With colder, wetter weather setting in across the UK and grassroots football matches increasingly at risk of postponement, GroundsFest Academy’s new Lantra-accredited Pitch Playability Inspection course equips ground staff, match officials, facility managers and other sports stakeholders with the knowledge and practical skills to make better-informed decisions about the safety and playability of sports surfaces.
By developing the skills to assess pitch conditions confidently, participants can make informed judgements that help prioritise player safety and support consistent, evidence-based decisions throughout the winter months.
The one-day, in-person course combines classroom learning with practical, scenario-based assessment. It provides learners with a structured approach to pitch inspection, looking beyond visual assessment to consider surface condition, rainfall, drainage, frost, moisture, hardness, traction and changing weather conditions.
Learners are introduced to recognised inspection and testing techniques, including assessing firmness, traction, moisture, drainage, ball roll and ball bounce, and learn how to interpret results alongside environmental and site conditions.
A key focus is decision-making under changing conditions and external pressure. Learners develop the ability to assess risk and make informed decisions to play, delay or abandon, with player safety at the centre of the process.
The course has been developed around a detailed Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours (KSB) framework, with input from industry experts. It covers pitch construction and drainage, environmental influences, surface hazards, relevant responsibilities, practical inspection techniques, risk assessment, decision-making and professional communication.
Importantly, the course also focuses on what happens after an inspection. Learners develop the ability to communicate and justify their decisions professionally, while maintaining accurate and defensible records of inspections, test results, weather conditions, hazards and the rationale behind the final decision.
