FIFA rules allow for tournaments to be played on artificial turf if it meets certain standards. But the men always play on the real thing at the World Cup. Turf will not be an issue at the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France, which plans to play on grass.
What is FIFA Quality for football turf?
The FIFA Quality Programme for Football Turf operates a licensing scheme for companies that are committed to quality football turf pitches and fulfil a set of stringent The installation of a football turf pitch is a four-phase process.
How long has artificial turf been used in sports?
Artificial turf has been around for decades and has been used in different sports – with varying degrees of success and intensity – since the first-generation turf of the 1960s.
How are football turf pitches installed?
The installation of a football turf pitch is a four-phase process. In phase one – the tender process – the community or club should gather detailed information on artificial surfaces and define a procurement process for the installation.
Does FIFA require grass for World Cup?
Because FIFA, soccer's global governing body, has a firm requirement that any stadium hosting the 2026 World Cup must have a natural-grass playing surface, Mercedes-Benz Stadium's artificial turf would have to be temporarily replaced with real grass, which would have to be kept thriving for more than a month.
Are World Cup games played on turf?
FIFA World Cup matches are only played on natural-grass fields, a measure that has been in place ever since the first match 92 years ago. Along with the Arlington stadium, nearly half of the venues selected use some variation of turf.
Does FIFA use real grass?
“The pitch shall feature a natural grass playing surface,” FIFA's bidding requirements state. “Hybrid-grass systems are considered natural grass according to FIFA's requirements and hybrid reinforcement should be considered for stadium pitches.”
What grass is used in FIFA?
Platinum TE™ Paspalum Selected as Exclusive Turfgrass of FIFA World Cup 2022.
Where will the 2026 final be held?
FIFA announced on Wednesday the 16 North American cities that will host matches for the 2026 World Cup, with 11 venues chosen in the United States, three in Mexico and two in Canada.
Will 2026 World Cup have 48 teams?
MetLife Stadium has been chosen as one of the host stadiums for the 2026 World Cup, FIFA announced recently. Sixteen cities across the United States, Mexico and Canada will host 48 teams for the 2026 competition.
Do footballers like turf?
Seventy-two percent of players prefer playing on natural grass and 15 percent favor infill systems; 11% had no prefer- ence and the others didn't respond. Nearly 62% thought playing on syn- thetic turf would negatively affect their health after their careers are over.
Why is turf bad for soccer?
Although there is some debate around the differences in turf and grass safety, the general consensus is that turf increases players' injury risk. One study found that the rate of ACL injuries increased by 45% on turf, largely due to cleats failing to grip to the artificial grass as they do on natural grass.
Are Premier League pitches real grass?
It is made up of a mixture of natural grass and artificial fibres but it passes the FA's rules regarding such a thing because of the amount of artificial grass fibres in play on any given pitch. The fibres are injected into the turf twenty centimetres deep and only cover about 3% of the entire surface of the pitch.
Is Emirates Stadium real grass?
Artificial grass has been woven into the playing surface at Wembley since 2019. Those artificial grass blades have been stitched into layers of sand beneath the surface. In total, 97% of the Wembley pitch is natural and 3% artificial.
Is Wembley stadium grass or turf?
Wembley Stadium's hallowed turf is one of the greatest and greenest pitches on the planet.
Which stadiums use real grass?
Green Bay Packers, Lambeau Field, Desso GrassMaster. Houston Texans, NRG Stadium, Hellas Matrix Turf. Indianapolis Colts, Lucas Oil Stadium, Shaw Sports Momentum Pro. Jacksonville Jaguars, TIAA Bank Field, Bermuda grass.
The development of the standard
The benchmark for testing from the start is a natural grass pitch in good condition. The artificial surface is only awarded one of the FIFA quality marks and called football turf if it meets the requirements set out in the Handbook of Requirements.
Additional quality assurance by FIFA
As well as the mandatory testing procedures, FIFA carries out additional quality assurance checks on randomly selected pitches. The aim of these assessments is to support the end consumer by providing guidance on how to use and maintain the field correctly. Furthermore, the manufacturer will be informed if repair work is needed.
Multi-use
One of the benefits of football turf is the fact that the field can be used for all kinds of events without damaging the quality of the football pitch, provided that correct maintenance is available.
No sunlight required
Football turf is the perfect solution for indoor facilities or stadiums with large areas of shade on the field. Artificial pitches do not require any sunlight and are therefore more cost-efficient in terms of running costs than natural grass.
Higher usage
Communities as well as amateur and professional clubs often face the problem of natural grass pitches getting worn out due to intense use. A lack of space and high investment and maintenance costs mean that they are unable to install additional natural grass pitches.
Weather-resistant
League matches and training sessions can take place on football turf pitches throughout the year, even in poor weather conditions,. A higher percentage of league matches, especially at amateur level, can be played – not only in places with extreme weather conditions, but also in regions with a temperate climate.
Research and development
Research and development is a crucial part of the FIFA Quality Programme with the aim of continuously improving the quality of football turf, which is why FIFA conducts player surveys, perception studies and case studies in order to identify the players’ needs, to obtain scientific findings on the existing problems, and to improve and develop testing requirements for the standard..
