Lawn is worn but also is play area

There is discussion with our board about one particular house in our 48 house community where their front lawn is worn because kids use it as a play area every day. It doesn’t look great but also we don’t want to be the board that says children can’t play on lawns. Our governing documents allow the board a fair amount of flexibility to what constitutes “in good repair” for lawns. We tend to be a very light touch HOA and the only thing we really notice people for on lawns is when they get too long. Also summer is coming soon and looks like a drought. Our city will probably recommend or encourage “golden” lawns for water conservation. Any other boards face similar discussions about lawns?

Say nothing about the children being the cause of the worn lawn. Why? Because this is an invitation to a Fair Housing complaint.

Exactly what do the covenants (not board-created rules) require for front lawns? Quoting verbatim from your HOA's covenants would be best.

First, I must say I've probably been known as the "mean ole lady" who gives people a side eye when kids use my lawn as a football/soccer field because they don't ask permission. I agree kids need a place to play, but rather than assume, they can ask. Or use their own lawns or the grass in the area where our playground equipment is located. Hasn't been a problem in recent years - the kids usually kick around the ball in the cul de sacs near their homes and most of the time, they know to get out of the way when a car approaches.

All of that said, has anyone talked to the homeowner about the lawn? If some or all of the kids live there, we can assume they don't have a problem with them playing there, and if no one's complained, as Tim noted, leave it alone.

You might also want to come up with a definition of "good repair lawn" - it's not that complicated. Why not start off with no weeds, no dog poo (or poo from other domesticated critters), no tire trucks (in fact, keep vehicles off the grass) and keep it cut (if it's up to your knees, that's a problem because tall grass attracts vermin)? If you're seeing those issues, have a talk with the owner and check your documents to clarify who's responsible for lawn upkeep (which is where you should have started). If it's the association, the board should be able to set some guidelines on what constitutes "good repair" because if you wind up with soil runoff, as Kelly mentioned, that can result in more cost to the association to fix. And if that becomes an issue, the homeowner should be responsible for paying for the damage.