Football Field

• Design
• Construction
• Renovation
• Maintenance
• Rugby Fields
• Rugby Governing & Sanctioning

Football & Rugby Field Renovation

Renovating a football field is the process of repairing the damage of the competitive season, and assisting the recuperation process to prepare it for the next season. Typical renovation steps include aggressive aeration, filling in low spots, and planting by seeding, sprigging, plugging, or sodding. Since the middle third of a field and the bench areas get the most abuse during the season, renovation efforts are normally concentrated there.
 
In the North, it's possible to perform overseeding in the late fall, provided heavy precipitation doesn't keep equipment off the field. Seeding at this time of year is considered "dormant seeding," since seed will not germinate until the weather breaks in the spring (see section 1.6c for more on dormant seeding). The advantage of seeding in the fall as opposed to the spring is that wet springtime conditions can delay planting, and cause the new growth to miss two or three weeks of prime growing conditions. If the field is to be in top condition by the start of the season, it needs every week of establishment time it can get--and that's particularly true of practice fields, which see heavy traffic for weeks before the first game. (In the South and the transitional zone, however, bermudagrass seeding should wait until the spring, because fall planting can lead to subsequent winter kill in the seedling bermudagrass).
 
On northern fields, if worn areas have at least 75% turf cover and a good stand of bluegrass, seed 100% Kentucky bluegrass at 2 lb./1,000 sq. ft. If the coverage is less than 75%, use a mixture of 2 pounds of Kentucky bluegrass to 5 pounds of perennial ryegrass. Completely bare areas should bet an additional 5 pounds of perennial ryegrass
 
Before applying seed to worn areas, aerate aggressively to loosen compacted soil. (The areas most likely to be worn are also those most densely compacted by competitive play, and turf recuperation is almost impossible where extreme compaction occurs.) Fill in low spots and divots, using similar soil to bring them up to grade. Then use a slit-seeder to slice the soil and improve seed:soil contact.
 
If the field is uneven or bumpy, consider topdressing before seeding (Figure 12.8). Begin by aerating, then spread a thin layer (¼ to ½") of similar soil, using a leveling bar to smooth the surface, then slit-seed. (Topdressing a regulation football field 3/8" deep from goal line to goal line and sideline to sideline takes 80 cubic yards of material.)
 
During the renovation process, it's worth considering whether a field needs to be recrowned. If field performance suggest that recrowning is necessary, start with a survey to confirm two important matters: first of all, that the field actually has a crown, and second, that complete regrading of the field is not necessary. (If the grade is so far off that total regrading is necessary, follow the steps outline in section 12.3, Construction and Reconstruction.)
 
Many crowned fields gradually become worn in the center, creating a dished appearance and leading to the presence of wet and muddy areas down the middle of the field. This problem can often be corrected without removing the existing sod. Start by aerating the existing soil in the affected area, aerating as deeply as possible to avoid creating a layering effect that will inhibit drainage. Some field equipment manufacturers are now producing aerators that are designed to loosen compacted soil with minimal disturbance to the existing turfgrass. These are usually solid tine aerators with a vibrating and fracturing function, and they are ideal for applications like the center strip of a football field
 
Aerate the affected area two or three times, until the soil is loose enough that it will crumble in your hands. If the soil is so badly compacted that it can't be loosened this much, strip off the existing turfgrass and go over the area with a scarifier before applying new soil. As always, be careful to apply soil that's as close as possible to the existing soil to prevent layering. With grade stakes in place, use a pulverizer, power rake, and level bar (or equivalent equipment) to regrade, then seed and much the area.
 
Another option that's coming into use for the center portion of football fields (as well as for bench areas) is sodding those areas only. For instance, we have installed Kentucky bluegrass sod in a 25 feet wide band down the middle of a practice field, where mechanical stress had worn through the soil. (The area had been slit-seeded annually for years, and had always reverted to its "mud bowl" character by the end of the season.)
 
By season's end, after more than 100 practices on the field, we found the thatch layer intact and still keeping players up out of the mud. However, experience shows that the new sod will last only one season before soil becomes so thoroughly mixed into the thatch layer that muddy conditions reappear. Although this is not an inexpensive technique, strip-sodding can provide a solid playing surface with outstanding ability to deal with a season's worth of weather and competitive stress.
 
Making an informed decision on seeding or sodding the center section of a football field requires careful consideration of the amount of use the field will get, as well as the time, energy, and resources that can be spent on maintenance of the field. Seeding is cheaper but requires more work and care, and it takes longer before the field can be used. Sodding allows the field to be used within weeks, but costs more. Look at the whole picture before making a choice.