Matchday grounds checklist

Goals and nets

• Both goals secured or anchored according to the manufacturer's instructions, and checked by hand rather than by eye.
• No cracked, bent or temporarily repaired frame sections.
• Nets attached along the full frame, with no gaps at the stanchions and nothing trailing into the goalmouth.
• Crossbar height and goal width consistent at both ends.

Markings

• Every line visible from the far touchline, not just from where you are standing.
• Halfway line, centre circle, penalty areas, goal areas, penalty marks and corner arcs all present.
• No ghost lines from a previous layout that could be mistaken for the live pitch.
• If a second format is overlaid, a clearly different colour and both officials briefed.

Surface

• Walk the full playing area and both goalmouths.
• No standing water, no exposed stones, no glass, no animal fouling.
• Divots from the previous fixture trodden back in.
• Any hole, rut or hard edge that would turn an ankle either filled or reported to the referee before the warm-up.

Boundaries and surrounds

• Four corner flags in place, flexible, and at the required height.
• Technical areas and any spectator line marked where the competition requires them.
• Barriers, rope or fencing intact, with no trip hazards along the spectator side.
• Dugouts stable, clear of debris and not obstructing the assistant referee's run.

Access and welfare

• Emergency vehicle access clear and unlocked, and someone on site who knows where the key is.
• First aid provision present and in date.
• Changing rooms and toilets open, lit and safe.
• Car parking not blocking the access route.

Handover

Tell the referee about anything you found and could not fix, before they inspect rather than after. The final decision on playability is theirs, and they make a better one with your information.

Use the print view to take this list round the ground on paper.