Which Artificial Football Pitch Would You Love To Play On?

Artificial football pitch has started gaining prominence in both professional and recreational arena. Offering the same playing characteristics as that of natural grass fields, these modern sports pitches require minimal maintenance. Also, while natural grass sports pitches cannot be used in all weather conditions, an artificial football pitch offers optimum playing conditions irrespective of the weather.

The numerous benefits of man-made, synthetic football pitches have compelled even FIFA and UEFA to endorse these surfaces. Depending upon the level of play and also the budget, the sports pitch for football can vary. For instance, at recreational level, artificial grass with sand infill and needle-punch carpets are the best choice. Such a football pitch features a "shock pad" just beneath the top layer. This pad protects the players from injuries.

Elite level football is played on third generation artificial grass. In this case, the grass fibres are made of a soft material known as polyethylene. These fibres are dressed with a mixture of rubber crumbs and sand. Such an artificial turf offers the same playing qualities as that of natural grass. However, you can alter the playing characteristics by varying the length and the density of the fibres. FIFA favours more thinly spaced longer fibres for their soccer turf. Similarly, there are different types of artificial hockey pitch, each with different playing characteristics.

Why choose a synthetic games area?

Synthetic games areas have replaced natural grass sports pitches at many sports facilities. These surfaces are made of polypropylene or polyethylene fibres, and could be either sand-filled, sand dressed or water based.

A synthetic games area made of artificial grass offers the same playing characteristics as that of a natural grass sports field. However, unlike the latter, they can be used all round the year. This is because they are unaffected by all kinds of weather conditions.

The sub-base of an artificial grass pitch is made up of an impermeable material, which together with an effective drainage system, ensures that the pitch is always ready for the play. So, no more cancelled matches due to water logged fields!

An all-weather pitch is the perfect solution for areas where it is difficult to maintain natural grass sports surfaces. The durability of these surfaces makes them ideal for use as a multi use games area where a wide variety of sports are played.

A synthetic games area also offers protection to players from injuries. This is because an elastic layer made from bonded rubber is laid over the foundation at a depth of approximately 10 cm. Being just underneath the surface of the pitch, this layer provides the necessary shock absorption and energy rebound ensuring the safety of players.

Athletic events are also increasingly played on artificial surfaces owing to their tolerance to intensive use. Synthetic athletic surfaces can be made of liquid polyurethane and rubber crumb. This non-porous surface is the most expensive amongst all types of athletic surface. If you are looking for a cost-effective solution, you can opt for porous surfaces. There is also a third variant, known as sandwich surface, which is a combination of the other two.

Types of Synthetic Athletics Tracks

Gone are those days when athletic events were held on grassy fields or even on bare earth. Today, modern synthetic athletic surfaces are increasingly used by a majority of sports associations at all levels. And why not?

These athletics tracks not only look good, but also enhance the performance of the athletes. A synthetic athletics track could be installed as per the guidelines laid down by the I.A.A.F (International Association of Athletics Federation). This would ensure safety for athletes as well as provide a durable surface which can be used all year round.

There are three different types of synthetic athletics track, namely Solid Polyurethane (PU) Surface, Porous Surface, and Sandwich Surface. All these three surfaces are built on a similar foundation and offer “slip resistance' to the athletes. However, they differ in their performance with respect to durability and costs involved in their installation.

A Solid PU track surface is a competition level track that offers a fast running surface. It is made up of two layers of cast polyurethane mixed with rubber granules. In addition, there is a top layer that is made up of a coat of polyurethane mixed with red EPDM rubber granules. It is popular for its durability and impervious nature.

The second type, known as the porous system, consists of a rubber base mat made of black granules and binder followed by a top coat of texture spray. The porous nature of this surface allows water to soak through the track. As this surface is soft, there are less chances of injury.

The sandwich surface is a mixture of the other two types. It consists of a soft porous base with a hard top layer. Such a surface is perfect for training tracks, as they are cheaper when compared to the porous and solid PU surfaces.

Sports Surfaces For A Multi Use Games Area

A Multi Use Games Area is a sports area where a wide variety of sports can be played. Technically, any sports area that can be used all year round for at least two of the following sports: tennis, netball, basketball, and five-a-side football, can be called a Multi-Use Games Area.

The sports governing bodies at different levels advocate the use of MUGAs, as maintaining separate grass sports pitches for different sports is a costly affair. There are plenty of options available in sports surfaces for MUGAs, each having different characteristics. For instance, polymeric surfaces can be used for sports such as five-a-side football, basketball, netball etc. These surfaces are designed to offer enough shock absorption to the players. Similarly, a porous macadam surface is ideal for sports such as tennis, basketball, netball etc.

