deep end. Dogs are welcome, if they will get along, but few actually are swimmers.
I think the suggestions above are good. I think a pool is much safer with much more shallow than mine. My good friend has a kidney sports pool. 4.5' each end and 5.5' in middle with pole holes on each side for sport net. The drop slope from shallow to deep is very gradual and comfortable. She has a sheer decent for most of one side. The 5.5' area has been great for her younger grand kids to jump off.
I like the idea of the L shape. My neighbor had enough room to put in one long pool so that there is a pretty good amount of space between activity areas and the slope to deep end is very gradual before it makes a more dramatic drop for diving area.
Neighbors pool has decking all the way along one side that is wide enough to accommodate a bunch of lounges pointed towards pool, with enough space between lounges for kids and/or dogs to run (hard to stop both from running, especially the dogs) and to not get splashed when someone does a cannonball. I really like that too.
gg=alice