Turf quality concept for stadium pitches in the German Bundesliga

Turf quality concept for stadium pitches in the German Bundesliga
Mueller-Beck, K. and H. Nonn
Introduction
T
he turfgrass pitches in the stadiums of the First and Second
“Bundesliga” have to offer an optimal
pitch quality to guarantee a fair match
service according to the rules. Besides
the sportive and protective functions
of the turfgrass also the visual aspects for TV broadcasting are considered.
Fig. 1: Sward
density
measured by
ground cover
rate.
Fig. 2: Water
infiltration rate
measured by
double-ring
infiltrometer.
To ensure the high quality of the turfgrass surface, the Deutsche Fußball
Liga (DFL), who is responsible for the
organisation of the “German Soccer
League” (Bundesliga), has set up an
expert team in 2011, which developed
within one year a three stage quality
concept.
Fig. 3: Shear
strength
measured by
vane apparatus.
Stage 1: Evaluation and monitoring system
(since season 2012/2013);
Stage 2: Further education program
(in implementation phase);
Stage 3: Annual Award
“Pitch of the Year”
(in preparation).
Fig. 4: Evenness measured by level
indicator (optional).
This article presents and explains the
content and results of the quality concept’s Stage 1 “evaluation and monitoring system”.
4 th ETS Conference 2014 The curves in figure 6 are showing a
decline for the turf quality from the beginning of the season to late winter.
With the start of the second half in the
Bundesliga (end of January) the quality
is increasing. The reasons for this are
the applications of maintenance and
renovating procedures as overseeding
or renewing of the sods. Additionally, in
spring the plants growing season starts
and regeneration growth begins.
Results
1. General evaluation
The subjective estimation of the pitch
quality by the two team captains and
the referee directly after the match,
based on the individual playing experi-
Measurements of the quality parameters are done by the groundsmen.
The methods are based on European
or German standards (Table 1). This
standardized basis allows for the comparison of the data among each other,
and for the pooling with later data to
find and compare trends.
The above-mentioned standards were
used as target value. When there are
no adequate minimum requirements
defined by the standards, the values
identified during the measuring periods
can be used as threshold for the future.
During the season 2012/2013 the
measurement of the specific quality parameters was conducted everywhere
at the same time (within 1 week), and
repeated 8 times during the playing
111
Practical Paper
Fig. 5: Position
of the measuring points on
the pitch (SD
= sward density, W = water
infiltration
rate, S = shear
strength).
This assessment system, which was
introduced in the season 2012/2013,
is based on two parts and is obligatory for all clubs in the First and Second
Bundesliga.
2.Measurement of the following quality parameters: sward density, water
infiltration rate, shear strength and
evenness (figures 1 to 4) at eight given times during the playing season
on predetermined measuring points
(figure 5).
During the season 2012/2013 the pitch
quality in the Bundesliga was rated an
average of 3.9 (min. 3.4 end of February and max. 4.5 mid of May), which
is indicating a very good pitch quality (figure 6). The quality rating for the
pitches in the second league reached
the average of 3.6 (min. 2.8 beginning
of February and max. 4.4 mid of September) which means a good quality
aspect too.
2. Measuring and Monitoring
Stage 1: Evaluation and
monitoring system
1. General evaluation of the pitch quality by both team captains (guest
and home) and the referee on each
Matchday.
ence, uses a five-scale ranking from 1
= poor to 5 = excellent with a comment
function. The rating is transmitted online to the DFL and is stored in and interpreted by using a database. The additional comments to the ratings allow
to draw conclusions from the reasons
for positive or negative assessments.
These comments are helpful for the
groundsmen to initiate specific maintenance procedures.
Fig. 6: Ranking of
turfgrass quality evaluation during playing
season 2012/2013
(average of each
Match day in “First
Bundesliga” (BL) and
“Second Bundesliga”
(2.BL)).
Quality criteria
EU or German standard
Sward density
DIN EN 12231:2003-07, method B
Water infiltration rate
DIN EN 12616:2003-07, method B
Shear resistance
DIN 18035-4:2012-01
Evenness
DIN 18035-4:2012-01
Tab. 1: Quality criteria and standards for evaluation.
Sward Density (%)
SD 1
SD 2
SD 3
SD 4
SD 5
SD 6
SD 7
SD 8
SD 9
cw 32
97
97
97
97
97
97
97
97
97
cw 40/41
97
96
97
97
96
97
97
96
97
cw 32
cw 40/41
Water infiltration Rate
(mm/h)
WS1 WS2 WS3 WS4
mean mean mean mean
45
72
79
42
55
68
66
49
cw 32
cw 40/41
Shear Strength
(kPa)
WS1 WS2 WS3 WS4
mean mean mean mean
48
50
53
52
57
56
47
63
cw = calender week
Tab. 2: Example of results of the quality tests at different times (cw 32 and cw 40/41) in
one soccer field, the BayArena Leverkusen (“First Bundesliga”).
season. As an example, the test results
of the stadium in Leverkusen for two
measuring periods are shown (table 2).
Now, as a result of the first measurement period, the data, averaged over
the season and over all stadiums, serve
as base mean value for the quality.
Measuring the evenness was optional
and therefore it is not considered in the
results. On average, over the complete
season of the Bundesliga, the following
results were ascertained:
))
))
))
90 % sward density;
30 mm/h water infiltration rate;
60 kPa shear strength.
These data serve as threshold value for
future good quality turf on the stadium
pitches.
Conclusion
The collection of objective, measurable parameters and their correlation
with subjective ratings of turf quality,
establish a clever strategy for the management of the stadium pitches quality. Furthermore the regular control and
documentation of the specific criteria
provides the groundsmen in charge
with useful decision guidance for the
safeguarding of the turf quality.
Measuring and evaluation attest a
high quality standard in the stadiums
of the German Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga. Potentially the present measurements could be completed with
the introduction of other quality parameters, like resiliency, strength reduction, ball roll distance to mention but a
few.
The positive acceptance and the implementation of stage 1 of the DFL quality
concept by the groundsmen, and the
rising attendance for education and advanced training (stage 2) acknowledge
the significance of both quality levels:
quantitative data and qualitative information.
Based on the positive experience with
stage 1 implementation of the turf quality concept, now the basis for stage 2
“education and advanced training” has
been laid. This then leads to the annual Award “Pitch of the Year” (stage
3). The DFL-expert team is confident,
that the high quality standard of the
German Bundesliga stadiums will permanently maintained and even enhanced.
Annex: „Turf quality concept for stadium pitches in the German Soccer
League”
Authors:
Dr. Klaus Mueller-Beck
President German Turfgrass Society
Warendorf, Germany
[email protected]
Dr. Harald Nonn
EUROGREEN GmbH
R&D Turfgrass Science
Betzdorf, Germany
[email protected]
1124 th ETS Conference 2014

Download Report