I didn't know where to post this, but thought since it might involve rules of competition maybe someone here would know. I've searched the BS threads and did a general internet search with no luck. In the last few years I've seen fields watered within an hour of the start of game and at halftime of MLS, EPL, and international games. It hasn't been very hot at many of these games, nor have the fields been particularly dry, especially in England or at Portland where they water the artificial turf. I've heard they're (no idea who "they" are making the decision to do the watering) attempting to get within a range of relative humidity on the field to make the ball roll better. The main effects I see are to make it more humid and uncomfortable for the players and officials, and to make the players slip on the field. Also, passes hit with backspin tend not to bite as they would on a drier field. Why is this done? Who decides to water the field and when and how much? What soccer geniuses thought this was a good idea?
I believe the phrase you are looking for is "home field advantage". Football, baseball, soccer. All outdoor fields are maintained by the home field. Wrigley Field and the Notre Dame football field are notorious for having thick slow grass.
This has nothing to do with the LOTG, referees, or really even rules of competition unless the ROC specifically prohibit or require the practice. The only reason it is done is to slick the surface up and make the ball and therefore the game move faster. It benefits teams with better technical ability that want to play quickly (Barcelona, etc). The manager or head coach is who makes the decision and they do so if they believe it will give them a tactical advantage. And it is a good idea. I hate playing on dry or artificial surfaces where the ball sticks and doesn't spin.
I think I've seen Barcelona and other teams only water the half of the pitch they are attacking in at half time.
In Portland's case it's to keep the crumbs down and to prevent the artificial turf from being too sticky, to avoid Turf burns and injury.
I've been told in MLS it's a league mandate to keep everything equal. I have no source to cite for that though.
I was actually wondering if any teams do that on turf. It certainly has the same effect. Had to do plenty of games in the rain on turf and it makes games way more enjoyable and safer to slide on.
Atlanta United did this at the 2 games I saw at Bobby Dodd, I wondered the same thing as it seemed to make everything very slippery (pre-game and halftime).
I've been told that it's not (just) water, but a fertilizer mixture. Why this has to happen at half time...who knows
Some new turf fields have a cork infill, not your typical rubber stuff, that needs to be watered regularly in order not to degrade too quickly. Additionally it keeps it planted in the turf and doesn't fly up as much. BTW, I referee on this on occasion and it's as close to a grass turf as you can get at a moment. The only issue is that the wet cork dust leaves a dirty mass on your shoes.
I once was at a D3 college to assess, so I get there nice and early (to see when the referee team shows up). It's a Astroturf field and the sprinklers are on! What??? I casually asked the grounds crew why they were watering plastic. They said something about the turf being safer to slide on if it's wet. Well, maybe. Astroturf is like playing on a Brillo pad. Every school around here that installed Astroturf has since changed to Fieldturf or the Astroturf people's version, Playturf.
At the highest levels, pitch watering is, indeed, regulated by the competition organizer. Unfortunately the current MLS Operations Manual isn't available publicly, but take a look at the UCL 2016-2017 regulations at the below link (Article 29, Section 04): http://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles.../Regulations/02/35/87/89/2358789_DOWNLOAD.pdf This shouldn't just demonstrate that pitch watering is regulated; it should show people that almost everything is regulated once you hit a certain level.
Dawg, that game was played in Minnesota, in a snowstorm. So, voiceoflg, yes, the field was "watered" from beginning to end!
From the FC Dallas website: http://www.fcdallas.com/post/2017/04/24/monday-mailbag-taking-look-scoring-chances-defenders-attack-and-grass-tactics Allen Reed, the Director of Stadium Grounds at Toyota Stadium gave a little insight into the water vs. don’t water decision at half and it’s all about speed. In windy, hot or dry conditions, the grass dries out quicker than it does in calm and cool conditions. As the grass dries it gets a little bit sticky and creates more drag on the ball as it runs across the field, especially the Rye grass that’s currently down until the summer months. The watering at half helps keep the playing surface quick and fast, just like how Dallas looks to play – a little home field advantage tactic.