Artificial turf is a man-made playing surface intended to replicate or replace natural grass. Essentially it is "plastic grass" embedded in recycled rubber tires. It replaced the old "Astroturf" which was basically "carpet over concrete." These new turfs and their technology make it possible for athletes to cut, plant and release just like they would on natural grass.
Artificial field turf replaces natural grass.
History
Artificial field turf has been around for more than 15 years. Two Canadians invented the product. In 2009, 22 NFL team practice on the surface and 10 use it in games. Many colleges in the United States utilize the turf. The bulk of the market for synthetic turf consists of high school fields and municipal parks and recreation fields.
Safety
There is an ongoing debate regarding the safety of field turf versus natural grass. A study by the American Journal of Sports Medicine compared the two surfaces. The study researched high school football athletes in Texas over a five-year period. They were monitored in areas such as frequency of injury, type of injury, location of injury, injury time loss and head and knee trauma.
Findings
The study found there was evidence of more injuries for the athletes who played on artificial turf than on natural grass, but the incidences were minimal. It also found there was more loss of playing time per player on natural grass when it came to sustaining head injuries and ligament injuries.
Conclusions
The study remains inconclusive because "both surfaces also exhibited unique injury patterns that warrant further investigation."
Misconceptions of Field Turf
There has also been concern over the rubber from the field turf literally getting under a player's skin. "The rubber can get in your system as much as dirt does," says Darren Gill, marketing director for FieldTurf Tarkett, one of the largest distributors of the product. "We had one reported case where a player got it in his eye and it had to be washed out."
Considerations
Field turf is cheaper to maintain than real grass because it doesn't need to be regularly watered or cut. It also does not have to be shut down in the winter like grass fields. It stands up to the abuses of multiple games over a weekend and can be used anytime.
Tags: natural grass, field turf, Artificial field, Artificial field turf, Field Turf