There are some exciting football games fast approaching, with the Chiefs playing the Bills in the AFC Championship, and the Eagles playing the Commanders in the NFC Championship. The winners of these two games will face off in Super Bowl LIX. But there is another battle brewing under the radar and under the feet of the athletes. The battle of artificial turf vs. real grass turf. Which would you bet on?
That battle may feel insignificant at first, but it directly impacts the health and safety of the athletes you care about.
The AFC game will be held on GEHA Field with real grass, while the NFC game will occur on Lincoln Financial Field with a hybrid surface where real grass is mixed in with synthetic fibers. The Super Bowl will take place in Caesars Superdome on a field made solely of artificial turf. Of these four teams, we need to wait and see who comes out on top as the league champion. But, we already know who the champ is when it comes to turf, and that is hands down real grass!
Why is real grass head and shoulders above the competition?
Just ask JC Tretter, former president of the NFL Players Association (NFLPA). In April of 2023, JC wrote an article sharing how players' bodies feel more sore and tired after playing on artificial turf than they would after playing on real grass. He also presented the science that supports the players viewpoints. Click here to read the article.
NFL scientists and physicians conducted a study of the rates of injuries occurring in players on artificial turf compared to real grass and published their findings in The American Journal of Sports Medicine. From 2012 to 2018, they found that non-direct contact, missed time injuries increased substantially on artificial turf. Knee injuries were up 32% and foot and ankle injuries were up a whopping 69%.* Despite these facts, about half of NFL field surfaces remain in artificial turf, and the NFLPA thinks the NFL is content with kicking the can down the road.
You don’t need to take our word for it. Check out the links below to hear it from the pros.
Many more reasons to bet on real grass.
Sports injuries are just one strike against artificial turf, but there are many other reasons to avoid it and choose real grass! To learn more about the differences between artificial turf and real grass, check out our Lawn Care Playbook!
If we want to have healthy people, communities and environments to live in, betting on real grass is the right choice.
*Gould H. P., Lostetter S. J., Samuelson E. R., Guyton G. P. “Lower Extremity Injury Rates on Artificial Turf Versus Natural Grass Playing Surfaces: A Systematic Review.” The American Journal of Sports Medicine, Volume 51(6), May 2022, pp. 1615-1621.
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