FieldTurf

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FieldTurf
JMU Bridgeforth Fieldturf.JPG
FieldTurf at Bridgeforth Stadium at James Madison University on May 7, 2007
Product type Artificial turf
Owner Tarkett
Introduced1988;36 years ago (1988)
Related brands AstroTurf
Poly-Turf
Website fieldturf.com

FieldTurf is a brand of artificial turf playing surface. It is manufactured and installed by FieldTurf Tarkett, a division of French company Tarkett. FieldTurf is headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and its primary manufacturing facility is located in Calhoun, Georgia, United States. With a design intended to more accurately replicate real grass, [1] the new product rapidly gained popularity in the late 1990s. [2]

Contents

History

Jean Prévost bought the patent of the FieldTurf product in 1988, and originally named his Montreal-based company SynTenni Co., a name which would eventually be dropped in favor of FieldTurf Inc. [3] In 1995, John Gilman, a former Canadian Football League player and coach, joined FieldTurf as CEO.

In 1997, FieldTurf made its first major installation for a professional team, at the training facility for the English Premiership's Middlesbrough F.C. As of 2012, FieldTurf has installed over 7000 athletic fields. [4]

In 2005, French flooring manufacturer and minority shareholder Tarkett increased its share in FieldTurf, which led to the integration of the two companies. [5] FieldTurf is a part of the Tarkett Sports division of the holding company Tarkett SA.

In May 2010, FieldTurf acquired the American company EasyTurf of San Diego, California, as a way to gain entry into the rapidly growing residential and commercial synthetic grass markets in the United States. [6]

Product details

FieldTurf at Mackay Stadium the University of Nevada, Reno at a view from the upper southeast corner during the game vs. New Mexico on October 10, 2015 Mackay 10oct2015.jpg
FieldTurf at Mackay Stadium the University of Nevada, Reno at a view from the upper southeast corner during the game vs. New Mexico on October 10, 2015

The surface is composed of monofilament polyethylene-blend fibers tufted into a polypropylene backing. The infill is composed of a bottom layer of silica sand, a middle layer which is a mixture of sand and cryogenic rubber, and a top layer of only rubber. The fibers are meant to replicate blades of grass, while the infill acts as a cushion. This cushion is intended to improve safety when compared to earlier artificial surfaces and allows players to plant and pivot as if they were playing on a grass field. [7]

Each square foot of turf contains about 3 kg (7 lb) of sand and 1.5 kg (3 lb) of cryogenic rubber. FieldTurf does not use shock-absorbency pads below its infill. The backing of the turf is a combination of woven and nonwoven polypropylene. These materials are permeable and allow water to drain through the backing itself. [8]

Safety

Some evidence shows higher player injury on artificial turf. In a study performed by the National Football League Injury and Safety Panel, published in the October 2012 issue of the American Journal of Sports Medicine, Elliott B. Hershman et al. reviewed injury data from NFL games played between 2000 and 2009. They wrote, "...the injury rate of knee sprains as a whole was 22% higher on FieldTurf than on natural grass. While MCL sprains did not occur at a rate significantly higher than on grass, rates of ACL sprains were 67% higher on FieldTurf." [9]

Studies of the safety of FieldTurf are conflicting. A five-year study funded by FieldTurf and published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine found that injury rates for high-school sports were similar on natural grass and synthetic turf. However, notable differences in the types of injuries were found. Athletes playing on synthetic turf sustained more skin injuries and muscle strains, while those who played on natural grass were more susceptible to concussions and ligament tears. [10] In 2010, another FieldTurf-funded but peer-reviewed study was published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine, this time on NCAA Division I-A football, concluding that in many cases, games played on FieldTurf-branded products led to fewer injuries than those played on natural grass. [11] However, the NFL's Injury and Safety Panel presented a study finding that anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries happened 88% more often in games played on FieldTurf than in games played on grass. [12] In 2012, the Injury and Safety Panel published an independently funded analysis of actual game data over the 2000–2009 seasons. Their statistically significant findings showed a 67% higher rate of ACL sprains and 31% higher rate of eversion ankle sprains. [13]

