Ground Preparation Practical Assessment

In this lesson you will learn how this practical assessment is run. First you register your interest. An authorised assessor or the ground committee checks you have completed the pathway and arranges a date, usually in the days before a real or practice fixture. On the day, the assessor observes you preparing and setting up a pitch and ground, asks questions as you go, and records whether each standard is met. You then complete a knowledge check drawn from the whole series. You may make up to three attempts. The assessor's decision is final, and you will receive feedback whatever the outcome.

• Register interest; assessor confirms readiness
• Observed practical on a real pitch
• Knowledge check from the whole series
• Up to three attempts, with feedback

In this lesson you will learn that safety is assessed at every stage. The assessor will look for a short risk assessment before you start, correct PPE, safe handling of covers and tools, and awareness of other people around you. You may only use machinery for which you already hold the club's authorisation, and you must complete pre-use checks. Chemicals are not part of this assessment. Any unsafe act, such as clearing a blockage with an engine running, will end the assessment immediately. Remember this award recognises practical competence within the WFA and is not a substitute for accredited training.

• Risk assessment and correct PPE
• Only machinery you are authorised for
• Unsafe acts end the assessment
• No chemicals in this assessment

In this lesson you will learn what the assessor expects in your plan. Explain which pitch has been allocated and why, how many days of preparation are planned, and how you will adapt to the forecast. Outline your intended watering, rolling and cutting sequence, and when you will mark the creases. Mention the covers plan and who will help. A clear plan shows the assessor that you understand how all the pathway modules fit together. You do not need to write an essay; a simple checklist or timeline shared with the assessor is ideal.

• Explain pitch choice and timeline
• Adapt the plan to the forecast
• Set out watering, rolling and cutting
• Include the covers plan and helpers

In this lesson you will learn how your inspection is assessed. Walk the pitch methodically, describing grass cover, colour, cracks and loose material. Probe for moisture and hardness at several points and explain what you find. Identify any thatch, layering or soft spots and say how they might affect play. Check the run-ups and outfield for hazards. The assessor wants to hear your reasoning, so talk them through your observations and the decisions they lead to, such as whether the pitch needs more rolling, more drying time or protection from rain.

• Walk and describe the pitch methodically
• Probe for moisture and hardness
• Identify thatch, layers or soft spots
• Explain the decisions you would make

In this lesson you will learn how the cutting and rolling stage is assessed. If you are authorised, you will carry out pre-use checks, set the correct cutting height for the stage of preparation, and mow along the length of the pitch, turning off the strip and boxing clippings. For rolling, you will judge the moisture, roll slowly and steadily along the line of play with overlapping passes, and turn off the pitch. If you are not yet authorised on a machine, you will explain the process to the assessor while an authorised operator demonstrates. Accuracy and care matter more than speed.

• Pre-use checks and correct cutting height
• Mow and roll along the line of play
• Turn off the pitch, box clippings
• Explain if not authorised on a machine

In this lesson you will learn how your markings are assessed. You will set out the pitch using tape and string, check right angles and diagonals, and mark the bowling, popping and return creases at the correct Law distances, with the measured edges in the right place. You will pitch the stumps upright and evenly spaced using a gauge, at the correct height, with the bails seated properly. The assessor will check your measurements. Small errors can affect run outs, no balls and wides, so precision is essential. Check the boundary and fielding circle markings too, against the WFA competition regulations.

• Set out with tape, string and 3-4-5 check
• Creases at Law distances, correct edges
• Stumps upright, gauged and at height
• Check boundary and fielding circle

In this lesson you will learn how your weather response is assessed. You will explain how you are monitoring the forecast and radar, demonstrate or talk through deploying the covers safely as a team leader, and describe how you would remove water without letting it run onto the pitch. You should also explain what Law 10 and the WFA competition regulations say about covering, and how you would brief the umpires. If conditions are dry, the assessor may run a short rehearsal. Clear communication and safe handling are the key standards here.

• Monitor forecast and radar
• Lead safe, coordinated covering
• Remove water away from the pitch
• Explain Law 10 and WFA regulations

In this lesson you will learn how matchday readiness is assessed. Using a checklist, you will confirm the pitch is cut, rolled and dry, the markings are accurate, the stumps are pitched and aligned, sightscreens are positioned and the outfield and boundary are free from hazards. You will then brief the assessor as if they were the umpires, covering the pitch in use, covering arrangements and any known issues, and explaining that the umpires are the sole judges of fitness for play. Honest, confident communication is an important part of this standard.

• Complete a matchday checklist
• Confirm pitch, markings, stumps and screens
• Brief the umpires honestly
• Umpires decide fitness for play

In this lesson you will learn how the final stage is assessed. You will describe, or carry out, the repair of a used pitch: sweeping, filling foot holes with compatible loam, seeding and keeping the area moist. You will clean, check and store equipment, reporting any faults. Finally, you will complete a short record of the preparation and reflect with the assessor on what went well and what you would change. Reflection shows you are ready to keep learning. Successful candidates are encouraged to continue with recognised ECB groundsmanship training and ICC pitch-curation resources.

• Repair the used pitch correctly
• Clean, check and store equipment
• Record the preparation
• Reflect and plan further learning