Maintaining our fields is crucial to providing a safe and enjoyable experience for our players, coaches and officials. This also reduces maintenance costs. Please follow these simple guidelines.
Before Games and Practices with recent rain, plan to arrive early to prepare the field. If possible, try to work on fields a few hours ahead of game/practice. For games, both team's coaches should be involved.
- Remove standing water first. Never push water from puddles onto the grass; instead soak up standing water using the field sponge. Use the field sponge to soak up all standing water, prior to addressing the field further. Please hang the field sponge on a dugout, preferably in the sun, to help it dry faster.
- Aerate flooded areas. Once standing water is removed, use field rakes to simply turn over the infield material. If possible, do this a couple hours before gameplay or practice.
- Use QuikDry product sparingly; as needed. Prioritize "high traffic" areas for QuikDry product, given high costs. This includes near bases, home plate, and pitching mounds.
- Avoid removing field dirt. Use caution dragging water away with rakes, as you will leave low spots, exacerbating poor field conditions.
- Drag, rake, and remove large rocks. Use caution dragging a wet field, however, as you may make conditions worse.
- Field maintenance is everyone’s responsibility - not just the home team. Coaches should work together to properly dress fields and address problem areas
- Holes: Do not allow players to dig deep holes on the pitcher’s mound or the batter’s box. Fill holes promptly using the method noted in the link below.
- Tarps: Never leave tarps on the infield grass. Always fold neatly and place off the field
- L-Screens: Remove L-screens from the field after you have finished using them
- Dugouts: Clean up your dugout after each use.
Proper raking and dragging techniques help to reduce the formation of a grass lip on an infield edge. Key points to remember are:
Always rake with a grass edge not into it, and avoid pulling infield material into the grass edge
When dragging the infield, stay at least six inches away from the grass edge
Hand screen drag on the infield skin and warning track, and a hand rake on baselines, infield cutouts, pitching mound, and home plate
Do not allow players or other kids to use the drags
Always report safety concerns immediately to your level coordinator or the FCKLL's safety officer. You can find these individuals here.
Field Closures
FCKLL Operations makes the decision for league adopted fields (Westgate Lower, Idylwood Field 2 & Field 3) and FCPS fields (Westgate Turf, Westgate Field 3, Westgate Batting Cages, Leis Center East and West, Falls Church High School Field 4). All other field closure decisions are made by Fairfax County Park Authority (Jefferson Village Park and Larry Graves Field 2). Park Authority field closure decisions are posted online daily (Monday - Friday) by 3pm (https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/athletic-fields). On weekends, FCKLL Operations makes field closure decisions for all fields in our portfolio.
For the league adopted fields, closure decisions are based on field conditions, playability, safety considerations, and the projected weather forecast. Decision times will vary as weather conditions evolve. Though Park Authority decisions are posted by 3pm, FCKLL Operations works hard to keep fields open, even in a limited capacity. For example, your practice may be restricted to outfield use only; or, multiple games may be scheduled on the turf field. We are as flexible and resourceful as possible so you don’t lose a practice or game.
In the event your field is closed, you and your team will be notified by email via a FCKLL website notification. In some instances, the league Scheduler may have the ability to make last minute adjustments and reschedule you to an available field. Additionally, if your game was canceled, efforts will be made to reschedule the game at a later time. In some cases we may even have a league-wide delay and push game times back.
Beyond this process, managers have the ability to exercise discretion and cancel a practice anytime or a game before it begins. After a game has started, the umpire has the authority to postpone or end a game due to conditions. Since many of our umpires are children, I highly recommend this be a discussion between managers and the umpire, and you reach a consensus.
Other Important Considerations
Do not allow players to climb on fences or swing on dugout gates
Do not soft toss or hit weighted balls into fences
Unsupervised children are not allowed in the press box
Use of instant screens is permissible as long as it is done with supervision and in a safe manner
Pets are never allowed on fields
Do not attempt to use a field if it has been closed
Coordinate with the Quartermasters in advance for return or pickup of gear
Equipment drop off is no longer permitted at the press box top floor
Detailed field maintenance procedures