Winter Sports - Football
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FIFA were having none of it, they just would not engage. They said
repeatedly there is no plan B, this World Cup won’t take place on grass
Hampton Dellinger, lawyer, Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson
pitches”. The quality testing uses real turf as its benchmark and awards FIFA Recommended Marks to those pitches that meet the “very stringent quality criteria”, which includes passing tests in the durability of the surface, ball/surface interaction, and the player/surface interaction. The player/surface interaction is of particular note here, as tests are conducted to examine the features of the pitch that would most strongly influence risk of injury to the player. For a FIFA Recommended 1 star field, shock absorption, vertical deformation, rotational resistance and slip resistance are tested and passed, whilst for a 2 star field, turf is also tested and passed for skin abrasion and skin friction. All criteria are tested using machines designed for the purpose.
This doesn’t seem to be enough for synthetic turf sceptics however, which Bryn Lee, Commercial Director of Bonar Yarn, one of the pitch suppliers for this year’s tournament in Canada, has a theory about, “Opinions on 3G’s inferiority to natural grass are largely emotional rather than logical, since many of the objections raised have been robustly disproved... Players need only look at the facts, rather than believe the hysteria, when they next come to question 3G's credentials.”
So, is it just the stigma attached to synthetic pitches that puts athletes off? I am sure all of us remember some AstroTurf related burn injury from our youth, whether that was in the 70s, or early 2000s. The unearthly green colour and rug-on concrete composition of the original stuff, first introduced to pro sports in 1966 at the Astrodome in Houston however, has made way for the more advanced FieldTurf of today. Plastic grass sits atop a spongy base of crumbled reclaimed rubber tyres, providing
80 I PC AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015 ”
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Regardless of the outcome of the competition, it's important that the discussions continue, and that it's not just a forgotten thing
Anita Asante, England Women’s International Footballer
more cushioning and a slightly less artificial appearance.
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But a slightly less artificial appearance is not enough for those athletes who value tradition, and value playing on the natural surface that football was made for. Anita Asante says; “we value having grass - the tradition, how it responds to our bodies. We appreciate the nature of being on actual grass: the smell, the feeling, the sentiment.” But, aside from this uneasiness at this movement away from the preferred natural surface, there is also the matter of the potential changes in a player’s performance, with many citing that these synthetic pitches can have negative effects.
With high bouncing turf, the precision passing characteristic of the top levels of the sport can be compromised. Germany goalkeeper, Nadine Angerer, spoke about the “dry” pitches in the tournament this year, "It’s hard to reach the balls as you never know how they will bounce. Both teams have the same problem, but of course it affects the game.” Abby Wambach, USA forward, also had a few things to say about the surface for this World Cup and, although her comments about not being able to score goals because of the synthetic turf were met with ridicule by the media, it seemed that she might have a point. In the USA’s draw with Sweden, for example, there was a moment when everybody thought that the USA would score in the 72nd minute. Wambach dived head-first into the goal area and connected well on a cross. She drove it low towards the turf, but the ball took a high and unnatural bounce towards the hands of the goalkeeper, who didn’t even have to reach out to guide the ball over the crossbar. But not only goal-scoring opportunities can be affected. Japan’s captain, Aya Miyama, has also commented that “dribbling was
Opinions on 3G’s inferiority to natural grass are largely emotional rather than logical, since many of the objections raised have been robustly disproved
Bryn Lee, Commercial Director of Bonar Yarn
difficult” on the new turf. “The natural turf was easier for us. The ball movement could be predicted.”
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Bonar Yarns has something to say about this though. When asked whether synthetic pitches alter how the game is played, they answered: “No, and certainly not in the way many believe. The ball travels across the surface naturally and tactics need no adaption from natural grass to 3G. Additionally, the greater stability and weather resistance provided by the turf facilitates improved ball control.” We must assume that the people at Bonar Yarns know better than the players experiencing the changes in their own performance. Now to the health implications of playing on a synthetic pitch as opposed to natural turf. Bonar Yarns states: “The biggest concern amongst players is simultaneously the biggest misconception. The yarns used in synthetic surfaces are incredibly soft and industry research, as well as practical application, has shown no link between 3G and increased injury risk.”
In an interview with Jan Ekstrand, Professor in Sports Medicine, team doctor of the Swedish national team in the 80s and 90s, and currently vice-chairman of the UEFA Medical Committee,
FIFA.com asked about his studies on synthetic turf. The studies were conducted over ten years ago, and tested top teams that played all of their home matches on artificial turf and their away matches on natural grass, in order to compare the incidence of injury on both surfaces. His study concluded that the total risk of injury is the same on FIFA-certified football turf as it is on natural grass. He also states that there was no difference in the incidence of leg burn after tackles made on both surfaces: “In fact, we actually saw more instances of leg burn on natural grass.”
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