Waterlogged

[Rye87Ref]

Just taken the hound out for a walk in our local park where there are a few pitches (Sunday football mainly) and bumped into a fellow referee while I was there.

As we were walking on one of the pitches I noticed that it is really really muddy and loose. I wouldn't be able to run on that pitch, even swapping my wellies for studded boots. I said 'there wont be any games played on that this weekend', to which our fellow colleague said that he wouldn't call off a game on it as there was no 'standing water'.

Surely watterlogging goes beyond puddles?!?!?!

 

[HRW]

Progress of the ball rolling / bouncing impeaded = off game.

I've officiated at the White Hart Lane, Gunnersbury Park, Premiership pitches, 3 and 4G and Wembley and let say that money doesn't guarentee a better pitch.

On the other hand I look back at my first winter as a newly qualified ref and there is no way I'd be playing them now.

Waterlogged may go beyond puddles, but it will have a different name. My ultimate thought as to play or not - imagine it's a cup game, both teams say they want to play it - final score is 4 -1 or something daft. Winners will be glad you played it - losers may report you for it.

And I'd rarther explain to the 22 on the pitch why its off than to the leagu as to why someone has a broken leg from an unsotable pitch.

 

[PinnerPaul]

Just taken the hound out for a walk in our local park where there are a few pitches (Sunday football mainly) and bumped into a fellow referee while I was there.

As we were walking on one of the pitches I noticed that it is really really muddy and loose. I wouldn't be able to run on that pitch, even swapping my wellies for studded boots. I said 'there wont be any games played on that this weekend', to which our fellow colleague said that he wouldn't call off a game on it as there was no 'standing water'.

Surely watterlogging goes beyond puddles?!?!?!

Yes I agree, I inspected two pitches by torch light last Saturday, apart from areas of standing water, you could "hear" that 75% of both pitches were "waterlogged" eg a normal walking stride bought water to the surface - no chance of a match being played in those circumstances.

It was unconventional to do it so late in the day but ended up saving 4 teams, 2 referees and assorted parents turning up to see 2 x totally unfit pitches if we had waited until Sunday morning.

I made that mistake many many moons ago just after I qualified. we played the game on a pitch in a similar state and it was a farce.