Choosing the right fencing for sports pitches

Installing appropriate sports fencing for pitches or MUGAs (multi-use games areas) is a vital responsibility for schools and sports clubs, as they need to ensure the complete safety of their learning environments, which means protecting children, spectators and buildings. These enclosures should ideally be designed with specialist mesh systems to allow multiple sports to be played in the same location, so what type of fencing is best for your site and what are the key points you need to consider when specifying sports fencing?

Essential features of sports fencing

The look of the sports fencing is one of the first considerations, since the image of a school or club is of paramount importance and must be maintained regardless of what type of structure is installed on-site. The fencing will need to blend with the surrounding environment and appear welcoming and friendly, rather than intimidating. It’s also important to choose an attractive colour that fits in with the general look of the school or sports club.

Make sure the games area is analysed for essential design features, such as secure access points for pupils, staff and spectators, leading to optimum footfall control. Consider how people will enter and exit the area, and how the pitch will be locked and kept safe. Another key safety concern is emergency protocol: think about how emergency services will gain access to the area in the unfortunate event of accident or injury.

Types of sports fencing

Sports pitches, courts, fields and games areas require specialist fencing, and Jacksons Fencing offers welded-mesh and tubular-system solutions to meet the needs of any school. Ball Stop and Rebound fencing are two of the main categories of fencing for high-impact sports, featuring lattice post reinforcement, designed for extra rigidity to ensure durability and safety for both users and spectators.

Ball Stop fencing is a boundary-netting system; the products from Jacksons include a top rail for added support and a wide range of webbing and mesh types to suit different applications. This type of sports fencing is ideal for cricket and golf. Rebound fencing is an alternative to chain-link fencing, a welded mesh for high-impact sports such as hockey or football. With both types of fencing, the mesh aperture should be small enough to prevent different sizes of balls from passing through. Good visibility is also essential, which is why mesh is a popular choice.

A crucial consideration is the height of the fence. It’s vital to reduce the chance of balls leaving the pitch or games area, potentially causing injury to spectators or nearby properties. This is why Ball Stop fencing from Jacksons Fencing can be installed up to 9 metres, and Rebound fencing can be stacked up to 6 metres.

Choose long-lasting quality

All fencing requires maintenance – at the least, visual inspections, basic cleaning and repairs if necessary – but it’s important to pick a solution that will last a long time. That’s why Jacksons Fencing provides a industry leading 25-year service life guarantee with all our Ball Stop and Rebound fencing systems.

Learn more about sports fencing from Jacksons Fencing.