After the final whistle
The importance of post-match works
🎯 The aim
To give the pitch the best chance of being ready for its next use. Just as players have a recovery process after a game, so the pitch they’ve been playing on needs to recover.
👍 Your post-match roles
Post-match duties can be divided into these 8 areas:
✅ Inspect the pitch. Make sure the pitch is clear of rubbish and anything else that might have been left behind by players and spectators.
✅ Remove posts (if possible), flags and nets. Manually remove nets (if necessary), fold them and store them securely.
✅ Repair and replace divots. This will help keep the surface even, and prevent weeds from forming, another bonus is that it helps to maintain a dense grass sward free from scars.
✅ Repair won areas. Tackle areas of excessive wear on the pitch, especially the goalmouths. This can be done through regular sand dressing, seeding if conditions allow and light raking of the surface using a plastic landscaping rake.
✅ Aeration. Help drain water from the surface using either a hand fork or (for the whole pitch) tractor mounted equipment. Please note this will be less effective or even detrimental if the pitch is already saturated.
✅ Mowing. A pedestrian or ride on rotary mower with collection bag will help clean the surface of loose material and avoid the build-up of organic matter which may affect playability and turf health. Cylinder mowers will work too but are less effective at cleaning up debris.
✅ Overmarking. Keep lines straight and visible by overmarking lines that have been worn out from play, rain etc if necessary.
✅ Irrigation. Help maintain grasshealth and optimum ground conditions with appropriate use of sprinklers or hand watering localised areas such as goalmouths.
💡 The purpose
- To avoid a delay to kick-off in the next match – or even worse, a postponement.
- Removing goalposts and nets reduces the risk of unauthorised use of the pitch (if unofficial use is an issue).
- To reduce the risk of injury to players and match officials.
- To keep the ground aesthetically pleasing.
Timing, equipment, and practical tips
⏱️ Timing
- Perform all tasks immediately after the match where possible. Overmarking can be done once the surface has been cleaned of debris but do not waste resources by overmarking more often than necessary.
🔧 Equipment
- Gloves
- Hand Fork or Divoting Fork
- Waste bags
- Step Ladders
- Spanners
- Pedestrian/Ride-on mowers
- Sprinklers or hose pipe
🗝️ Practical tips
- There are two key considerations here:
- 👥 Post-match work is best completed by 2 to 4 people. Sharing the task helps make sure there’s more detailed coverage of the pitch, as well as ensuring the tasks are completed in reasonable time. Many hands make light work!
- ⚠️ Water should only be applied to the surface when the ground and weather conditions require it.