Footballers like to play on artificial playing surfaces that mimic the performance and playability of grass. Artificial grass has been popular for over a decade, but only recently has it advanced to a stage where it’s nice to play on.
Five-a-side is a little bit different because it takes place mostly indoors. In this particular environment, hard surfaces aren’t a bad thing because slide tackles don’t happen. Timber or PU makes for a decent indoor five-a-side pitch.
2G pitches
2G pitches have a sand-based base and a very short pile carpet style surface. This kind of pitch is widely used for hockey. Footballers don’t like to play on it because it’s unforgiving and can give wicked carpet burns.
3G pitches
3G pitches are far more advanced than 2G pitches. They are made up of long pile synthetic grass with a rubber infill. The rubber infill provides bounce and cushioning. The performance of a 3G pitch can be very similar to a real pitch.
3G pitches are used by professional clubs. According to the FA, only 3G pitches that have a valid performance test can be used for league matches and pro games. If you will be using the pitch professionally, we can supply graded pitches.
4G pitches
4G pitches are not a mainstream product nor are they endorsed by the FA. The idea is that they do away with a rubber infill and instead use several different synthetic piles to improve playability. For now, this football flooring is only a concept.
Hard surfaces
Five-a-side teams playing indoors can play on hardwood flooring or PU flooring, so long as it’s non-slip. These hard surfaces are not suitable for regular games, but football without any tackling is absolutely fine for a hard surface.
Which football flooring is best?
2G pitches are better for hockey than football and 4G pitches are not a credible product right now. 3G pitches are the best footballing surface you can get for outdoors and indoors, but you can also use a hard surface indoors.
While 3G pitches are preferred by professionals, they aren’t as expensive as you’d think. We supply artificial grass for competitive prices. We provide free quotes and advice, so feel free to get in touch for a friendly chat about your project.