SYNTHETIC SURFACES
Standards for
The FA has replaced its Performance Standard for Artificial Grass Pitches for Community Use
with the revised FIFA Quality Concept for Football Turf (2009 edition). Alastair Cox discusses
the new standard and how its adoption by the FA will affect the UK sports surfacing market
T
he FIFA Quality Concept for Foot- that is four times as severe as that used inadequate maintenance leading to
ball Turf (FQC) was launched in previously. It is this new FIFA One Star cat- unsatisfactory or unsafe pitches.
2001 and has been updated a egory that the FA has now adopted.
number of times since then, most As the FIFA Quality Concept for The steps to a pitch
recently in May 2009. Football Turf is linked to a commercial being certified by FIFA:
In 2005, harmonisation with UEFA re- licence, FIFA has also published the STEP 1 – the manufacturer of the
sulted in FIFA developing two categories International Artificial Turf Standard artificial turf surface has the product
of pitch certification, FIFA Two Star being (IATS) for companies not wishing to join tested in the laboratory by a FIFA
designed for top level use and FIFA One the FIFA Quality Concept; the IATS is certified test institute)for a series of
Star having slighter wider bands of per- technically equivalent to the FIFA One parameters that include:
formance and being aimed at training Star category and compliance with • ball/surface interaction
and moderate-use community pitches. either is recognised by the FA. • player/surface interaction
The latest revisions have now in- • effects of simulated use
creased the differences between the How does a pitch obtain • resistance to artificial weathering
two categories; FIFA Two Star remaining FIFA certification? (UV resistance)
the higher category, being intended for To ensure that certified pitches are • durability and the effects of
professional clubs and national stadia, well constructed, with surfaces of artificial ageing
while FIFA One Star is now focused on proven quality and are installed at Only products that fully satisfy the
the ability of surfaces to withstand sig- sites with adequate allowance for laboratory test requirements of the
nificantly higher levels of use as often maintenance, the FQC includes a com- FQC (2009 edition) may be installed on
found on community pitches. prehensive series of laboratory and pitches requiring FIFA certification.
To achieve the new objectives, the FIFA site tests and inspections. STEP 2 – following the construction of
One Star category has been significantly These are designed to provide wide a pitch, it is then subjected to a series
revised so the laboratory testing proce- ranging protection to purchasers of of sports performance and construction
dures an artificial turf surface must satisfy artificial grass pitches and reassurance tests which have been designed to
before being considered suitable for in- to funding bodies. This greatly reduc- ensure that the artificial sports turf
stallation now include a simulated use-test es the risk of low-quality surfaces or surface has been installed correctly.
56 Read Sports Management online
sportsmanagement.co.uk/digital Issue 1 2010 © cybertrek 2010
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