Complex Guidelines 

Objective:  The objective of this guideline is to give the managers/coaches of NNLL some directions when it comes to NNLL fields and complexes.  While it does not cover all situations, it will guide you with some of the more common issues.  Field and complex maintenance is very important to the success of the league and required the managers, coaches and parents continued support.  The upkeep of the complex is continually ongoing and needs to be completed daily.  Also included in this guideline are rules that NNLL would like all of the volunteers to follow.    

The following items are in no particular order. 

Maintaining Fields after a Game or Practice 

• Remove bases and store properly.  Place base plugs onto base anchors.   

• Fill in all holes on pitcher’s mound and batter’s box.  Tamp filled in areas.  Add water if necessary.  

• Use a leaf rake or a broom to rake/sweep dirt off of grass area around pitcher’s mound and batter’s box.   This will help to prevent edge build up/lips and killing grass. 

• Rake pitcher’s mound and batter’s box.  Rake away from grass area toward the center of both. 

• Fill in all low spots in the skinned infield area.  These commonly occur at the bases.  Also check SS and 2nd base defensive positions.   

• Use a leaf rake or a broom to rake/sweep infield dirt off of all grass surrounding skinned infield.  This includes base paths.  This will help to prevent edge build up and killing grass. 

• Rake along all infield grass edges.  Rake parallel with grass edge or rake away from the grass edge.   Never push infield material into the grass, this includes standing water.   

• Rake skinned base paths between Home Plate and 1st and Home Plate and 3rd.  These base paths should always be raked in the same direction as the base line.  Never rake across a base path.  Use a narrow rake that fits within the base path.    

• Rake or drag remaining infield.   

• Put away all tools and clean off tractor/UTV. 

• Pick up all trash and empty trash cans into dumpster. 

Tips when dragging a field 

• Always start and stop drag on the skinned dirt area.   Never drag drag/screen onto the grass from the dirt. 

• Start and stop dragging in different locations within skinned dirt area.  This helps prevents high and low spots. 

• Keep drag a minimum of 6 inches from the grass.  Dirt along grass edge should be hand raked. 

• Go slow, drag using different patterns, and drag in different directions. 

• Do not drag over base anchors. 

• Standing water should not be pushed into the grass.  It should be spread out into drier area of the skinned infield area or removed using another method i.e. shop vac or hole/bucket method.   

• Lightly watering the skinned infield, mound and batter’s box before dragging and raking will keep the dust down and will also help to prevent lips.   

Preparing a field for a game 

• Check field for any safety issues.  Is the field safe to play on? 

• Lightly drag or rake the skinned areas.   This should be easy if field was properly maintained after last game or practice.  If necessary, follow guidelines under “Maintaining Fields after a Game or Practice”. 

• Place bases onto base anchors. 

• Run a string line from the back(apex) of home plate to the established fair line(painted grass) behind first base or the right field foul pole.   Pull string taunt and then secure.   

• Make sure this string is contacting the outer edge of the base and is straight. 

• When the string line is taunt and in proper position, this sting line marks the outer edge of fair territory.  The new fair line should be applied to the inside of this string line. 

• Grass areas are marked using white spray paint.  Dirt areas are marked using lime/chalk.  Never use lime/chalk on grass.  Lime/chalk will kill the grass. 

• Remove base being careful not to disturb the string line. 

• Start lining the field using the chalk and/or spray paint.  Start approximately 4 feet up the string line from home plate.  This line will be completed after the batter’s box is complete. 

• Use the 2 inch setting or narrow setting on chalk/paint liners. 

• Reinstall base.   

• Repeat steps 4 through 10 on the 3rd base side. 

• Remove string line. 

• Use batter’s box template to outline batter’s box on both sides of home plate. 

• Trace template or step on template to create reference lines to follow. 

• Remove template. 

• Use reference lines to chalk batter’s box.    

• When batter’s box is complete, finish 1st and 3rd baseline so they connect to batter’s box. 

• Put away all supplies/tools in proper location.    

Removing Water and Prepping the Infield Dirt 

• The best way to deal with standing water on a field or a muddy field is to leave the field alone and let the water/mud dry by itself.  Time is the best way to remove water and mud from the field.  Games or practices should be postponed or rescheduled to allow time for the fields to dry.   There are some steps to help the fields dry faster. 

• Standing water needs to be removed.  This should be done as early as possible. 

• Use a broom or a rake to spread out the standing water/mud to drier parts of the infield dirt.  Never push standing water/mud into the grass. This kills grass and creates lips.  By spreading the water/mud out, it will dry faster.  Important:  If this method is used, the broom or rake will make the infield low spots deeper.  Infield material will have to be graded back into these low spots during final grading. 

• Use a Shop Vac or a bucket to remove water.  Dig a small hole at the deepest part of the standing water.  Allow the standing water to flow into this hole and vacuum or scoop the water from this hole.  Do not dump this muddy water anywhere near the playing field. 

• Use water removal barrel roller tools to remove standing water.  Do not dump this muddy water anywhere near the playing field.   The foam rollers on these tools need to be cleaned right after use.    These work best on the grass area.  Although these can be used on the dirt, it creates a mess and tears up the foam rollers.  We recommend that these only used on grass areas. 

