Construction and management of soccer fields: Applications in Turkey

In order to regenerate the areas which are compacted and wore out during the soccer game by rapid maneuvers and the intense mechanical pressures exerted by the players shoes, it is necessary to apply efficient maintenance applications such as mowing, aerification (verti drain), verti cut, overseeding, topdressing, rolling and fertilization. These maintenance applications vary by the type of the turfgrass selected, climate conditions and the soil structure of the region. The objectives of this study are to evaluate some of the soccer pitches in Turkey according to construction and management, to represent the current situation and to bring suggestions for the determined problems. In the scope of this study, soccer pitches chosen from three regions with different climate properties were evaluated between October/2011 and May/2012. In this scope, Ankara 19 Mayıs Stadium, Ordu 19 Eylül Stadium and Mardan Stadium, IC Santai Hotel soccer field, Rixos Lares Park hotel soccer field and Papillon Hotel Sports Center soccer field from Antalya province were selected for this study. The selected fields soil and water properties, root depth and thatch layer, ratio of turfgrass-covered area, turfgrass species used, turfgrass density, weed ratio, mowing height, general turfgrass quality, surface hardness, soil temperature and water content, drainage system and maintenance practices applied were evaluated. The results showed that all the fields analyzed were determined to have appropriate dimensions according to FIFA standards, classical underground drainage systems and automatic sprinkler irrigation systems. In Ankara 19 Mayıs and Ordu 19 Eylül stadiums, a cool season-grass mixture of Poa pratensis, Lolium perenne and Festuca rubra rubra, in Antalya fields hybrid Bermuda grass cultivar 'Tifway 419' were used. All analyzed pitches were found to be 5-15 % harder than the optimal hardness levels and penalty regions were found to be the hardest area of the pitches. In Ankara and Ordu stadiums, thatch layer thickness was found to be 0.5-1.0 cm and in Antalya province this layer thickness was found to be 0.5-1.45 cm. Because the thatch layer was controlled by the maintenance works done in Antalya province, permanent thatch layer thickness was found to be sufficiently low. In general the longest root length values were found in October, and these values were reduced substantially especially in penalty areas in December. For most of the soccer pitches evaluated soil phosphorus levels were found to be very high, on the other hand the levels of potassium were insufficient. Turfgrass quality was determined to be highest in October and reduced substantially in December. The lowest turfgrass quality was determined to be in penalty and then in corner areas. Generally, grass-covered areas were determined to be about 80-90 percent in fields. It was determined that grass-covered area ratio was higher in Antalya province fields than in Ankara and Ordu fields. Except Ordu 19 Eylül Stadium, the technical staff responsible from the maintenance and management of fields was determined to be the graduates of Agricultural Engineering and Architecture departments of agriculture faculties. As a result, up-to-date technologies should be utilized for construction and management of football fields and after the installation of pitches, maintenance practices should be regularly performed by the technical staff which was educated in turfgrass science and management. Also, performance measurements determined by FIFA (surface hardness, soil water content, etc.) should be performed regularly to assess how well the pitches meets the conditions required by this sport.