Performance and Safety

More in this section

• Hybrid grass
• Play better and safer
• Performance and Safety
• Respect the planet and save money
• Ecology and Convenience
• Protecting the Synthetic Turf
• Types of Playing Fields

The POWERgrass hybrid field offers better traction, stability, and softness, in short, a safe playing surface because it strengthens the natural grass sod! Players quickly become familiar with the playing surface and focus more on the action, providing greater entertainment.

POWERgrass Hybrid Field to Keep Up the Pace

Performance and Safety

Coaches explain that ball control is the most crucial aspect of football. If a player can stop the ball at the first bounce, they've achieved a fundamental goal. On the POWERgrass hybrid turf, the ball bounce is natural, and the player is supported by the reinforced sod, allowing quick movements, directional changes, acceleration, or deceleration without missing a step.

It is now possible to play safely on a pitch that offers:

1. a uniform, flat, and hole-free surface even with intensive use,
2. a draining playing surface with traction even during rain to reduce falls,
3. a stable turf with a cushioning effect to prevent back pain,
4. a turf that is cool in summer and frost-resistant in winter to increase turf resilience and player safety,
5. a non-abrasive sports surface for a softer slide.

On the POWERgrass hybrid turf, the player feels safer, thus being more inclined to make tackles and ball recoveries while offering spectacular play without risking skin abrasions, which is a characteristic of synthetic grass fields; while on natural grass fields, avoiding twists when the grass sod lifts causing the foot to sink, a common observation when rooting is poor, especially during winter.

Performance and Safety Indices of Play

Test of hybrid systems compared to natural grass

Hybrid grass fields are classified as natural grass fields according to FIFA standards as they contain less than 5% synthetic fibres. This is understandable since it's challenging to standardise a system made of 95% natural elements, which are subject to constant changes. However, there is a system known as POWERgrass, which offers playing performance and safety very similar to natural grass and manages to maintain it uniformly over time, even across great distances such as 900 km.

Several criteria determine the quality of a hybrid system, but for gameplay, there are mainly three fundamental parameters considered:

1. Surface Hardness: The Clegg Impact Value (CIV) of the playing surface should be between 65 and 100.
2. Rotational Resistance: Field traction, important for all gameplay actions, should be between 25 and 65 Nm.
3. Ball Bounce: The bounce height when the ball is dropped from a specific height should be between 60 and 100 cm.

These parameters were the subject of a test conducted by FIFA at the Universities of Michigan (MSU - Michigan State University) and Tennessee (UT - University of Tennessee).

The test showed that all hybrid systems examined are suitable for a world tournament, yet the data reveals some distinctive qualities of the POWERgrass system:

- It is the one that comes closest to the ideal performance of natural grass, used as a benchmark at both locations.
- The results related to Surface Hardness are uniform across both sites, 900 km apart, thereby contributing to greater standardization of fields.
- The measurements taken with the Clegg hammer are close to the lower end of the range, indicating a softer field resistant to intense foot traffic; this translates to greater gameplay safety and less intervention needed to alleviate compaction, especially when values approach 100 CIV.

The POWERgrass system is available with a high fibre density per square metre, firmly anchored to the base with a force of 30 N. It comes with a 12-year warranty, ensuring prolonged use and game continuity even if the natural grass shows signs of wear in some areas. This allows optimized maintenance planning, making the system much more sustainable from economic, social, and environmental perspectives.