Uses

Gridiron football

The first installation of FieldTurf in the United States took place at Dick Bivins Stadium in Amarillo, Texas (which was the home field for the Amarillo Independent School District's football teams) in 1998. The first major college football installation was at University of Nebraska's Memorial Stadium in 1999. The following year, it was installed at the two Pac-10 stadiums: Martin Stadium in Pullman, Washington and Husky Stadium in Seattle. The first installation in an NFL (and by extension, professional) stadium was in 2002, at the Seattle Seahawks' new stadium, known as Lumen Field. Originally planned to have a natural grass field, the Seahawks instead decided to install FieldTurf after they had played the two previous seasons in Husky Stadium on that surface. [14]

Association football

FieldTurf's first high-profile installation came in January 1997 as English club Middlesbrough chose FieldTurf for its new training field. Only artificial fields with FIFA-recommended 2-star status can be used in FIFA and UEFA Finals competitions. Other FIFA and UEFA competitions require at least 1-star status.[ citation needed ]

In 2001, Boston University's FieldTurf soccer field became FieldTurf's first to obtain FIFA 1-star status. In 2005, Saprissa Stadium in San José, Costa Rica became the first stadium to host a FIFA World Cup qualifying match on FieldTurf. The Dundalk F.C. Stadium, Oriel Park, received FieldTurf's first FIFA 2-star rating. FieldTurf has 29 FIFA-recommended 1-Star installations and 31 FIFA Recommended 2-Star installations as of 2009. [15] [16] In 2007, the FIFA U-20 World Cup Canada had almost 50% of its games played on FieldTurf. [17]

Major League Soccer

The use of FieldTurf in Major League Soccer (MLS) has received criticism.

The installation of the surface at CenturyLink Field in Seattle was approved only after the operator of the then-new stadium agreed to install a natural grass field when needed. Their concern derived from the surface potentially hindering the city's ability to attract an MLS franchise and international soccer events. [18]

In September 2006, several top Canadian soccer players appealed to the Canadian Soccer Association to install a natural grass surface at BMO Field in Toronto. [19] The club removed the FieldTurf playing surface and switched to a traditional grass surface starting in 2010. [20]

Following David Beckham's move to Major League Soccer in 2007, he voiced his opinion that the league should convert to grass for all pitches. In an apology, he stated that the surface is fine at lower levels, but that his feelings had not changed about the MLS use because of the toll the harder surface takes on the body. [21] [22] [23] Thierry Henry never played at Seattle's CenturyLink Field during his time in MLS due to the surface. [24] [25]

Public works

A specialized version of FieldTurf called Air FieldTurf has been installed to cover the edges of runways at several airports. [26] [27]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AstroTurf</span> Brand of artificial turf

AstroTurf is an American subsidiary of SportGroup that produces artificial turf for playing surfaces in sports. The original AstroTurf product was a short-pile synthetic turf invented in 1965 by Monsanto. Since the early 2000s, AstroTurf has marketed taller pile systems that use infill materials to better replicate natural turf. In 2016, AstroTurf became a subsidiary of German-based SportGroup, a family of sports surfacing companies, which itself is owned by the investment firm Equistone Partners Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lumen Field</span> Multi-purpose stadium in Seattle, Washington, U.S.

Lumen Field is a multi-purpose stadium in Seattle, Washington, United States. Located in the city's SoDo neighborhood, it is the home field for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL), Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer (MLS), and Seattle Reign FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Originally called Seahawks Stadium, it was renamed Qwest Field in June 2004 when telecommunications carrier Qwest acquired the naming rights. The stadium became known as CenturyLink Field following Qwest's June 2011 acquisition by CenturyLink and was nicknamed "The Clink" as a result; it received its current name in November 2020 with CenturyLink's rebrand to Lumen Technologies. It is a modern facility with views of the Downtown Seattle skyline and a seating capacity of 68,740 spectators for NFL games and 37,722 for most MLS matches. The complex also includes the Event Center which is home to the Washington Music Theater, a parking garage, and a public plaza. The venue hosts concerts, trade shows, and consumer shows along with sporting events. Located within a mile (1.6 km) of Downtown Seattle, the stadium is accessible by multiple freeways and forms of mass transit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NRG Stadium</span> Stadium in Houston, Texas, United States

