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From Mud to Mastery: The Transformation of Natural Grass Pitches

Over the past 30 years, natural grass football fields have undergone one of the most remarkable transformations in modern sport. In the 1980s and 1990s, even top-level stadiums regularly featured surfaces that were muddy, inconsistent, and unpredictable. Matches were often shaped as much by divots and ruts as by tactics and skill. It was common to see standing water in goalmouths, bare patches across midfield, and players sliding through thick mud.…

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When the Fields Are Closed, Everyone Loses

Fields provide one of the most valuable and accessible opportunities for people to play, move, and connect. But too often, they are closed when people need them most. Whether it is due to poor conditions, lack of maintenance, or limited water availability, natural fields are frequently taken out of service. When a field closes, the lost time cannot be recovered. Missed games, cancelled practices, and unused play hours mean fewer opportunities…

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Critical Fall Height & HIC: The Test that protects us

A child drops from the top rung of a climbing frame. A footballer is driven hard into the turf or grass in a last-ditch tackle. In both moments safety, injury, and risk are decided by the surface below. We engineer those surfaces and extensively test our products so the story ends with a quick smile, not lasting harm. 📊 The Science Critical Fall Height (CFH) – The highest point a person…

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Artificial Turf & Drainage: Debunking the Myths

I’m often asked how turf handles water. A surprising number of people still believe turf is impervious to water. This is simply not true Turf is engineered to drain water rapidly, often far exceeding the performance of natural grass or typical backyard surfaces. Most turf systems drain at tested and certified rates of hundreds of inches (thousands of mm) per hour. 🔍 Key Facts: 1. Exceptional Drainage Rates Turf systems have…

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Should female footballers play on different pitches?

Career-impacting injuries in professional female football players remain an under-researched challenge that demands much greater attention. Although promising work is underway, more holistic research is needed to fully understand the complexities. Notably, the linked BBC article on this topic whilst interesting overlooks several critical factors. One being the role of footwear – specifically, how studs, blades, and their configurations affect player-surface interaction. At TenCate, we’ve collaborated with professional female players to…