SportsTurf provides current, practical and technical content on issues relevant to sports turf managers, including facilities managers. Most readers are athletic field managers from the professional level through parks and recreation, universities.
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/92272
Facility&Operations | ByMary Helen Sprecher Fencing and netting on sports turf 101 Courtesy of Beals Alliance, Folsom, California Photo courtesy of Cameron McCarthy, Eugene, Oregon T Courtesy of Huntress Associates, Inc., Andover, Massachusetts Courtesy of Stantec Sport, Boston, MA URF COLOR? That's a subject everyone loves to talk about. Fencing and netting? Not so much. But when it comes to playing area delineation, equipment requirements and just good old-fashioned safety, it's fencing and netting that actually come into play. Let's spend some time, then, considering the options field managers are faced with. ON THE FENCE If you're making decisions about the fence for the periph- ery of your field, you'll have several considerations. Chain link has long been the obvious choice. It's fairly economical, ef- fective at defining boundaries, and depending upon the height, can limit or prohibit unautho- rized access and use of your field after hours. Other more decorative options may exist, including vinyl or wood, but chain link remains the standard in athletic fields. In athletic installations, chain link is seen in both galva- nized and vinyl-clad form. Both are acceptable. Vinyl cladding is more expensive, but may be or- dered to match school or insti- tutional colors, and can help keep a fence looking newer longer. It also enhances the durability of the fence fabric, particularly in corrosive envi- ronments, such as areas where air pollution is a problem, or in seaside areas, where exposure to salt water is a possibility. Top rails are usually installed on all chain link fences for stability and appearance. Mid rails are often used as well. Bottom rails keep fence fabric from bulging. In some cases, the less expensive option of a tension wire is used 36 SportsTurf | November 2012 along the bottom of a fence in- stead of a rail; however, a player who falls and slides into or par- tially under the fence risks more danger from this arrangement. Galvanized fencing, if cho- sen, should be kept free of barbs or other projections which sometimes occur in the galva- nizing process. (Such projec- tions often referred to as 'burrs,' can cause injury to an athlete or spectator). All fencing should have selvages or edges, both top and bottom, bent double (the industry term is 'knuckled') to prevent injuries and to mini- mize the possibility of leaves, litter, grass clippings or other debris from collecting or be- coming snagged there. The height of your fence will depend, first, upon the use of the field it encloses. Accord- ing to the Major League Base- ball website, the average height of outfield fencing is 8 feet; however, 4- to 6-foot fencing is often used on recreational fields for both baseball and softball. For higher levels of play, the top edge of the fence may be padded with 3 inches of foam (or capped with a commercially made product) to help ensure safety of players who want to attempt challenging plays. The height of fencing that is meant to keep balls in play must be carefully considered, say the experts. "We don't know any entity that directs the fencing and netting heights for non-profes- sional sports," notes Derek McKee of Verde Design in Santa Clara, CA. "We have gone to games to record foul balls and heights to give us a record for design." Also used in softball and www.sportsturfonline.com