Field covers and tarps are versatile tools in many sports that protect playing surfaces from adverse weather conditions and other damage. These large covers can be customized to fit the entire field or specific areas that require additional protection. Made from heavy-duty materials, they are designed to withstand heavy snow, rainfall, UV exposure, and extreme temperatures.
Types of Field Covers
Different types and styles of field covers are used in athletic field management, with terms like covers, tarps, and liners often used interchangeably. These covers serve similar purposes across various outdoor sports venues.
Full tarps are impermeable and are designed to cover an entire field. They are used to prevent waterlogging and to safeguard natural grasses from snow and extreme sun. However, they should only be used for short periods to avoid damaging the grass.
Skin tarps are used explicitly in baseball to cover the infield skin. Unlike full tarps, they leave the grass uncovered, which means they can remain in place for as long as needed.
Area tarps cover specific areas on a field that require additional protection from wear. These areas include home plate areas, mounds, end zones, and goal areas. They can also be used for rain protection and moisture control.
Sideline tarps are designed for high-traffic areas like the sidelines on a football field. They provide crucial protection against cleats and heavy foot traffic.
Which Sports Need Field Covers?
Field covers are used in various sports to protect playing surfaces from adverse weather conditions and other damage, both for practice and game fields. Let’s take a look at some of the sports that employ field covers:
Baseball and Softball
Infields in baseball and softball games can become slippery and hazardous after heavy rain, affecting players’ performance and the quality of the game. Full tarps keep the entire infield area dry, stable, and safe for players.
Skin tarps maintain optimal moisture levels in the clay around home plate, the bases, base paths, and pitchers’ mounds. Since clay requires moisture to bind together and resist wear, excessive evaporation in hot or windy conditions can cause cracking and damage. It is standard practice to consistently cover the mound and home plate areas when not in use.
Football
Field covers are essential in both practice fields and football playing fields. A combination of tarps, covers, and liner systems protects these facilities from damaging weather, extending the lifespan of natural and synthetic field surfaces.
Sideline covers are essential in football, where they’re used to prevent wear and tear caused by continuous activity during games.
Tennis Courts and Pickleball Courts
Outdoor tennis and pickleball courts benefit from covers that shield the playing surfaces from rain, ice, debris, and other forms of damage. When impermeable liners are used, these courts can be quickly returned to playable condition after mild or moderate rain or ice events, regardless of whether the courts are hard, synthetic turf, or natural grass.
Soccer
Both practice and playing fields, including professional stadiums, need to be in good shape, even after periods of bad weather. Full covers protect the field during games and can be used to divert rain quickly to perimeter drainage systems, allowing play to resume promptly. This benefit is not limited to professional teams; college teams, high schools, and community leagues also benefit from protecting their playing fields.
Golf
Regardless of the level of play, golf courses allocate a significant portion of their operating budget to maintain lush, green, and healthy grass throughout the year. Field covers protect tees, fairways, and greens from snow, frost, ice, excessive rain, and debris. Protection from wildlife damage is particularly vital on putting greens.
When greens are shielded from extreme temperatures, annual grasses are more likely to survive winter weather. In dry and windy climates where desiccation can be problematic, covers also help keep the greens moist. Many course managers also choose to cover tees and practice greens to enhance course conditions and provide a better experience for golfers.
Bunkers are vulnerable to damage from adverse weather like wind, flooding, and heavy rainfall, which can cause damaging erosion or compaction, rendering them unplayable. Custom tarps installed and anchored over vulnerable bunkers can save time and repair expenses when bad weather is predicted.
Ice Rink Covers and Tarps
Ice rink covers and tarps protect ice from damage caused by hail, snow, or even bright sunshine. These custom-sized covers provide valuable protection, whether a full outdoor stadium, community, or backyard ice rink.
A white cover is particularly beneficial on sunny days as it reflects radiant heat from the ice and helps prevent it from melting. On warmer days, the tarp acts as an insulator, helping keep the base of the ice solid.
In warmer climates, such as those experienced by professional teams like the Florida Panthers, humidity and wind are the main threats to outdoor ice rinks. Winds can cause the surface of the ice to melt and prevent it from refreezing by keeping it in constant motion, while humid conditions can create frost and even lead to the formation of a layer of water on the ice.
Frost creates several problems for rink managers and players alike:
- Frost makes the ice slippery when it melts and creates a thin layer of water on the surface, making players more likely to fall and injure themselves.
- Frost can cause the ice to heave, creating uneven patches on the ice surface. Heaving makes skating, controlling the puck, shooting, and scoring goals difficult. Besides the risk of falls and injuries, players cannot play at their best, making the game frustrating for players and fans alike.
- Frost can damage the ice surface itself by creating air bubbles in the ice, making it brittle and vulnerable to cracking.
An impermeable ice rink cover is particularly effective in protecting against frost damage. In humid conditions, it insulates the ice from colder air temperatures, preventing frost from forming. It also prevents moisture from evaporating from the ice surface, which settles as frost.
Other Sports
Ice rink covers and tarps are not only beneficial for ice hockey and skating rinks. Many other sports that utilize outdoor practice and play facilities can also benefit from field covers. These covers protect grass, turf, and menage surfaces, maintaining them in peak condition.
Sports such as equestrian, track and field, field hockey, polo, and lacrosse all require playing surfaces that are in optimal condition. Field covers protect against various weather conditions and improve the overall quality and longevity of these surfaces.
No matter the sport, field covers made from reinforced polyethylene geomembrane (RPE) are an excellent choice. They’re thin, lightweight, and extremely durable, making them easy to handle, deploy and roll or fold for easy storage. They’re waterproof, inexpensive, customizable, and highly resistant to punctures, tears, and UV exposure.
