A simple question that reveals a surprisingly complex reality beneath the turf. Ball behaviour on hockey surfaces is far from linear. To demonstrate this, we tested three systems:
1️⃣ A rigid concrete laboratory floor
2️⃣ A 15 mm in situ rubber e-layer
3️⃣ A 10 mm closed-cell PE foam pad
Most assume the rigid floor will always produce the highest bounce. Yet when tested across a range of drop heights, the ranking changes entirely.
At low impact energies (low drop heights), the PE foam absorbs more energy and produces a lower rebound. As the impact energy increases, the foam stiffens and begins to bottom out, sometimes overtaking the rigid base in rebound height. This behaviour makes it the most sensitive to load differences and therefore more variable in real play — meaning players find it harder to predict and control ball response.
The in situ rubber e-layer, by contrast, shows a near-constant rebound across all impact energies, providing the most consistent and predictable performance for players.
For athletes, predictability is everything. The ability to anticipate how high and how fast the ball rebounds defines control, reaction, and safety. A consistent surface allows skill to determine outcomes, not surface variability.
This is why testing at a single drop height of 2.0 metres, as used in current FIH standards, offers only a narrow glimpse of true surface behaviour. The FIH’s recent introduction of higher-energy impact testing is therefore a very welcome step forward.
In reality, performance arises from the combined behaviour of the ball, the turf pile, and the underlying layers. Moisture, temperature, and surface composition all influence playability. Hockey surfaces are complex systems, not single-factor materials; which makes designing them both a challenge and a fascination.
So… which surface gives the highest bounce?
🏑 The rigid concrete laboratory floor? (blue line on graph)
🏑 The 15 mm in situ rubber e-layer? (green line)
🏑 The 10 mm PE foam pad? (orange line)
Answer: each can be both the highest and the lowest, depending on the impact energy.
