RVLL Field Preparation 

Important Points:

The playing surface should be in a safe and fair condition prior to the start of every game. The approach to achieving this condition will vary by the amount of time available to prepare the field. Starting a game on time should be prioritized over getting the field ‘perfect’. In many cases, the chalk or paint lines in place from the prior game will suffice. This is especially true of lower division, instructive games.

The home team ultimately is responsible for preparing the field. Generally the duties are performed by a parent volunteer who is not already helping the players get ready for the game. In the case of back-to-back games with a tight timeline for field prep, it is encouraged that the visiting team (or anyone) also help. A field prep volunteer does not need a background check the way coaches do

Every field has a dedicated shed which should have all materials required to perform field prep: rakes, hand drag, chalker/painter, string line, and bases. A hose hangs on a reel outside of the shed and a metal template for marking batters boxes is usually tucked behind the shed. Sometimes the hand drag is stored outside of the shed. If you don’t find the materials you need, look in the shed of the closest adjacent field or bring this to the attention of the managers. 

Listed below are field prep activities in order of priority, and specific instructions on how to perform the activity correctly. Please adhere to these instructions as they cut down on long-term maintenance from our Field and Facilities volunteer crew.

• Tarps: Remove the tarps covering the pitching mound and home plate, fold them, and store them outside of the field of play. This only applies for the first game of the day. 
  
• The pitching mound: If you are not specifically trained in the art of mound care, take a ‘less is more’ approach here. DO NOT WATER THE MOUND. Simply rake and tidy the area, taking care to bring any dirt back onto the mound which had made it’s way onto the grass. Rake extra mound into the low spot in front of the rubber and step on it a few times. That’s it! If you feel like the low spot in front of the rubber is hazardous, please bring this to the attention of the managers. There is usually someone who has mound care/repair training in the vicinity who can fix this if needed. 
• The infield dirt: LIGHTLY WATER THE DIRT BEFORE RAKING/DRAGGING TO KEEP DUST DOWN. If you water too much, the infield dirt will clump up in the drag. Remove the bases from their mounts, leaving the mounts in place. Rake the area around the plate and rake the baselines. If you have decided to keep the chalk/paint lines from the prior game, you will not rake these areas much, just fix any really high or low spots and remove rocks. When raking near the cut of the grass always use a hand rake and move dirt away from the grass and towards the dirt. A broom is a good tool to move dirt off the grass. Avoid running the drag right up to the edge of the cut grass. LIGHTLY WATER THE DIRT BEFORE RAKING/DRAGGING TO KEEP DUST DOWN. Drag the infield using the hand drag. Watering after dragging is not required, but it does not hurt. 
• Lining the field: Align the metal template to home plate and using a stick/finger, scribe a line in the dirt. Do this on both sides of the plate. Follow these lines with the chalker or painter to create the batters boxes. Connect the string line to the hook on the bottom of the backstop. The angled lines of home plate point to the locations of the backstop where the hooks are. The hooks are located at the bottom of the backstop and often buried in dirt. Pull the string line tight to the start of the outfield grass. This line can be followed with the chalker or paint striper. Pro tip: when using the paint striper, the dirt should be wetted to ensure the paint sticks. Make a line from the edge of the dugout back to the gate in the fence to mark out-of-play area. Third and first base coaches boxes are optional, follow any existing lines. Majors and below do not use an on-deck circle. The multipurpose field where upper division games are played have on-deck mats, so you should never make an on-deck circle from chalk or paint.
• After the last game of the day: Before replacing the tarps which cover the mound and the plate, very lightly water them with the handheld water jug, not the field hose!  During the summer months the mound and plate area lose moisture quickly and become hard. Drag and rake the entire infield and then water the infield. These steps help the dirt keep a firm top layer and prevent the field from turning into a ‘sand box’ under the heavy use it gets.