Sports Fields

Leading text on sports field management, now updated with the latest developments in, and on, the field

Sports Fields is a comprehensive reference on the design, construction, renovation, and maintenance of athletic facilities. This book contains numerous illustrative examples of specific design elements of the most popular sports facilities.

The book is divided into four parts. Part I discusses turfgrasses, with information on soils and soil science, fertility and fertilizers, mowing, irrigation, drainage, thatch, aeration, and organic field management. Part II discusses natural turfgrass sports fields in baseball, softball, football, rugby, soccer, lacrosse, field hockey, and cricket. Part III discusses other sports surfaces including tennis, track and field, and beach volleyball. Part IV includes ancillary information on surveying, sand-based rootzones, paints and covers, and innovations designed to promote natural grass fields.

This Fourth Edition of Sports Fields contains case studies that review best practices and techniques for sports fields ranging from youth and high school fields to fields that are designed for professional athletes. It also includes new content on:

• Usage and affordability of robotic equipment and today’s battery-powered equipment
• Successful sports field management practices used in other countries throughout the world, such as hybrid systems – natural plus synthetic, weather information, and safety
• The most recent information on uses of artificial intelligence-based tools for sports field management
• Updates on popular sports played in the US and worldwide, such as Pickleball and Cricket

This new edition of Sports Fields is an ideal blueprint for field managers, designers, and builders for successful sports field projects. This text is also an ideal resource for anyone studying for Sports Field Manager Certification (offered by the Sports Field Management Association, SFMA).