Fencing for athletic fields goes far beyond creating a border around the facility. There are considerations for crowd flow, safety, access control, aesthetics, visibility from outside the field, requirements based on relevant sports, and durability through all weather conditions. Proper fencing comes down to identifying the key priorities for your individual project while ensuring all elements of the big picture remain addressed.
The True Purpose of Athletic Facility Fencing
Aside from marking boundaries, safety should be at the core of your decision process. Fence systems provide a protective barrier between the athletes in the area of play and spectators outside of it. This extends to providing protection based on the equipment — bats, balls, or otherwise — and the access — with properly located and secured gates.
Access control is important for a facility manager to address. The flow of foot traffic, entry points for spectators and athletes, and off-hour security should be considered. Controlling access is both a commercial endeavor and a basic security measure.
Aesthetically, fencing can improve the perception of the facility, as well as improve the visibility for spectators. If your facility sells tickets to events, this can dramatically improve the event quality for guests and reinforce the commercial value that the facility provides. If your facility doesn’t generate revenue from its athletic field, there are still aesthetically-pleasing fencing options with reasonable economic costs. In either case, you want to consider the overall facility’s design when selecting a look for your fencing.
Compliance and regulations are a final consideration. This may come from athletic associations, insurance providers, local building code, and the institution itself. Thorough review of all policies ensures you proceed with a construction plan that meets standards and addresses built-in safety requirements while avoiding re-work.
Key Factors in Fence Selection
Fence selection involves considering function, longevity, and value. This begins with choice of material. You are likely to consider either:
- Chain-link fencing based on its cost-effectiveness and durability
- Vinyl-coated mesh for an improved aesthetic, more color options, and improved durability
- Aluminum fencing for a modern aesthetic, more flexibility to fit facility branding, great durability, and low maintenance
| Cost Effectiveness | Durability | Aesthetic Appeal | Color Options | |
| Chain-Link | * * * | * * | * | * |
| Vinyl-Coated Mesh | * * | * * * | * * * | * * |
| Aluminum | * | * * * | * * * | * * * |
Height requirements will depend on the sports hosted on your athletic field: varying heights around baseball fields, tall but level heights for tennis, and so on. This needs to be addressed based on sport-specific guidelines as well as local regulations. Consider both safety and viewing experience for spectators.
Weather resistance and overall durability is important, particularly through New England’s variety of harsh winter storms and beaming summer sun. Each material will have different capabilities of dealing with UV rays, moisture, and temperature fluctuations. The effects of this choice can be on both aesthetic and overall maintenance time and cost.
Planning for Access and Maintenance
Understanding how people should flow through your facility is important to avoid future operational headaches. Simple, clear, and secure access points and passageways allows for a smooth operation.
Start with gate placement based on traffic patterns for athletes and spectators separately. Consider both regular use during training, as well as for events with larger crowds. It may be better to install wider gates (10-12 feet) in specific areas to permit entrance of maintenance vehicles and equipment, including lawn mowers, utility carts, and delivery trucks. These should be placed in areas that minimize disruption to activities and easing access to relevant areas of the facility.
For gates that patrons may use to enter and exit the field, standard 3-4 foot wide gates are sufficient. These should be placed along walkways, at building exits, and near parking areas. ADA-compliant gates should be installed with dimensions and hardware that permit accessibility for all visitors.
If hosting ticketed events, you may want to consider additional security measures and passageway options based on the need to direct flow of foot traffic by having gate options that can be opened or closed as needed. If a ticket booth is on-site, you may incorporate temporary barriers during events.
For compliance with regulations and for overall safety of all persons at your facility, speak with local fire and emergency services to ensure your fence design can accommodate their emergency vehicles.
Think about the long-term impacts of today’s decisions. Durability of materials and hardware can ensure you lower maintenance long-term and avoid early replacement of your installation. Quality commercial hardware will continue to operate through a longer period of heavy use than standard hardware found in big box stores. Taking the time to plan the flow of traffic will avoid frustrating flows of foot traffic and slow entry and exit of spectators. Gate position and swing direction can be smooth or frustrating based on slope at its location. Consider the big picture before moving forward.
Safety Features to Consider
Safety is an essential part of the installation. Beyond the durability and physical barrier between people on- and off-field, there’s more to consider in the materials and structure.
Smooth edges and padding should be used in areas where players may come into contact with the fence. High-density foam padding can be installed on fence posts and railing. This is common near sidelines and behind goals, for example. Like the fence material itself, you need to consider durability and weather-resistance of the foam padding as well. If using chain-link fencing, knuckled edges can reduce likelihood of injury as compared to twister barbs at the top and bottom edges.
Anti-climb features are important for schools that need to prioritize avoiding unauthorized access that could result in safety risks. This can include vertical bar configurations or mesh patterns that prevent footholds or top rails that angle inward to make scaling difficult. These are designs that can deter climbing while maintaining a professional institutional appearance.
To improve spatial awareness for athletes, you may consider contrasting fence colors in specific high-impact areas. This can reduce collision and improve on-field performance.
Budgeting and Investment
A properly designed and installed fence should be an investment for your athletic facility. Rather than focusing on how cheap a fence can be installed, focus on the maximal value over time based on the needs and function beyond expense alone.
