Safer By Design: Rethinking Pitch Perimeter Safety
fcbusiness speaks to Adam Evans, National Sales Manager at Norvale Sport, part of The Outdoor Look Ltd, about The FA’s updated Stadium Accreditation criteria for 2026/27 and what the changes mean for clubs with solid pitch-perimeter walls.
From the 2026/27 season, The FA will no longer permit solid brick, breeze block and concrete pitch perimeter barriers across Steps 1–6 of the men’s National League System and Tiers 3–4 of the Women’s National League. Existing barriers must be removed as soon as reasonably practicable or, where structural reasons prevent removal, covered with suitable protection. Matches can continue while clubs assess the risk and agree a reasonable plan, but the message is clear: pitchside walls can no longer be ignored as legacy features.
How significant are the FA’s updated 2026/27 Stadium Accreditation criteria for clubs with existing solid brick, breezeblock or concrete pitch perimeter barriers?
For affected clubs, the change is as significant as facilities regulation gets because it applies at their current level, not only when they seek promotion. Around 160 clubs have already been contacted directly, and many others now need to review the physical design of their pitch boundary rather than treat it as something inherited and left alone.
There is no published deadline beyond “as soon as reasonably practicable”, which means clubs do not need to panic but cannot justify inaction. Where a solid wall remains close to the pitch, the responsible course is to assess it, document the risk and start a funded plan.
What immediate steps should clubs take to assess whether their current pitch perimeter complies with the new requirements?
Clubs should walk the full perimeter with a tape measure and camera, recording any brick, breeze block or concrete close enough for a player to reach at speed. That includes obvious walls, low dwarf walls under railings, concrete plinths, stand bases and clubhouse walls near the touchline.
They should also check behind advertising boards, because a board fixed to a concrete backing does not remove the hazard. The setback should be measured from the edge of the playing surface and recorded against the minimum 1.83 metres requirement, or, at Grade 1, 2.25 metres, ideally 2.75 metres. Photographs of gaps, sharp edges, protruding fixings and loose sections will help shape the specification and funding application.
For clubs that need to remove a solid wall, what are the key considerations when choosing a safer replacement system?
Start with what the barrier does when somebody hits it. Everything else – cost, appearance and lifespan – is a second-order Single mesh system — infill to the lower section. consideration because players can leave the field of play at speed and collide with whatever is there. Clubs should then establish whether the fence line needs to move.
If a wall sits 1.2 metres from the touchline, replacing it in the same position may not achieve compliance, with implications for hard standing, drainage, dugout positions and hoarding runs. This should be resolved early because it can materially change the budget.
The replacement must also be permanent and fixed; a system that can be lifted out without tools will not meet the criteria, however tidy it looks. It should include gates in the right places for players and officials, as well as maintenance and emergency vehicles.
How do Norvale Sport’s PVCu perimeter systems support clubs looking for safer, compliant and professional-looking pitchside solutions?
Norvale Sport offers three PVCu specifications to suit different levels of the game. The double mesh system is infilled top and bottom so the ball does not pass through or under, making it suitable for upper-step clubs and those with promotion ambitions.
The single mesh system carries infill to the lower section and meets the permanent barrier requirement, while the post-and-rail option provides demarcation where full ball containment is not required, such as training pitches. The system uses 127 by 127-millimetre PVCu posts on concreted foundations, bays at 2.5 metre centres, a 1.1 metre top rail height, with posts standing 1.2 metres above ground. and spectator hardstanding, and services such as drainage or irrigation should be checked before digging.
Behind the product is independent evidence clubs should expect from any supplier. The PVCu has been independently tested by SGS. Accelerated UV weathering over 1,000 hours produced no visual change, and further testing covered flexural strength, heat deflection under load and impact resistance after conditioning at minus thirty degrees. Norvale Sport provides its warranty and full manufacturer drawings on request.
What advantages do flexible or PVCu perimeter systems offer compared with traditional solid barriers, in terms of player safety, durability and maintenance?
The safety case for PVCu is simple: it flexes and absorbs energy when struck. For a structure standing only a couple of metres from the line of play, smooth profiles with no protruding fixings at body height remove the hazard rather than simply relocate it.
PVCu also gives clubs a maintenance advantage. It does not rot, rust or warp, and Norvale Sport’s system is UV-stabilised and independently tested for temperature extremes. The realistic service life is twenty to twenty-five years, compared with timber that may need treatment every two to three years and replacement once or twice over the same period. For volunteer run clubs, that can save hundreds of maintenance hours. The PVCu components carry a fifteen-year warranty.
Whilst a galvanised steel rail remains permitted, the case for PVCu is its impact behaviour and maintenance, not basic compliance. A pitch perimeter barrier is also not a security fence. It separates players from spectators and is designed to give, whereas perimeter security requires a taller, stronger fence on a different line.
What practical installation factors should clubs consider, such as run-off areas, access gates, emergency access and spectator separation?
Installation should begin with run-off, because the minimum distances drive every other decision. The barrier should sit at least 1.83 metres from the edge of the playing surface and, at Grade 1, 2.25 metres, ideally 2.75 metres. All four sides matter, because many grounds have more space along the touchlines than behind the goals.
Emergency access must work as a route, not just as a gate on a drawing. Gates should suit an ambulance, tractor or maintenance vehicle and be placed where that vehicle can reach the pitch. Player, officials’ and maintenance access should be planned together, with no gap between the barrier.
With dedicated funding available through the Premier League Stadium Fund, what advice would you give clubs preparing quotes, project plans and funding applications?
The first advice is to speak to the Premier League Stadium Fund Technical Manager before doing anything else. A new pitch perimeter barrier is typically funded at 70%, meaning the club funds 30%, while a grant of up to 100% is available where a club is required to remove or protect a solid brick, breeze block or concrete barrier.
Clubs should not order or start work before written approval, because retrospective spend does not get funded. A strong application should include total metres, height, construction, number and size of gates, a marked-up site plan and more than one like-for-like quote. It should also price demolition, disposal, making good and hardstanding works alongside the barrier.
Two points often cause delay. The Football Foundation does not fund pitch perimeter barriers required for grading and below Step 6, clubs should be realistic about national grant availability.
Clubs should also check land tenure and planning early; at 1.1 metres a pitch perimeter barrier does not generally require planning permission, but local confirmation is sensible, especially on school or council land or in a conservation area.
Norvale Sport, part of The Outdoor Look Ltd Company No. 11676614
Tel: 01282 526 428
Enquiries: Adam Evans, National Sales Manager – adam@norvalesport.co.uk
Images: The Outdoor Look/Norvale Sport
