Module 2:

2.3 Assessing Pitch Quality

2.3.6 Pitch grading

1   Pitch quality grades have had different names over time, with more than one interpretation often being used at the same time.

The main message to take from the differences is that football pitches can be graded to represent acceptable playing surfaces for different leagues and player skills, allowing comparisons and contrasts to be made between pitches from different providers.

We don’t need to get too concerned about the names actually used, rather that there are different measurable levels that can help describe what is being produced and how each might be managed, not just effectively and efficiently, but also sustainably.

2   For the purposes of this course, we will use the following naming convention for the quality grades:

• Grade 1: Entry.
• Grade 2: Medium.
• Grade 3: Intermediate.
• Grade 4: High.
• Grade 5: Premium.

Let’s not bother too much about the words used to categorise the overall quality of a pitch because there can be several words used for the same quality of pitch. We use the following words to describe the grades from 1 to 5, with 1 being the lowest quality (but still acceptable for a lot of situations) and 5 being the best quality (which is primarily high-end professional pitches).

The majority of amateur, or grassroots clubs, in the English Feeder League System, will be aiming to have pitches that are consistently achieving grades 2 or 3 for the entire playing season. However, a grade 1 pitch might be appropriate for those with very limited funds, heavy soil-based pitches, limited expectation of pitch performance, or where a higher-grade pitch is planned to degrade to this level towards the end of the season because renovation is just around the corner.

3   Ungraded performance standard or pitch

If a performance standard or overall pitch quality is classed as ungraded this means that the standard or overall quality is outside of the grading criteria.

This does not necessarily mean that it is in an unsafe condition for an individual performance standard or for the pitch as a whole and that play should not take place. It does, however, depend on the performance standard being assessed.

4   Special consideration does need to be given in interpreting some of the performance standards which can significantly affect playing safety: for the examples we have covered these especially include surface evenness, surface debris and surface ponding / waterlogging.

If any of these values are found to be ungraded prior to a match taking place, then the risk assessment carried out for pitch safety could indicate that an unacceptable risk is present and if it cannot be rectified prior to the start of the planned match then it might typically need to be cancelled or postponed.