Artificial football fields are composed of 90 to 95% natural turf and 10 to 5% synthetic fibres. The synthetic fibres can be either distributed evenly across the field or strategically placed in areas of high wear like the 6 yard box.
Although artificial football fields reduce pitch wear and extend the life of the field, they are a relatively unknown innovation.
Artificial football pitches have only become a mainstream product over the last ten years which is far less than artificial grass pitches. Artificial grass completely replaces natural turf whereas an artificial field uses natural and synthetic turf.
Playing on an artificial football field is exactly the same as playing on a natural field and there are two main kinds of application:
Even distribution
Artificial football fields with consistent placement of the artificial (synthetic) fibres offer consistent performance and wear across the pitch. This is the preferred option. Areas with higher wear can also have more synthetic fibres.
Strategic distribution
Artificial football fields with strategic placement of the artificial (synthetic) fibres offer improved wear in areas of high wear and natural wear elsewhere. For example, the middle of the pitch will be natural, and the 6 yard box will be partly synthetic.
Artificial grass pitches
Artificial grass pitches are composed of 100% artificial turf. The pile height is typically 25mm to 35mm. These pitches offer the highest wear resistance, however they play differently to a natural pitch and limit the use of slide tackles due to turf burn.
If you have a natural pitch that experiences a lot of wear, an artificial football field will offer much longer playing hours with reduced wear. This will be useful for hosting tournaments and football championships. Schools are also good candidates for artificial football fields, and we are seeing an increase in schools adopting them.
Is an artificial football field right for you?
Artificial football fields are less common than artificial grass pitches however they retain the natural playability of grass with increased wear resistance.
The Advantages Of Artificial Football Fields
Natural turf is great for nature and provides the purest football experience, but it’s expensive to maintain and suffers in wet weather. These drawbacks have fuelled investment in artificial football fields. Professional football clubs, training centres and even recreational facilities like schools are choosing artificial grass over natural grass.
The reason for this is simple – artificial grass requires no maintenance and it provides a consistent user experience. If you are considering artificial vs natural grass in your search for a pitch, here are 10 advantages to choosing artificial:
- No maintenance
Artificial football fields require no maintenance whatsoever. This frees up groundskeeper time and significantly reduces your total cost of ownership.
- No watering
Artificial football fields do not need expensive sprinkler systems. Again, this reduces your total cost of ownership and simplifies the engineering behind the pitch.
- Save money
Artificial football fields are cheaper than natural fields. This is especially true for professional natural pitches which can cost upwards of £500,000.
- Ideal drainage
Artificial football fields do not absorb and hold water. Rain will pass through the fibres and membrane so long as there is a sufficient drainage layer.
- No tearing
Artificial football fields do not tear up under play. This advantage is particularly significant in wet weather which softens natural turf.
- All-weather performance
Even in wet weather, artificial football fields deliver consistent, non-slip performance. This allows footballers to play every day of the year.
- Indoors and outdoors
Artificial football fields are ideal for indoor and outdoor use, delivering ideal performance in all environments from schools to football training centres.
- Installation opportunities
Artificial football fields can be installed on surfaces that are not ideal for natural grass, such as concrete base layers and uneven ground.
- Mimic the feel of real grass
Although artificial football fields play differently to natural grass, the gap in performance and playability has decreased significantly in recent years.
- Used by professional clubs
Top clubs across the football pyramid train on 3G pitches. If artificial football fields are good enough for professional clubs, they are good enough for anyone.
Get a quote for an artificial pitch
We offer a wide range of artificial football pitches, including Team Cup and Team Arena pitches which are suitable for professional use. Our pitches conform to sport specific shock pad performance requirements as per FA specifications.
An artificial football field will be right for you if your football pitch gets a lot of wear. For free advice and to discuss your football pitch surfacing project, call us on +44 1706 260 220 or email us at sales@tvs-sportssurfaces.com. Thank you.
