Football Pitch FAQ 7. How many games can we play on our pitch without loss of quality?

This does depend on a number of factors, with the significant ones being the soil type, whether it has been specially constructed and / or it has any working artificial drainage (and the effectiveness of it), the extent, efficiency and effectiveness of the maintenance work as well as the geographic location of the pitch.

The required standard will also influence how much loss of quality is acceptable. For example, if an excellent pitch is desired for the entire playing season, yet the pitch is based on a sandy soil without any drainage installed then maybe just one game per week, on average, might be planned for.

If, by contrast, a general basic quality level is desired then an average of two games might be playable. What these figures mean is that for some periods of the playing season when growth is strong and soil relatively dry there might be a potential increase in weekly games, yet at colder, wetter times the figure would be less, but over the entire playing season this is what it would average out at.

Where additional drainage or reinforced material has been installed then this will increase the number of games played whilst still retaining suitable quality.

Usage management also has a significant influence on playing quality and potential cancellations of later games. Preventing or reducing play when ground conditions are unsuitable will help to reduce otherwise excessive damage which can be done to a pitch.

Just one game being played in unsuitable ground conditions can significantly reduce pitch quality in a short period of time and this can affect user enjoyment and playing experience as well as loss of income for significant parts of the season which is remaining.