Safe Grounds

More in this section

• Teamwork
• ESG Criteria
• Safe Grounds
• Ecological Transition
• Benefit Activities
• FAQ 01 Issues in Fields
• FAQ 02 Player Safety
• FAQ 03 The Risks of Rubber
• FAQ 04 Zinc in Rubber
• FAQ 05 Advice to Players
• FAQ 06 How does POWERgrass solve?
• FAQ 07 Sports Fields Standards
• FAQ 08 Hours of play per week
• FAQ 09 Cost-Benefit Analysis
• FAQ 10 Regular vs Extraordinary
• FAQ 11 The Challenges of Sports Fields
• FAQ 12 Environmental standards and the field
• FAQ 13 Meaning of Sustainable Fields
• FAQ 14 Fields and Greenwashing

The safety of playing on a natural hybrid or synthetic field is a topic that has been the subject of various studies over the past 20 years. Certainly, we know three things 1) players love a well-maintained natural grass field, 2) changing the type of field between training and matches is more risky, and 3) bad weather can carry broken loose synthetic fibres, polluting the waters, but can also make a natural field impractical without a good drainage system.

The POWERgrass mixed cover combines the benefits of natural and synthetic grass!

Official game of Sutton on POWERgrass - winter 2021

The topic of player safety has been addressed by numerous studies over the years. Some have shown that natural grass is superior to synthetic grass, sparking protests from the industry. Others have suggested that there are no substantial differences and that in some cases synthetic grass is equivalent to natural grass. The industry argues that it's a matter of habit and that future generations used to playing on synthetic grass won't complain, but this is only because they won't know how much better it is to play on a pitch of natural grass.

Villa Stuart in Rome, a clinic specialised in treating sports injuries, argues that players experience more muscle problems when they change the type of sports surface between training on a synthetic field and matches on a natural grass stadium.

The issue is complex, but the player's perception counts more than anything else because it is they who have to give their best when they feel secure. It's no coincidence that a growing number of professionals categorically refuse to play on synthetic grass. In the USA, NFL players have already asked to change synthetic fields to natural grass. In the UK, from the fourth professional level upwards, the game is played exclusively on natural/ hybrid grass. In fact, Sutton United FC, south of London, was promoted in 2021 and switched its synthetic field to a POWERgrass hybrid one.

In fact, since 2012, there has been a reversal of this trend because synthetic fields did not satisfy professional players while those made with natural grass made groundsmen's work difficult. But this is no longer a problem, as a good hybrid can be obtained with POWERgrass technology.

Indeed, since 2012 there has been a trend reversal because synthetic fields have not convinced professional players, while natural grass makes the work of groundsmen difficult. However, this is no longer a problem, as a good hybrid can be made available with POWERgrass technology.

The POWERgrass hybrid turf offers the comfort of natural grass!

A synthetic grass field is always better than a natural grass field full of holes but, on the other hand, the significant rise in temperature in synthetic surfaces during sunny days is incontestable. Reports indicate surface temperatures of traditional synthetic grass upwards of 35-60°C higher than the surface temperature of natural grass mats. Surface temperatures of synthetic grass systems have been reported up to 93°C on a sunny day when the air temperature was 37°C. Researchers have concluded that the heat transfer from the surface to the athlete's foot provides a physiological stress that can cause serious health problems related to heat.

The application of an irrigation system helps, but it does not seem to solve the problem entirely, as the temperature rises again to high values after 15-20 minutes. Source Penn State University https://plantscience.psu.edu/

When it's hot, only natural grass offers a comfortable environment for athletes and spectators. Natural grass, through the process of transpiration, also refreshes the air and environment like all other plants. During the summer period, if properly nurtured beforehand, through a judicious management of water for irrigation, it can withstand summer heat stress and increase its ability to cool the environment while consuming a minimal amount of irrigation water. The POWERgrass technical staff recommends the installation of large storage tanks in order to conserve the rainwater filtered by the lawn and collected through the drainage system for irrigation for at least 7-10 days during drought periods.

The standards of natural/hybrid grass playing surfaces

The scientific community over the past two decades has developed easy-to-measure quality standards to maintain game performance and safety. Once the natural/hybrid field is installed and throughout the competitive season, the playing surface must meet the following requirements:

1. Surface
   1. A playing surface covered by at least 75% with natural or synthetic grass and free of holes greater than 50 mm in diameter and 20 mm deep.
   2. Surface leveling is uniform across the slopes in relation to the peripheral broths, with a continuous slope and without hollows or bumps greater than 20 mm over 6 linear meters from the center of the field towards the game line, according to the specifications of the project:
      • Slope between 0.3 and 0.5% if the field is leveled to four slopes or
      • Maximum slope of 0.6% if the field is leveled to two slopes.
   3. Uniform planarity with a tolerance of 10 mm over 3 linear meters.
   4. Saturated hydraulic conductivity of the growth substrate, depending on the intensity of field usage:
      • Greater than 150 mm per hour for moderate use, up to 300 hours per year or
      • Greater than 360 mm per hour, for intensive use, exceeding 300 hours per year.
   5. Bounce and rolling of the ball within the limits set by Federal regulations:
      • Ball bounce from 0.60 m to 1.00 m
      • Ball rolling from 4 to 12 m
   6. Impact absorption in the range of 65-100 G (first impact values) with the 2.25 kg Clegg hammer.
   7. Surface traction, or the resistance to the rotating force of the studded disc between 35 and 65 N.
   8. Soil compaction measured by the resistance to penetration of the probe, which must be less than 200 psi (1380 kilopascals).

   The POWERgrass hybrid system belongs to the category of hybrids with open support that provide all the above characteristics at competitive prices and require reduced maintenance compared to any other solution.

   Only the POWERgrass hybrid system allows the maintenance of the high quality standards that natural grass offers and, at the same time, ensures a field that is always playable, regardless of weather conditions and in the event that natural grass gives way.

   Please note: for artificial turf fields, the LND authorization protocol for amateur fields or FIFA for entirely synthetic fields must be followed.