Everett Little League 12/18/2024

Athletic Facility Use Provisions - 10 steel frame with bolts projecting into the infield surface. Commercial Grade Drag is required. When using mechanical drag, stay 3 feet away from the outfield grass. This area will need to be raked by hand. DO NOT drag over: sprinkler heads, bases, base anchors, pitching rubbers, or home plates. There are several types of dragging patterns that can be used to achieve the desired result, such as baseline, circular or figure eight patterns, or reversing the direction every time. The type of equipment you use will influence the pattern you use. Becoming familiar with your equipment is a key to successful dragging. Changing your dragging pattern will avoid uneven dragging. Everett Parks Athletic Maintenance will provide a copy of the drag patterns they use, if requested. CORRECTING SOIL BUILD-UP BETWEEN TURF AND SKINNED AREAS The process of dragging the skinned areas involves moving soil around to achieve a level surface. Over a period of time the loose soil can drift or even be dragged directly into the bordering turf area, which will often create a “lip” when it gets mixed among the turf and its thatch. If the lip is allowed to continue, it can form a ridge of soil around the entire border of the skinned area, and onto the outfield grass, which can create a hazardous change in the elevation of the infield dirt and outfield grass. One way to prevent this buildup is to avoid dragging loose material up to the turf area. Leave a 36” zone between the turf border and the skinned area so that loose material does not get dragged onto the turf. Empty the drag mat or groomer on the infield (instead of the turf) and empty at different locations each time. This zone must be hand raked when the dragging process is completed. Once dragging has been completed you must manually rake along the turf border to remove any soil that sticks to the turf or drifts into the turf area. A common cause of lip build-up is the pushing of water from the infield into the outfield turf. DO NOT DO THIS. This will create a lip and make an unsafe playing condition. Use a water pump, puddle pillows and empty the water into buckets to remove water. Refer to methods of removing water from fields, page B2 REMOVING LITTER AND DEBRIS Providing a safe playing surface involves removing maintenance equipment from the field such as hoses and rakes as well as the removal of litter and other unsafe debris. Provide waste cans in appropriate locations such as exit points from bleachers and along walkways to reduce the problem of littering. Inspect the playing field each day before games for broken glass or hazardous debris. Incidental rocks picked up must be put into a garbage can and not thrown out into the turf. Clean the bench and bleacher areas daily. Do not let litter build up. INSPECTING HOME PLATE AND PITCHER’S RUBBER When inspecting home plate, make sure that the edges are flat, and the top of the plate is level with the playing surface. Check the surface for irregularities or worn spots. The surface must be smooth. The pitcher’s rubber must be level with the surrounding surface and anchored securely to the ground. The pitcher’s rubber must be replaced when showing severe wear or gouges, which may hinder player