Professional football is one of the most watched sports in the United States which is played in the National Football League. Obviously injuries are a part of every contact or non contact activity that is played around the world but some may feel that to an extent, somehow they could be prevented. Followers of these sports do not want to see the players diagnosed with potential season ending injuries like ACL tears because of the type of surface that’s being played on. 

With the development of third-generation and hybrid turf types, which aim to provide athletes an experience closer to natural grass, the usage of artificial turf in sports has increased. The most popular type of artificial grass is third-generation turf, which consists of long, synthetic fibers that resemble grass and are interspersed with sand and rubber. Hybrid turf systems use natural grass that has been strengthened with extra synthetic fibers to increase the field’s tensile strength. Both artificial turf kinds are now utilized in professional sports, such as football and soccer, which also happen to be two activities in which ACL injuries are relatively prevalent. When playing on artificial turf as opposed to real grass, there is a higher chance of ACL injuries in practice and competition, according to studies looking at the risk of ACL injuries in collegiate and professional football and soccer players. The greater frictional force between your shoes and the fake grass contributes to these ailments on artificial turf frequently. Your foot is more firmly adhered to the earth when you plant it there. As a result, any upper body twisting will place more strain on the ACL and increase the likelihood that the ligament will break. Natural grass would make it easier for the planted foot to move, minimizing the strain used on the knee and the likelihood of injury.

Rebecca Lambert, a Grand Canyon athletic trainer as well as a personal trainer, said she has not seen a big difference in injury rate when comparing the newer grade of turf versus natural grass. But, she said, when an athlete plants his or her foot on turf it is like glue.

“There’s a higher friction and so when you’re cutting or turning, you just stick to a little bit more whereas with natural grass there’s a little more movement in the ground,” Lambert said. “A lot of players complain about feeling more sore or just kind of joints being more achy, kind of worn down after competing on turf versus grass as well.”

Despite the benefits of synthetic turf, there has recently been pressure on NFL teams to return to playing on actual grass. Many athletes contend that grass offers a superior playing surface and is easier on their body. The fact that grass is significantly softer than artificial turf is one of the main advantages of playing on it. This can lessen the possibility of player injury. Grass also has a tendency to be cooler than synthetic turf, which might make playing more comfortable in hot weather.

The fact that playing on grass can assist players’ bodies last longer is another advantage. Grass is additionally thought to be more aesthetically beautiful than synthetic turf, which some supporters favor. Currently, nine of the sixteen NFL teams who play on actual grass do so on Bermuda grass, a tough, durable material. Many NFL players have voiced their support for playing on grass rather than synthetic turf. One explanation for this is that grass is seen to be safer for players than artificial turf since it is softer and less flexible. Furthermore, grass offers better traction and footing, which might help avoid injuries.

Benefits of having natural grass over artificial turf include the ability to self repair and the costs to remove are low. All athletic fields experience wear and tear over time. Natural grass fields that are still alive have the capacity to recover. Surfaces created by humans cannot fix themselves. In comparison to artificial fields, natural grass fields can endure two to three times longer. The material used in the artificial turf is not very environmentally friendly and there isn’t a whole lot of information or facts that back up these products used to make the artificial turf. If the materials used to manufacture the artificial turf doesn’t have the information behind it, then it may not be the products to use for professional athletes because of the risks of injury. The NFL would be doing themselves a favor by converting all artificial turf fields in the league to natural grass no matter the costs and possible cons to having the natural grass. Removing artificial turf from the National Football League would most certainly benefit not only the players, coaches and commissioner but also the entire football community may feel a sign of relief if it were set to change. Instead of basing the importance off of costs and saving, move to protecting the players in the league instead.

At all levels of competition, the usage of artificial turf fields has been a significant subject of debate among players, coaches, trainers, and doctors ever since they were first introduced in the 1960s.  The usage of artificial turf fields at all levels of competition in a number of sports has steadily expanded, mostly due to advantageous long-term cost profiles, enhanced durability, and more constant playing conditions compared to natural grass. In order to give the surface a more natural feel and, theoretically, reduce field-related injuries, manufacturers have made substantial adjustments to these products over the past 50 years, altering fiber type and density, increasing underfield cushioning, and adding rubberized fill. However, concerns of higher injury rates continue to plague use of these surfaces. Increased frictional force on all varieties of artificial turf has typically been supported by biomechanical studies, theoretically raising the risk of injury in comparison to natural grass.

References

News, M. M. (2020, July 3). Athletes remain concerned about injuries on artificial turf. Cronkite News – Arizona PBS. https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/2020/07/03/athletes-injuries-artificial-turf/

Red Hen Turf Farm – Features and Benefits of Natural Grass Sports Fields. (2020). Redhenturf.com. https://www.redhenturf.com/Sport_featuresBenefitsNatural.htm

TLMG, R. (2022, May 13). Does the NFL Prefer Grass or Artificial Turf? The Turfgrass Group Inc. https://theturfgrassgroup.com/general/does-the-nfl-prefer-grass-or-turf/

Turf Leads to More ACL Injuries — Fact or Fiction? (2021, January 21). Curovate. https://curovate.com/blog/turf-leads-to-more-acl-injuries-fact-or-fiction/