Initial costs may offset long-term maintenance and slow the need to replace the fence again as well. Chain-link is a common consideration because its lower upfront investment, while vinyl-coated may be a bit more expensive, and aluminum more expensive than that. However, the maintenance costs are typically reverse, with aluminum being most passive, vinyl-coated needing some light investment, and chain-link requiring the most maintenance and repairs.
Overall cost structure extends far beyond materials and labor alone. Site preparation needs including grading and drainage solutions can impact your budget, as well as time invested in creating a project plan to assess the many decisions ahead of you.
Using a mix of materials may help balance your budget. In this approach, you can invest more in high-visibility areas and opt for more economical options for less noticeable and frequented sections. You may also create a multi-year plan to space out expenses by starting with critical, safety-based fencing needs, and then following on in future years to extend fencing with additional temporary fencing purchases or extended pathway sections.
Calculate the total ownership cost by considering the three key categories of the investment: installation, maintenance, and replacement. Using a 20-year time horizon will allow you to address costs and facility manager time on maintenance as well, in addition to the eventual replacement project. Additionally, warranty terms and post-install support should be considered to provide additional security.
Compliance and Regulations
Athletic facilities have a variety of compliance measures to meet. Local building codes typically dictate limits on fence height, distance to property line, and structural integrity minimums. Permits may be needed for a variance from a standard guideline unless predetermined exemptions exist. Additionally, you may find requirements for materials and wind load capacity as well.
Associations introduce additional standards. If you are involved with an organization like the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) or for sport-specific governing bodies, you need to align to their requirements as well. This often relates to regulated distancing between key play areas. If not standardized, you may be at risk of not being able to host sanctioned events or run into insurance coverage issues.
Accessibility requirements from the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) are critical in today’s facilities. This includes aspects such as gates with minimum width of 32-inches, gate hardware that doesn’t require tight twisting or gripping to use, minimal opening force capacity, and level landings on each side of the entrance.
Working with Fencing Contractors
While what type of fence you install and all its intricacies are important, so is the contractor team that will install your fence. You need a company that has a long history of successful installations and a positive reputation for trust that they will deliver for you as well.
Specifically, look for contractors with professional certifications from organizations like the American Fence Association (AFA) and those familiar with relevant manufacturers of product types you need. This indicates a commitment to industry standards and best practices.
Prepare a list of questions to use during your selection process. This may include:
- What is your experience on similar projects?
- Can you provide proof of being licensed and insured (liability and workers’ comp)?
- Will you help consult us on our project plans and installation design?
- Are you familiar with local building codes and standards?
- What quality control processes do you follow?
- How would you address site conditions like slopes or drainage issues?
- Would you provide us with references?
Pay attention to how they respond. Many will have technical knowledge, but not all will have problem-solving skills. You are looking for a contractor who will be a partner to you, providing insights and honest consultation, and not simply taking an order.
Red flags may show up during your selection process. This may be apparent if a contractor is reluctant to provide references or proof of insurance. It may also appear through vague proposals that lack sufficient detail and proposed timelines. A common tactic can be to provide a low bid to stand out from competitors while they rely on getting the job done by either cutting corners, adding on costs during the project, or both.
Maintenance Best Practices
A structured maintenance program and schedule can help upkeep the aesthetic appearance and functional use of your new fence installation, extending its lifespan. A maintenance program may look as follows:
- Monthly visual assessments
- Quarterly comprehensive evaluations
- Check tension in chain-link fabric
- Check integrity of welds and connection points for rust formation
- Check post stability and ground erosion
- Check hardware condition and stability
In addition, add elements from the manufacturer specific to that fence material. Depending on your procedure, you may document this with photos, written reports, or ideally, both. This can help track deterioration speed and objectively justify maintenance budget requests.
Should rust form, addressing it early with wire brushing and application of rust-inhibiting paint can prevent progression to structural integrity issues. For gate hardware that naturally loosens through regular use and vibrations, fasten the hardware and use thread-locking compounds. If posts become loose, it may be an issue of drainage that displaces the soil. Repairs for impacts from players, spectators, and balls should be anticipated and addressed in the athletic facility’s plan.
Maintenance is about preventative measures and early response as issues emerge.
- Chain-link fences likely need regular adjustment to tension bars and bands
- Vinyl-coated fencing needs regular cleaning with mild detergent to prevent dirt buildup
- All fences should be kept free and clear from vegetation
Thoughtful Athletic Facility Fencing as Part of Your Athletic Facility’s Legacy
When approaching an athletic facility fencing project, your decisions will impact the institution, its athletes, and spectators for several decades. There were numerous critical considerations addressed in this article, including safety, access control, aesthetics, compliance, material selection, and vendor selection.
Proper planning and professional installation is what turns this project from an expense into an investment. Properly handled, it will protect your institution’s reputation and be a testament to your dedication to it as well.
Every educational facility has unique needs and challenges. We invite you to share your specific questions about your fencing project by contacting our team. We are ready to provide insights tailored to your situation, whether you need help in the early planning phase or would like to evaluate options and schedules to get your project done.
To help you get started, we offer a complimentary consultation for facility managers and project planners. We can discuss your specific requirements, provide preliminary recommendations, and help identify potential challenges before they become costly issues. Contact us today to schedule your free consultation.