Why your pitch floods — and how to fix it

On the majority of community pitches, standing water is not a drainage-pipe failure — it is compaction. A hard pan a few centimetres down stops water reaching whatever drainage exists below. The water has nowhere to go, so it sits on the surface.

The good news is this is the cheapest problem to fix. Aeration — particularly deep-tine work or vertidraining — fractures the pan and gets water moving again. Many "we need new drainage" pitches are transformed by a proper aeration programme alone.

If aeration is not enough, the next step up is secondary drainage — sand bands or gravel slits cut into the surface at regular spacings, linking the playing surface to the drains beneath. This creates fast vertical routes for water to escape and is far less disruptive and costly than a full primary scheme.

A primary drainage system is a network of perforated pipes in gravel-filled trenches, laid in a herringbone or grid and running to an outfall. It is the most thorough — and most expensive — solution, and is usually combined with a sand-based rootzone and secondary drainage to work properly.

Because it is a major construction job, it makes sense to start with a drainage survey so you spend on the right solution rather than over-engineering.

Costs span an enormous range. An aeration programme is the most affordable intervention; secondary drainage such as sand banding on a full pitch is commonly in the low-to-mid thousands; a full primary drainage scheme with rootzone can run well into five or even six figures.

A survey is the cheapest money you can spend here — it tells you which of those you actually need. Post a brief and verified drainage contractors will assess your pitch and quote.