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FIELDS & WEATHER GUIDELINES

FIELD STATUS/PERMITS

The City of Surrey owns the fields at South Surrey Athletic Park, Morgan Creek Park, and Dufferin Park. The City of Surrey issues permits to users (like Coastal FC). This includes grass, turf, and gravel fields. Coastal FC is restricted to using only those fields for which permits have been obtained.

The City of Surrey routinely evaluates the fields on Thursday afternoon in anticipation of weekend use. However, there may be instances where alterations to the field's "status" can occur at ANY TIME before or during the weekend activities.

To view the City of Surrey’s field status page, CLICK HERE

There are three status categories:

Open
Closed
“CD” = Club Discretion

The City and Coastal FC are keen to get as many games played each week. A lot of care and attention goes into these fields so that as many games can be played as possible. however, sometimes, Coastal FC has to make difficult decisions in the short term to protect the interests of the fields in the long term.

It is usually expected to get 3 to 4 cancelled weekends of play (grass) over the fall/winter season.

WEATHER COMMUNICATION

As we head into the fall/winter months in British Columbia, please check your emails and our social media pages for any weather-related cancellations BEFORE EACH training session and game.

As we know, weather changes without notice, but we will do our best to provide as much warning where possible of any changes to training and/or game schedules as follows:

Training field updates will be made, on a best-efforts basis, by 3:00 PM on the day in question.
Game changes or cancellations will be made as early as possible; however, these could be the night before, morning of the game, and on occasion cancellations may occur at game time.

We recognize the importance of communication and planning, and we are committed to doing our best to ensure accurate and timely communication.

WEATHER GUIDELINES

Rain stands as the primary factor affecting the playability of grass fields. According to soccer regulations, the presence of standing water mandates field closure. Moreover, playing on soft conditions can significantly affect the field's surface in the long term, as cleats have a tendency to penetrate and disrupt the root system. Under specific temperatures, grass growth ceases, signifying that negligent behavior during wet conditions can damage portions of the field, rendering them more susceptible to failure in subsequent rainy periods.

RAIN

LIGHTING/THUNDER

30/30 Rule When you see lighting, count the time until you hear thunder. If this time is thirty (30) seconds or less, seek proper shelter. Wait thirty (30) minutes or more after hearing the last thunder before leaving the shelter. If you can not see the lighting, just hearing the thunder is good back up rule.

Please read the Canada Soccer Lightning Safety/ Severe Weather Policy for more information.

SNOW

In the event of snow cover or a significant snowfall forecast, cancellations will be implemented.

IMPORTANT message from the City of Surrey:

“If fields are frozen and/or have snow cover, they are to be closed for play. This includes artificial turf fields. Please avoid hand shoveling snow off of artificial turf fields to get your training/game in”... Clearing of snow could cause damage to the playing surface, due to the freezing weather conditions that often produce ice at the bottom of the snow and just above the playing surface. Also, there is the possibility of significant amounts of rubber infill being lost through this procedure. Clearing of snow, if and when conditions became acceptable to perform such a delicate task, may only be performed by authorized City staff.

FROST/FROZEN GROUND

Ground frost assessment typically involves the "key test," where the ease of inserting a key to its full depth into the grass determines ground hardness. If the key cannot be pushed in easily, it indicates the field is excessively firm, posing risks not only to the grass but also to the safety of the players.