Coaches have complained about surfaces when they fell short of expected standards with Melbourne Victory coach Ernie Merrick leading the pack of those speaking out this year.

But a survey of skippers has revealed that while Brisbane Roar may have endured something of a bumpy campaign so far, it's smooth going as far as their playing surface is concerned.

At the start of this season, the PFA introduced a new pitch ratings system in a move designed to push for quality surfaces and ensure player safety.

The system calls for the captains of visiting teams to evaluate the A-League pitches each round based on their overall quality, hardness, pace and smoothness.  Players give each field a mark out of five on all four criteria. 

The first set of results for the season has now been released and Suncorp is top of the pile with an average rating of 4.5. Hindmarsh Stadium is second, ahead of Bluetongue Stadium.

At the other end of the scale, Victory may be the current champions but visiting captains clearly don't believe the grass is greener in Melbourne.

Etihad Stadium's average mark is just over two with both Skilled Park and EnergyAustralia Stadium both struggling for approval as well.

While both Gold Coast United and Newcastle Jets play at grounds also used for rugby league, the same also applies to top-performing Suncorp raising questions over the reasons for the poor conditions.

"The results show that while some clubs are meeting the standard required for top-tier professional football, others need to be improved in order to ensure player health and safety," said a PFA spokesman.

"Additionally, excellent pitches provide players with the opportunity to express their technical skills and provide a more entertaining spectacle for A-League fans.

"It will be interesting to see if and how the players' views change over the course of the season, as the hot summer months kick in and the demands of competing football codes give way in the multipurpose stadia."