CTPatsFan

In an effort to further stir up the speculation on the status of the field at the Razor, I pass on this information. It is only speculation but there are some, at least cursory, connections between a couple sources involved.

The word passing through the professional sports turf managers circle is that Gillette is being re-sodded for the upcoming Dolts and Jest games. The field will then be stripped and prepped for installation of Sports Turf (or an equivalent artificial grass) while the Pats head for Green Bay. This will give the crews less than 2 weeks to convert it.

The original field manager who oversaw the construction process (and the IMO perfect turf that first season) is will be brought in to oversee the process to ensure the subsurface plumbing, heating and cooling pipes are not damaged (there is actually a need for irrigation on artificial surfaces) and to ensure the integrity of the subsurface remains in tact.

The company that installed the Field Turf in UConn's brand-new indoor practice facility (believe it or not, at or near the top as far as state-of-the-art training facilities go in Division 1 football) won the contract to do the installation at Gillette.

Once again, FWIW. But I will add that most of the rumors that have surfaced out of this group regarding other fields in the northeast (municipal, high school, collegiate or otherwise) have proven to be true. A few have not.

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Relegated to LURKER status thanks to work.

18 year STH, although games are fewer and farther between.
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Va_Pats_Fan

The problem with that rumor is it is against the rules to change the turf in the middle of the season.

RayClay

Grassroots info, eh?

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CTPatsFan

I can't agree or disagree as I've never seen the actual rule. I have heard it referenced before, though.

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Relegated to LURKER status thanks to work.

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PatsChick87

I'd normally give this some credence except that I'd recently heard that the NFL rules specifically states that the field you start the season with has to be the one you go through the season with. Can't change it mid season. So any surface change will have to wait until next year?

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Enjoying this Championship era!!

lobster

Also the coach of the Revolution recently thanked the Krafts for their commitment to grass.

CTPatsFan

I am curious as to the actual rule. This is all I could find at NFL.com:

Field
1. Sidelines and end lines are out of bounds. The goal line is actually in the end zone. A player with the ball in his possession scores a touchdown when the ball is on, above, or over the goal line.

2. The field is rimmed by a white border, six feet wide, along the sidelines. All of this is out of bounds.

3. The hashmarks (inbound lines) are 70 feet, 9 inches from each sideline.

4. Goal posts must be single-standard type, offset from the end line and painted bright gold. The goal posts must be 18 feet, 6 inches wide and the top face of the crossbar must be 10 feet above the ground. Vertical posts extend at least 30 feet above the crossbar. A ribbon 4 inches by 42 inches long is to be attached to the top of each post. The actual goal is the plane extending indefinitely above the crossbar and between the outer edges of the posts.

5. The field is 360 feet long and 160 feet wide. The end zones are 30 feet deep. The line used in try-for-point plays is two yards out from the goal line.

6. Chain crew members and ball boys must be uniformly identifiable.

7. All clubs must use standardized sideline markers. Pylons must be used for goal line and end line markings.

8. End zone markings and club identification at 50 yard line must be approved by the Commissioner to avoid any confusion as to delineation of goal lines, sidelines, and end lines.
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Maybe it's not a comprehensive list?

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QuiGon

Yeah, that's what a lot of people have been saying... except when those same people are asked to point out the specific rule in the NFL that says a field cannot be changed mid-season, they find themselvs unable to do so.

I think what happened was someone said that's the rule, so someone else reported it, so everyone picked it up and ran with it. But I still haven't seen any specific rule stating that you cannot do what some people are suggesting the Pats should do...

mgcolby

I wonder if the league is willing to make a change to the rule, because of the high likelihood that the Pats will host one or more home playoff games on National TV.

Just a thought.The owner's recently met, I don't think a quick vote on a seemingly minor rule change would be out of the question.

For the record I prefer to watch football games that are played on real grass, especially in the winter months. Not that it matters to anyone.

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QuiGon

No one's seen the actual rule... funny how everyone's talking about it though...