Football pitch maintenance and management

Football > Chain harrowing advert image shown if present
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These implements are useful where budgets and resources are limited because they have two sides:

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Football > Determining Maintenance Requirements advert image shown if present
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One of the commonest questions which needs to be considered is ‘What do I, or we, need to do to maintain the pitch?’

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Football > Dimensions advert image shown if present
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All pitch dimensions must be in accordance with the Laws of the game. The Football Association’s ‘Law 1: The field of play’ identifies the relevant dimensions and layout for a football pitch. These follow the IFAB (International Football Association Board) Laws of the Game.

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Football > Equipment List advert image shown if present
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The maintenance of a football pitch will require a range of equipment, from hand tools to sit-on machinery, however, the following list is meant as a minimum, a starting point, from which improved effectiveness and efficiency of maintenance practices can be built up over time.

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Football > FAQ 1. What do we need to do to maintain our pitch both efficiently and effectively? advert image shown if present
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To answer this question is no simple matter because there are many variables which need to be considered, many of which are interconnected.

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Football > FAQ 2. What should be the sequence of work we carry out for renovation works? advert image shown if present
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This will depend on the current state of the pitch and available resources, but typically include a range of activities, including:

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Football > FAQ 3. What height should we cut our pitch once the seed has germinated? advert image shown if present
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If germination is good, with the first leaves being seen within 7-days, and establishment continues to a good level then somewhere between 2 and 3 weeks should see a good green tinge to the previously thinner and bare areas of the pitch.

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Football > FAQ Introduction advert image shown if present
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There are many Frequently Asked Questions for the maintenance of football pitches, especially considering the range of soil types pitches are played on and the quality of pitch desired and expected.

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Football > Football Pitch Aeration advert image shown if present
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Aeration work is essential if good root growth is to be encouraged through routine slit tining (especially on sandier rootzones with minimal stones within it), heavier chisel-slit tines where the soil is more compacted and prone to having stones and other inclusions within a rootzone and solid tining.

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Football > Football Pitch Annual Activities: Total Input Hours advert image shown if present
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The following data table summarises the annual inputs for all the different maintenance activities for the annual schedule given above. The top five activities have been emphasised in bold text.

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