Sports Turf Manager Association

Whether you are designing a brand new facility or renovating an old field, the following information provides facts and advice for building and maintaining a successful playing surface.

University of Virginia Scott Football Stadium Field
Photo courtesy of Carolina Green Corp


Construction

Construction of a new playing surface involves installing drainage and irrigation, choosing a rootzone, and establishing a turf species.

Reconstruction of a field usually involves adjusting the grade. Determining what the entire field needs before starting a project can sometimes save a lot of time and money. The field may only need minor repairs to adjust the grade or complete reconstruction. The most accurate way to determine the correct grade is to survey the field.

On any field, elevation adjustments should begin at the highest point of the crown. For example, when reconstructing a baseball field, elevation adjustments should always begin between the pitcher’s mound and home plate, then work out to the baselines, the rest of the skinned area and finally the outfield. This will eliminate any possibility of a slope towards the infield, or the middle of any field. If soil needs to be added to adjust the grade, the soil being added must match the existing soil as closely as possible. Otherwise, layering and drainage problems could result. Common methods to regrade include removing the sod and adding soil or removing the sod and topsoil, adjusting the subsoil to the correct grade, then replacing the topsoil and sod.

References: The information for this section was taken from the book Sports Fields: A Manual for Design, Construction and Maintenance by Jim Pulhalla, Jeff Krans, and Mike Goatley.


Renovation

Field renovation is the process of restoring a field to its original condition after undergoing the stress of a competitive season. Once the season ends, it is good to renovate and then allow two to four weeks for recovery. Although renovation typically does not involve soil addition or removal for grading purposes, it is a good time to consider recrowning a field if necessary.

In baseball, renovation techniques include deep tilling of the skinned area, adding soil for drainage, seeding and sodding and lip removal.

In football, rugby, soccer, field hockey and lacrosse, renovation techniques include aggressive aeration, filling in low spots, topdressing, and seeding, sprigging, plugging and/or sodding. In the north, it is beneficial to seed in the late fall, which is called dormant seeding. This way, in the spring, there will be optimum seed germination. In the south, it is best to seed in the spring to prevent cold temperature injury to Bermudagrass seed.













Soccer, hockey and lacrosse require additional attention to the goal mouth areas as they become extremely worn and compacted. The soil needs to be broken up, regraded to match the rest of the field, then seeded or sodded.