LALIGA
How high is the grass required to be cut for elite soccer competitions? LaLiga, Premier League, Champions League…
Barcelona boss Xavi was unhappy with the state of Getafe’s pitch last weekend, but LaLiga say it met their regulations.
A week on, the goalless draw between Getafe and Barcelona at Coliseum Alfonso Pérez is still well and truly in the spotlight. Xavi’s ‘excuse’ of his team “not being used to playing in the sun” even amused counterpart Quique Sánchez Flores: “Well, they should put on Nivea or aftersun so they don’t get burned”. The Barça coach also complained about the state of the pitch, pointing an accusing finger at last weekend’s rivals: “Why wasn’t the pitch watered and was the grass longer than usual?”
LaLiga reject Xavi’s Getafe claims
Xavi then went onto claim that teams wouldn’t stop deploying such ‘underhand’ tactics until a regulation on the length of the grass was introduced. However, LaLiga have issued a friendly remember to the former Spain international that such a rule does already exist and has done for many years. And on top of that, as confirmed by the league, Getafe’s pitch complied with them.
“Playing surface vital to the spectacle”
It’s not the first time Xavi has shown his unhappiness at the perceived poor quality of a playing surface. He did it as a player and continues to do so as a coach:. “In golf, if the grass isn’t right, you don’t play. In basketball, if Lebron James falls over, the floor is mopped. I shouldn’t have to stay quiet on this, I have to make sure things are done right. Here, you could cover the pitch with puddles. Who benefits from that? The playing surface is vital to the spectacle. People say that youngsters don’t watch soccer anymore. Well, that’s normal, then. I don’t care if there are 200,000, I’m not going to stop,” he stated angrily in a press conference. ‘Stop’ with regard to what may be the next logical question, with the measures Xavi appears to be demanding already in place.
Pitches important to LaLiga’s image
Clubs are obliged to comply with a series of requirements for the benefit of the TV audience. LaLiga’s regulations in relation to that are around 10 pages long, with explanations on how to drain, water and cut the field of play, which are all deemed to be of utmost importance: “The state of the pitch, and consequently its appearance, have a very big impact on the audiovisual perception of a match. The pitch being in good condition and well looked after, as well as aiding the quality of play and helping prevent injuries, plays an important role in the image projected by LaLiga, its clubs and their facilities.
How high can the grass be in LaLiga and other elite competitions?
LaLiga regulations state that the height of the grass must be between 20 and 30 millimetres. According to the league, Getafe’s complied with those figures, despite Xavi’s protests and claims that it didn’t. LaLiga confirmed that the grass was measured up to four times, which was indicated in the match report. Regarding the Barça coach’s criticism that the pitch was dry, LaLiga also pointed out that it was watered twice before the game, for a period of six minutes on each occasion.
Some of the world’s other top soccer tournaments have similar rules when it comes to regulating the height of the grass. The Premier League ‘handbook’ states that the height of the grass “shall not exceed 30mm”, while Regulations of the UEFA Champions League say that “the height of the grass may not, in principle, exceed 30mm”. Unlike LaLiga, however, neither make any reference to any minimum requirements.