Artificial Turf Vs Grass: Which One Is Safer & Better?

The conversation around the NFL has largely centred on player safety and ways to reduce the risk of concussions. While those worries are legitimate and need to be carefully addressed, players can also get injuries other than brain traumas as a result of accidents. One of the concerned reasons is the use of Turf!

On their fields, more and more teams are selecting artificial turf over real grass. Even while the synthetic material has advantages, all the data points to the fact that it can be bad for NFL players’ health and career paths.

In the 1950s, the turf was created to help metropolitan communities replace playground asphalt and provide suburban kids with a safe, identifiable place to play.

It didn’t take long for sports teams to follow suit. The Houston Astrodome, home to the Astros and the Oilers, was constructed in 1965 and, after the original grass surface died, it was the first professional sports arena to use an artificial surface (also known as AstroTurf).

After Franklin Field installed artificial turf in 1969, the Philadelphia Eagles were the first club to use it in an NFL arena.

Nevertheless, there are several varieties of grass goods. Some are characterized as rapid, while others are described as sluggish, hard, or soft. Additionally, teams do not often agree on the ideal artificial playing surface.

17 of the 32 NFL teams play their home games on artificial surfaces in some capacity.

A New Study Shows Grass Is Safer Than Turf

Odell Beckham Jr. of the Los Angeles Rams tore his left ACL in the second quarter of the Super Bowl in 2022, which was played on artificial grass.

Concerns were raised regarding the location, the Rams’ SoFi Stadium. This is due to the fact that Beckham’s injury was not brought on by a tackle or contact.

According to data provided this week by the NFL Players Association, artificial turf saw a greater prevalence of noncontact injuries among NFL players than grass during the 2022 regular season.

Players have long argued that grass is preferable to artificial turf because it feels nicer underfoot and is safer. Union president J.C. Tretter observed that from 2012 to 2020, the injury rate on grass fields was lower in an essay uploaded to the NFLPA website on Wednesday. Despite the rates generally remaining the same in 2021, Tretter referred to that result as a “outlier.”

Additionally, following the 2022 Super Bowl, Kittle’s fellow edge rusher Nick Bosa of the 49ers referred to the same petition when discussing his turf-related injuries from the previous year.

He suffered a season-ending knee injury on the field at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey during San Francisco’s opening away game of that year.’

The Joint Field Surface Safety and Performance Committee meetings, which are required under the CBA, are where the same injury data is exchanged between the NFL and NFLPA, according to Miller. This data is gathered by independent specialists. The group, which includes the NFLPA’s specialists, feels that just playing on grass is not the solution to this intricate problem. Some grass fields have a lower injury rate than some artificial turf grounds, and vice versa for some artificial turf surfaces.

“Our goal is to decrease injuries on all surfaces. There are no simple answers, but we are committed to the substantial, ongoing work with the players and their expert advisors to make the game safer.”

Artificial Turf Vs Grass

Advantages of Turf- Eco-Friendly, Cost-Effective, Versatile, Great In Every Weather & Durable.

Disadvantages of Turf- Runoff & Gets Hot

Advantages of Grass- Gives Back to the Eco-System, Stormwater Management & Good Traction

Disadvantages of grass- Cost & High-Maintenance

From a capitalist standpoint, it is simple to understand why owners like this investment. Although turf fields initially cost more, over time maintenance is far less than for grass.

Additionally, it gives you more freedom to hold lucrative events like concerts or conventions off-season. In the long term, artificial turf is preferable if you want to maximise your earning potential as a property owner.

This season, in particular, the ongoing NFL turf battle has been the topic of much discussion. Turf and grass are very different from one another.

The demand for grass grounds has been extensively expressed by players around the league. After playing on a natural surface, their bodies feel noticeably better, which quickens the healing process, lowers the chance of injury, and enables them to perform at their peak.

List Of Teams With Turf

There are 30 total NFL fields across the country, 16 of which have real grass, while the remaining 14 have turf. Here’s a list of which stadiums have grass or turf.

NFL Stadiums With Grass

  • State Farm Stadium | Arizona Cardinals
  • M&T Bank Stadium | Baltimore Ravens
  • Soldier Field | Chicago Bears
  • FirstEnergy Stadium | Cleveland Browns
  • Empower Field at Mile High | Denver Broncos
  • Lambeau Field | Green Bay Packers
  • TIAA Bank Field | Jacksonville Jaguars
  • GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium | Kansas City Chiefs
  • Allegiant Stadium | Las Vegas Raiders
  • Hard Rock Stadium | Miami Dolphins
  • Lincoln Financial Field | Philadelphia Eagles
  • Acrisure Stadium | Pittsburgh Steelers
  • Levi’s Stadium | San Francisco 49ers
  • Raymond James Stadium | Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  • Nissan Stadium | Tennessee Titans
  • FedExField | Washington Commanders

NFL Stadiums With Turf

  • Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Atlanta Falcons
  • Highmark Stadium | Buffalo Bills
  • Bank of America Stadium | Carolina Panthers
  • Paycor Stadium | Cincinnati Bengals
  • AT&T Stadium | Dallas Cowboys
  • Ford Field | Detroit Lions
  • NRG Stadium | Houston Texans
  • Lucas Oil Stadium | Indianapolis Colts
  • SoFi Stadium | Los Angeles Chargers and Los Angeles Rams
  • U.S. Bank Stadium | Minnesota Vikings
  • Gillette Stadium | New England Patriots
  • Caesars Superdome | New Orleans Saints
  • MetLife Stadium | New York Giants and New York Jets
  • In November 2022 it was announced that the turf at MetLife Stadium would be replaced with artificial grass starting in 2023.
  • Lumen Field | Seattle Seahawks

 

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