Another popular type of sports surface for a Multi Use Games Area is synthetic turf. Made of synthetic fibres, the carpet is usually sand filled or sand dressed with a shock pad laid beneath the turf for shock absorbancy. Such surfaces are suitable for playing a wide variety of sports, including hockey, five-a-side football, lacrosse, and many more. These surfaces are also ideal as athletics tracks or for general training sessions. Synthetic athletic surfaces have become a common feature of many sports facilities.

For deciding the type of sports surface for a Multi Use Games Area, it is first important to decide which sports would be played on it and at what level. Multi-coloured markings are also an important feature of the sports surface constructed for a MUGA.

Artificial Grass Turf for Homes

If you thought that artificial grass turf is meant only for sports, think again. Artificial grass turf has replaced natural grass sports pitches at many sports facilities. Today, many sports governing bodies have also embraced synthetic athletic surfaces for training and competition level play. However, the use of these synthetic grass surfaces is not restricted to sports fields alone. They have also found an important role to play at our homes.

Today, more and more people are attracted to the idea of installing artificial grass at their domestic properties. Smaller areas such as play areas, gardens or swimming pool surrounds are the most suitable areas for laying artificial grass turf. After all, who does not want a beautiful, natural looking, and maintenance free lawn?

Made from synthetic materials like polypropylene or polyethylene, an artificial grass turf is the perfect solution for the places where natural grass grows poorly. Also, our busy schedules leave us with very little time to take care of our garden or lawns. Ask yourself if you have enough time for mowing, spraying, aerating, or other activities needed for the maintenance of your garden or lawn. If not, go for artificial grass turf, which provides freedom from all these tasks. Offering the appearance of a perfectly maintained lawn, these synthetic surfaces look lush green, in all seasons.

Your children will also love to play on an artificial turf, as it is made of child-friendly materials.

Indoor Sports Facilities

Sports facilities include not only the outdoor sports facilities, but also sports halls meant for indoor games or other activities. Flooring is the most important feature of any indoor sports facility. The choice of flooring depends on the purpose for which the hall is used. This means that depending on the specific sports or multi-functional uses, including social events, that the hall is to be used for, the appropriate flooring is selected and installed.

The sprung floors installed in a sports hall offer an excellent playing surface whilst reducing the risk of injury and premature fatigue. These floors are also durable and easy to maintain. As many local and school level sports facilities providers use their sports facilities for social and educational events too, the chosen flooring should suit both sport and non-sport activities.

There are plenty of flooring options available along with a choice of finishes for the surface. For instance, you could go for a hardwood finish or synthetic finish. Both such surfaces require minimal maintenance.

The hardwood flooring requires multi-layer construction with a durable coating finish. Many sports facilities prefer a standard seamless surface. In this case, a polyurethane wetpour surface is laid onto a bonded prefabricated rubber base. This type of flooring is also available in a range of colours. Such floorings can be easily installed by competent and reliable sports facilities construction companies. They can also offer effective sports surface maintenance services for both outdoor and indoor sports facilities.

It's Time To Embrace Artificial Turf Pitches

Nothing can beat the experience of watching a game of tennis or football on a lush green field under the bright sun. But, have you ever thought of the amount of hard work and money that go into maintaining that green sports pitch? Not to mention the disappointment of cancelled matches due to a soggy playing field as a result of bad weather. If money is a constraint, but you still want to give your spectators a great experience whilst watching their favourite game, an artificial turf pitch can be a solution.

Manufactured from synthetic materials like polypropylene or polyethylene, an artificial turf pitch can be used for a number of sports, including tennis, football, hockey, baseball, athletics, and many more. These artificial grass sports pitches consist of a solid base, which is designed to offer stability to the top layer of synthetic "grass" fibres. The base also offers an effective drainage system, making the synthetic turf ready for play in all weather conditions. The top layer, also known as the man-made grass carpet, is made of artificial grass fibres tufted onto a backing cloth and in -filled with sand or a mixture of sand and rubber granules. However, some varieties of artificial sports pitches may not be in -filled with sand or rubber. These are known as water based sports pitches.

The playing characteristics of an artificial turf pitch can be altered significantly by changing the length and density of the fibres. For instance, elite level field hockey pitch features short pile when compared to soccer. Similarly, FIFA favours more thinly spaced longer fibres for their football turf.

Many local and international sports facilities providers have already embraced these artificial pitches due to their features of durability, slip resistance, shock absorbency, and most importantly, their need for minimal maintenance.