• After all standing water is removed, heavy drag or heavy rake all of the infield dirt.  This opens up the dirt surface and allows more moisture to evaporate.  Wait as long as possible before heavy dragging or raking again.   Repeat if necessary.   

• If enough time is allowed, the infield dirt will dry on its own and a final grading can be done and the field prepped for the game.  Regrade the infield high spots into the low spots where there was standing water.  Add new infield material if necessary.  This will reduce the amount of puddling during the next rainfall. 

• If time does not allow, muddy areas can be mixed with new infield material.  Mud can also be removed and replaced with new infield material.  The removed muddy infield material can be reused after it has been allowed to dry.  Dump this muddy infield material on the backside of the new infield material pile. 

• The use of field drying agents should be avoided at all costs.   It is expensive and will cause field issues if used too much.  Field Drying agents are never to be used without approval from the field director.  Field Drying agents will not be approved to be used for games for the Minor A, Rookie or T-Ball Divisions.  It will never be approved for any division’s practices.   

• Tarps are available for the Minor AAA, Major and Senior fields.  These tarps cover the Batter’s box and Pitching Mounds.  Use these tarps when needed.  Be extra careful when removing them as to not to dump all of the standing water left on the tarp on to the dirt surfaces. 

• The best advice for prepping a field after a rain is to get to the field as early as possible before a game, remove the water and heavy drag the field and then wait.  Time is a wet field’s best friend.   We have managers and coaches remove water and heavy drag for weeknight games before work or at lunchtime to allow wet fields to dry.   We have also had managers and coaches arrive in the very early hours of the morning for an early weekend game. 

• Rescheduling is a great option.   

Gates, Locks and Equipment boxes 

• Combinations are to be kept secret and only given to the Manager and Head Coach of teams 

• The 2 parking lot gates are to be closed and locked at all times.    

• All locks need to be secure after the last daily use of the complexes.  The shed, batting cage, hose bibs concession stand and all equipment boxes should be checked that they are locked.  Do not assume that another team will be using the complex after you.  If your team is the last team at the complex, secure the complex before you leave.   

• The lids of all of the equipment boxes should be closed at all times to prevent the lids slamming shut.   

Field Lighting 

• The breakers for the field lighting at Gallaher are located in the 2 circuit breaker panels in the shed.  There are multiple breakers for each field and they are color coded.  The breakers for the field lighting at Clark are located on the lighting poles in boxes..  There multiple breakers for each lighting fixture. 

• Lights should only be turn on when necessary and turned off as soon as they are no longer needed.    

• The cost to use these lights are very high, we ask that all teams try to conserve electricity.  In some situations, all of the lights do not need to be turned on. Turn off unused lights as soon as possible.

Hoses, Spigots and Water 

• Keep hose spigots locked at all times.   

• Coil up hoses after each use.  Unused hoses should be hung in the shed. 

• The spigots have a tendency too leak, please make sure that no spigot is left leaking.  Some of the spigots may have an extra shut off valves installed to temporary fix a leaking spigot, these need to be shut after use.  Please leave these shut off valves on the spigot and not take them off with the hose.   

• A supply of caps and or/shut off valves will be stocked in the shed if needed.  If a leak cannot be stopped, please place a cap or valve directly to the spigot.   

• A supply of rubber washers for hose connections will be stocked in the shed.  Please replace washer if needed.

Sheds

• Keep the shed clean and organize.  Please return all equipment and supplies to their proper place. 

• The shed needs to be secured when the last team leaves the complex.  All doors need to be locked.   

• The garage doors should be closed to keep out unauthorized entrance on busy game days. 

• Sweep the shed floor as needed. 

Gator Utility Vehicle(UTV) and Tractor 

• The Gator and tractor are only to be operated by licensed drivers and that have been train in their use. 

• No players are to be passengers during the use of the Gator.  

• Return the Gator and Tractor to the shed after its use.  Do not leave at the field. 

• Clean off the Gator or Tractor after using it.  Do not leave anything in the bed of the Gator. 

• Check fluid levels.   

• Drive slowly and watch for children. 

Supplies 

• Use Supplies sparingly. 

• Do not leave supplies in equipment boxes.  Return unused supplies to the shed. 

• Return all tools to shed after use. 

• Use narrow setting on Field Liners and make sure Liners are shut off completely when moving. 

• Field Drying Agent should only be use for game situations and never used for practices.  Field Drying Agent is only to be used with approval from the field director.   

• Inform Field Director when supplies are running low.    

Trash 

• All managers, coaches and parents are responsible for trash.   

• Each field has several trash can and these need to be emptied often. 

• Any trash in the dugout or under the bleachers needs to be picked up before a team leaves a field. 

• Pick up loose trash in common areas and parking lot.   

Repairs and Breakdowns 

• If a breakdown occurs, inform the Field Director immediately. 

• If a breakdown occurs, can someone on your team or someone at the facility easily fix it?  Inform the Field Director that a repair has been done. 

• If the breakdown is a safety issue, make sure that the item or area is secure so that no injuries occur.  Inform the Field Director immediately. 

Parking 

• Please park vehicles as close to each other as possible. Extra parking is allowed on the street or in Gallaher school parking lot. 

• Do not block in other vehicles. 

• Do not dump trash in parking lots. 

• Do not block gates. 

• At Gallaher, there is no parking by shed or field areas.  Park only in parking lot, on street or in school parking lot. 

• Drive slowly. 

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