NRG Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Houston, Texas, United States. Construction was completed in 2002, at a cost of $352 million and has a seating capacity of 72,220. It was the first NFL facility to have a retractable roof.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Husky Stadium</span> Stadium at the University of Washington

Husky Stadium is an outdoor football stadium in the northwest United States, located on the campus of the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington. It has been home to the Washington Huskies of the Big Ten Conference since 1920, hosting their football games. It also briefly hosted the Seattle Seahawks of the NFL in 2000 and 2001 while Qwest Field was being constructed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commonwealth Stadium</span> Multiuse stadium in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Commonwealth Stadium is an open-air, multipurpose stadium located in the McCauley neighbourhood of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It has a seating capacity of 56,302, making it the largest open-air stadium in Canada. Primarily used for Canadian football, it also hosts athletics, soccer, rugby union and concerts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BC Place</span> Stadium in Vancouver, Canada

BC Place is a multi-purpose stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Located at the north side of False Creek, it is owned and operated by the BC Pavilion Corporation (PavCo), a crown corporation of the province.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Providence Park</span> Sports stadium in Portland, Oregon, United States

Providence Park is an outdoor soccer venue located in the Goose Hollow neighborhood of Portland, Oregon. It is the home of the Portland Timbers of Major League Soccer (MLS) and Portland Thorns FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Providence Park is currently the oldest facility to be configured as a soccer-specific stadium for use by an MLS team, and is one of the most historic grounds used by any United States professional soccer team. It has existed in rudimentary form since 1893, and as a complete stadium since 1926.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soccer-specific stadium</span> Type of sports stadium

A soccer-specific stadium, mainly in the United States and Canada, is a sports stadium either purpose-built or fundamentally redesigned for soccer and whose primary function is to host soccer matches, as opposed to a multi-purpose stadium which is for a variety of sports. A soccer-specific stadium may host other sporting events and concerts, but the design and purpose of a soccer-specific stadium is primarily for soccer. Some facilities have a permanent stage at one end of the stadium used for staging concerts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Artificial turf</span> Surface of synthetic fibers made to look like natural grass

Artificial turf is a surface of synthetic fibers made to look like natural grass, used in sports arenas, residential lawns and commercial applications that traditionally use grass. It is much more durable than grass and easily maintained without irrigation or trimming, although periodic cleaning is required. Stadiums that are substantially covered and/or at high latitudes often use artificial turf, as they typically lack enough sunlight for photosynthesis and substitutes for solar radiation are prohibitively expensive and energy-intensive. Disadvantages include increased risk of injury especially when used in athletic competition, as well as health and environmental concerns about the petroleum and toxic chemicals used in its manufacture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Faurot Field</span> Stadium in Columbia, MO, USA

Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium is an outdoor sports stadium in Columbia, Missouri, United States, on the campus of the University of Missouri. It is primarily used for football and serves as the home field for the Missouri Tigers' program. It is the third-largest sports facility by seating capacity in the state of Missouri, behind The Dome at America's Center in St. Louis and Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. In 1972, Memorial Stadium's playing surface was named Faurot Field in honor of longtime coach Don Faurot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BMO Field</span> Stadium in Toronto

BMO Field is an outdoor stadium located at Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Constructed on the former Exhibition Stadium site and first opened in 2007, it is the home field of Toronto FC of Major League Soccer (MLS) and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL). BMO Field is owned by the City of Toronto and managed by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, which owns both Toronto FC and the Argonauts. The stadium's naming rights are held by the Bank of Montreal, which is commonly branded as "BMO". It is one of two Canadian stadiums which will host matches of the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup. An expansion for the tournament will bring the stadium's capacity to 45,736 seats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Starfire Sports</span> Stadium and sports facility in Tukwila, Washington, U.S.

