Sports Fields: Design, Construction, and Maintenance

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).

JAMES C. PUHALLA is a former design-build contractor who has designed and/or built new sports fields and developed plans to restore existing ones throughout the US and Canada. Currently, Jim reviews design and construction documents to identify errors or suggest improvements. With almost 50 years of experience in sports field design, construction, and maintenance, he has coauthored five books alongside Dr. Jeffrey Krans and Dr. Michael Goatley Jr. Through seminars and speaking engagements, he shares insights to help others develop safer and more functional sports facilities.

JEFFREY V. KRANS is a former Professor of Agronomy at Mississippi State University in the Golf and Sports Turf Management program. He received his PhD from Michigan State University in 1975, an MS degree from the University of Arizona in 1973, and his BS degree from the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point in 1970. Jeff taught and advised students and conducted research in turfgrass breeding and physiology from 1975 to 2002. Jeff remains an avid supporter of high-quality natural turfgrass for safe sports for participants and spectators.

J. MICHAEL GOATLEY, JR is Professor and Extension Turfgrass Specialist in the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences at Virginia Tech. He taught and advised students in the Golf and Sports Turf Management program at Mississippi State from 1988 to 2003 before moving to Virginia Tech. Mike serves as the outreach coordinator for agronomic turfgrass sciences in Virginia, and his research interests focus on turfgrass selection and management strategies that promote environmental stewardship. He has been engaged in teaching, research, and outreach in turfgrass science for almost four decades and is a Past-President of SFMA.