SAFETY AND SECURITY
Unfortunately , there is no one easy answer , Smith added .
“ Solving these issues is obviously a facility-specific question . There are many options , like making a soccer field a little shorter — like 330 feet — so you can keep the width but pull the corner kick away from the track a few feet , moving irrigation or other boxes a few more feet away from the field edge , or providing reasonable turf caps on these other materials .”
While attention is often paid to the fencing around a baseball or softball field , with soft capping added to the fence tops so that fielders can safely attempt more challenging plays , other structures may not get the same attention .
“ Fields in the middle of running tracks require padding on field events if field events are too close ,” Narozanick cautioned .
Because many athletes are trying to make up for lost time , and , particularly at the high school level when attempting to create a lasting impression for potential college coaches , it is likely they will be attempting more aggressive plays and trying to get as much field time as possible .
According to Schedler , it is incumbent upon field managers to consider any immovable object that might pose a potential risk to a player , and try to low-
36 SportsField Management | February 2021 sportsfieldmanagementonline . com