More and more youth sports associations and sponsors are installing synthetic turf fields. With the large initial investment these organizations are looking at options to rent the facilities to organization sponsoring other sporting events. Here's a recent request for information.

"I am on the BoD of a youth football league and we recently completed the construction of two synthetic fields. We've had rental inquires and I'm trying to figure out how to stripe the fields for other sports and which colors to use. These layouts (Tru Mark's Soccer, Lacrosse, Rugby, and Ultimate Frisbee Field Layout Tools) will be a huge assistance. I'd also welcome any advice on the standard color for soccer vs. boys LAX vs. girls LAX vs. Flag football."

I’ve seen several different color combinations on synthetic turf fields. While most fields have the white lines sewn in for football, I’ve also witnessed yellow for soccer (our local field used black), and red for lacrosse. Flag football typically shortens the field using cones and marking yard lines using foam or plastic triangle standing sideline numbers.

The real key is what type of field marking products to use and who has responsibility for applying and cleaning/removing lines.
http://www.athleticfieldmarker.com/products/paint.html

Here are a couple related posts that may be helpful.
http://trumark.blogspot.com/2011/10/aerosol-chalk-versus-aerosol-paint.html
http://trumark.blogspot.com/2011/08/synthetic-turf-trends-minimizing-static.html
http://trumark.blogspot.com/2011/08/movable-soccer-goal-safety-act-enacted.html
http://trumark.blogspot.com/2011/05/looking-for-removable-field-paints-for.html
http://trumark.blogspot.com/2011/02/how-many-cans-of-spray-paint-to-line.html
http://trumark.blogspot.com/2010/11/synthetic-sports-turf-fields-temporary.html

We’ve had numerous customers comment on the success of using the Aerosol Chalk for temporary line marking which requires no special cleaning agents nor much “elbow grease”. This material is similar in performance to a traditional powdered chalk but without the thickness buildup.

We offer bulk liquid chalk, currently only in white, SwitchBack Double Play Liquid Chalk, that is applied with an airless paint striper and performs like a traditional powdered chalk (diluted 1 to 1, water to chalk). We hope to offer this in yellow, blue/black in the near future. No special cleaning agent is needed to remove, only foot traffic/broom and water.

Both the aerosol and bulk chalk solutions are designed for one time or tournament (with touch-up) play.

Also there is removable turf paint, TrailBlazer Rally Day and Season Ticket, that is applied with an airless line striper (at least 900 psi pump performance) and is not diluted. This paint can be removed using a cleaning agent such as the Trail Wash or Solar Wash. These paints are designed for up to a season long use.

We also offer a permanent field marking paint, TrailBlazer Solar Trail, that can be removed using the Solar Wash product.

The board might want to try using the aerosol chalk product first to confirm performance. We can offer a mixed case of colors at the colored case price.

Labels: Product_Review, Sports, Turf _Tips