Please use this information to educate yourself AND anyone who helps out before and after games and practices. Make sure they understand the proper steps toward good field maintenance. Ultimately, our number one goal is to provide the safest playing surface possible to ensure maximum injury reduction, along with having great eye-appeal. Pre and Post-Game Field Preparation is hard work, but the benefit is better and longer lasting fields for our kids to play on.
GENERAL FIELD PREP GUIDELINES
Prepping the field
A nice field will provide a safe playing surface for players to perform their best. The goal is to have the infield dirt that is not too hard or too fine.
1) Remove the bases. Make sure the plugs are in before racking/dragging.
2) Clear out any large rocks, sticks or debris.
3) Lightly moisten the infield surface/dirt area in preparation for racking/dragging
4) Fill in any noticeable holes
5) Rack behind the base forward into the sliding area. Rake parallel to runner path.
6) Drag field using a lawn mower like motion with overlap
LINING THE FIELD
Once the field is prepped, you are ready to line.
From the apex of home plate (the pointy house part) pull a string towards the outside part of the plate.
Draw out the batter box. If you have a template, trace the outline from the inside of the template. Chalk the batter box.
Chalk the inside of the string all the way to the bases. Continue chalking all the way through to the foul pole. Repeat on the 3rd base side.
GROUNDSKEEPING - LINING THE FIELD
YouTube video from Little League on how to Line the field.
CHALKING FOUL LINES
YouTube video on how to chalk found lines.
Chalking Base Lines Video
POST GAME CLEANUP
1) Clean up dug out
2) Remove the bases. Make sure you plug the base holes.
3) Drag/Rack the inner field
4) Store equipment. Racks should be stored facing inwards