Starfire Sports is a multi-purpose stadium and sporting facility in Tukwila, Washington, United States. It is located on the banks of the Green River, just south of Seattle. The stadium is operated by the nonprofit corporation Starfire Sports and is home to several soccer and rugby teams. At the time of its opening, CEO Chris Slatt claimed it was "the largest synthetic-turf soccer complex in the U.S."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saputo Stadium</span> 20,800-seat soccer stadium in Montreal

Saputo Stadium is a soccer-specific stadium at Olympic Park in the borough of Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The stadium opened on May 21, 2008, and is the current home of CF Montréal. The stadium is built on the former practice track and field site on the grounds of the 1976 Summer Olympics, while the stadium's east side has a view of Olympic Stadium's inclined tower. It has a capacity of 19,619, making it the second-largest soccer-specific stadium in Canada, after BMO Field in Toronto.

GrassMaster is a hybrid grass sports playing field surface composed of natural grass combined with artificial fibres. The method was developed and patented by Desso Sports from the Netherlands in 1993. This hybrid grass system is now marketed and further developed by Tarkett Sports after a takeover of Desso Sports and has since been re-branded as GrassMaster.

Poly-Turf was a brand of artificial turf in the early 1970s, manufactured by American Biltrite of Wellesley, Massachusetts. It was the first specifically designed for American football, with a patented layered structure which included a "shock pad" between the artificial grass and the asphalt sub-surface. It used polypropylene for its artificial grass blades, rather than the nylon used in AstroTurf and 3M's Tartan Turf.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Croix-Bleue Medavie Stadium</span> University track and field stadium in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada

Croix-Bleue Medavie Stadium, formerly Moncton Stadium, is a track and field stadium on the campus of the Université de Moncton in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada, built to host the IAAF 2010 World Junior Championships in Athletics. The $17 million venue opened in 2010. Although seating capacity had fluctuated early in construction, the stadium has 8,300 permanent seats, and is expandable to 25,000 via temporary seating. It is the home field for the Moncton Aigles Bleus soccer teams.

Omniturf is a brand of sand in-filled second-generation artificial turf. It was the first artificial surface to be used by an English Football League club.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MLS Cup 2009</span> 2009 edition of the MLS Cup

MLS Cup 2009 was the 14th edition of the MLS Cup, the championship match of Major League Soccer (MLS). The soccer match took place on November 22, 2009, at Qwest Field in Seattle, Washington, and was contested between the Los Angeles Galaxy and Real Salt Lake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Highmark Stadium (Pennsylvania)</span> Soccer stadium in Pennsylvania, U.S.

Highmark Stadium is a 5,000-seat soccer-specific stadium in Pittsburgh's Station Square which is home to Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC of the USL Championship and the Pittsburgh Thunderbirds of the American Ultimate Disc League. The stadium was also home to the Pittsburgh Rebellion women's football team for 2017. Three local colleges use the stadium for soccer, lacrosse and rugby, and six different local high schools will use the field for soccer and lacrosse. The $10.2 million project began with the demolishing and excavating of the former Trib Total Media Amphitheatre, building foundations for the scoreboard, light poles and grading foundations for the grandstands as well as the installation of underground utilities. The field surface is FIFA 2-star certified artificial turf, the highest rating that an artificial surface can achieve, one of only six fields in the country to earn that rating. Other fields to earn this rating in the United States include: Providence Park, CenturyLink Field, and Gillette Stadium, all of which house Major League Soccer franchises.

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The Edmonton Soccer Dome is an air-supported structure located in Edmonton, Canada.

