An Italian survey of pitches for soccer

On soccer grounds, grass cover is often reduced and the ground surface becomes uneven. Therefore, in order to assess the effects of climatic conditions, construction types and maintenance of the Italian soccer pitches, a detailed study was carried out. During 2000-2001, 61 soccer grounds were analysed, from continental to Mediterranean environments. First and second division Italian League grounds were about 30%, 40% were semi-professional and 30% were public grounds. Several parameters such as overseeding, fertilization, aeration, weed control, mowing and irrigation were collected in winter and at the end of the playing season, in order to evaluate soil profiles, grass mixtures and composition, and maintenance practices. Only 20% of the professional and semi-professional pitches had an all sand profile, while most of the remaining had a sand-soil mixture as topsoil. Drainage systems were commonly used, except from 13% of the non-professional pitches. Hydraulic conductivity was often reduced since in the all-sand profile it ranged from 118 (corner) to 30 (penalty area) mm h-1, while on natural soil or sand-soil mictures, it ranged from 20 to 18 mm h-1 respectively. Lolium perenne and Poa pratensis were the most widespread species in all seasons and environments. Ground cover was reduced in winter with the reduction being more dependent on shade rather than wear.