performance

Article

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.…

Research

Recoil and Foot Stability: A Critical Difference

Foot stability is fundamental to athlete performance, yet it is often overlooked in surface design. One of the key contributors to instability is recoil. Natural grass provides exceptional foot stability with minimal recoil. The surface allows athletes to plant, pivot, and push off with confidence and control. This stability is not accidental. It is the result of a surface that absorbs impact in a controlled way without returning disruptive energy back…

Article

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…

Research

Understanding Player-Surface Grip

Biomechanical Complexity, Surface Design, and the Limitations of Current Testing Standards Grip between a Football or Soccer player’s footwear and the playing surface is one of the most critical factors in performance, comfort and safety. Scientifically, grip is defined using metrics such as the coefficient of friction, shear force, translational traction, and torsional resistance. These terms attempt to quantify how well the player can push off, stop, and change direction safely…

Research

Grass & Turf: Approach to Maximising Playability

The video below demonstrates the difference in how grass and turf respond to intensive use, simulating the equivalent of 8 full matches over a typical weekend (4 on Saturday, 4 on Sunday). While the grass surface visibly degrades and becomes increasingly unplayable, the turf retains its performance characteristics throughout, showing no meaningful change in playability. This is not a criticism of grass. Rather, it highlights the growing need for a more flexible, resilient…