References

  1. ↑ Benjamin, Amalie (October 16, 2005). "Magic carpet". The Boston Globe. Retrieved November 5, 2017.
  2. ↑ Whitters, James (September 19, 2004). "This grass is greener". The Boston Globe. Retrieved November 5, 2017.
  3. ↑ "Field Turf Company Description". Hoover's A D&B Company. Retrieved December 18, 2008.
  4. ↑ "NFL Players Rank FieldTurf as Best Artificial Turf Field in the League for Tenth Year in a Row". Prweb.com. Archived from the original on February 9, 2011. Retrieved November 5, 2017.
  5. ↑ "Artificial turf pair complete merger". All Business, a D&B company. Retrieved September 19, 2005.
  6. ↑ "FieldTurf and EasyTurf Join Forces" (Press release). Archived from the original on July 9, 2013. Retrieved May 31, 2013.}[ when? ]
  7. ↑ "Field Of Greens". CNN. October 18, 1999. Archived from the original on December 2, 2012. Retrieved May 2, 2010.
  8. ↑ "Design and Construction". FieldTurf Tarkett. Archived from the original on December 17, 2008. Retrieved January 5, 2009.
  9. ↑ David Geier (January 18, 2013). "Is an ACL tear more common on artificial turf or grass?". drdavidgeier.com. Retrieved November 5, 2017.
  10. ↑ "Study compares high school athlete injuries on natural turf and FieldTurf". Athletic Turf News. Archived from the original on August 24, 2006. Retrieved October 27, 2004.
  11. ↑ Meyers, Michael C (2010). "Incidence, Mechanisms, and Severity of Game-Related College Football Injuries on FieldTurf Versus Natural Grass A 3-Year Prospective Study" (PDF). The American Journal of Sports Medicine. 38 (4). American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine: 687–697. doi:10.1177/0363546509352464. PMID   20075177. S2CID   28236245. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 22, 2013.
  12. ↑ "Panel: Knee, ankle injury higher on turf". ESPN . March 12, 2010. Retrieved November 5, 2017.
  13. ↑ Hershman, E. B.; Anderson, R; Bergfeld, J. A.; Bradley, J. P.; Coughlin, M. J.; Johnson, R. J.; Spindler, K. P.; Wojtys, E; Powell, J. W.; National Football League Injury Safety Panel; Casolaro, M. A.; Mayer, T.; Pellman, E.; Tessendorf, W.; Tucker, A. (2012). "An analysis of specific lower extremity injury rates on grass and Field Turf playing surfaces in National Football League Games: 2000–2009 seasons". The American Journal of Sports Medicine. 40 (10): 2200–5. doi:10.1177/0363546512458888. PMID   22972855. S2CID   35714533.
  14. ↑ "FieldTurf: Field Turf to be Installed at Multi-Purpose Stadium". fieldturf.com (Press release). Retrieved November 5, 2017.[ when? ]
  15. ↑ "FIFA 1-Star Installation". FIFA. Archived from the original on April 20, 2009.
  16. ↑ "FIFA 2-Star Installations". FIFA.[ dead link ]
  17. ↑ "FIELDTURF DUO STARS AT THE UNDER 20'S WORLD CUP FINALS IN CANADA". erdc.co.uk. Archived from the original on February 10, 2009. Retrieved November 5, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  18. ↑ "Turf battle ends as stadium board approves FieldTurf". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. September 27, 2001.
  19. ↑ "Don't use artificial grass in Toronto FC stadium: players". globeandmail.com. Retrieved February 12, 2007.[ dead link ]
  20. ↑ "Grass Installation Underway". Toronto FC. March 29, 2010. Archived from the original on January 2, 2015. Retrieved October 1, 2013.
  21. ↑ "Beckham apologizes for ripping FieldTurf". August 10, 2007. Archived from the original on October 19, 2012. Retrieved November 13, 2013.
  22. ↑ "Beckham apologizes for turf remarks". USA Today. August 9, 2007. Retrieved October 6, 2007.
  23. ↑ "Beckham Speaks". Washington Post. Archived from the original on July 29, 2012. Retrieved October 6, 2007.
  24. ↑ Richard Farley (September 25, 2013). "'Turf' in the Pacific Northwest: The spectrum of MLS's three Cascadia venues". Prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com. Retrieved November 5, 2017.
  25. ↑ "Red Bulls star Henry to stay off Seattle's turf". nydailynews.com. September 27, 2013. Retrieved November 5, 2017.
  26. ↑ "Air FieldTurf: Groundcover with a Difference". Fieldturf.com. Archived from the original on November 5, 2011. Retrieved November 5, 2017.
  27. ↑ "Airside Applications for Artificial Turf" (PDF). Federal Aviation Administration. 2006. Retrieved November 5, 2017.
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