Outdoor Sports Surfaces: High in performance, low in maintenance

Artificial outdoor sports surfaces are becoming quite a trend at sports facilities – be it at club school or professional level. With international sports associations like FIFA and UEFA approving artificial sports pitches, the sports facilities – both big and small around the world are opting for artificial or synthetic surfaces for playing a wide range of sports.

Outdoor sports surfaces could include football, rugby or hockey pitches, athletics tracks, tennis, basketball or netball courts etc. In some cases, the same surface could be used for a variety of sports. Such a sports pitch is known as a Multi-use Games Area (MUGA). These are quite common in clubs and schools.

Artificial turf, is being increasingly used as outdoor sports surface for a variety of sports, including football or soccer, basketball, netball, hockey, and many more. Also known as synthetic turf, these are man-made surfaces that are made to give the same look and feel as that of natural grass. Artificial turf is made of synthetic fibres with varying pile height. There are usually three varieties- unfilled, sand-dressed and sand-filled, available. And any one of these can be chosen depending on the requirements of the games to be played on them and of course, the cost involved. For instance, unfilled pitches are ideal for hockey, as they are not filled with sand or rubber, and hence protect players from injury by minimising the abrasive effect caused by sand. These artificial outdoor sports surfaces are also known as water-based pitches, as they require wetting at regular intervals.

Many sports facilities install artificial turf that is sand-dressed. These surfaces are not only cost-effective, but also give the same look as that of an unfilled pitch. In this case, the turf pile is filled with fine sand, but only up to 5-8mm from the tips of the fibres. Sand-filled outdoor sports surfaces are rough and harder compared to the other two types. The pile, in this case, is completely filled with sand.

The length of the fibres and the degree of sand-fill can be altered to meet the specifications and requirements of different sports. For instance, hockey pitches are made up of shorter fibres when compared to football pitches. Shorter pitches with lesser sand-fill offer more speed to the movement of the ball.

Whatever be the type of the artificial turf chosen, it offers the best playing conditions for the players. Besides offering firm grip, it may feature a “shock pad” that protects the players from serious injuries when they fall. Low in maintenance, these artificial outdoor sports surfaces can be used in all weather conditions. So, no more worries in long dry summers, frozen winters, or heavy rainfall. The pitch will be ready for the play as well as practice sessions all year round.