What does an artificial turf soccer field cost?
From high schools to colleges and beyond, more and more organizations are making the switch to artificial turf for their soccer fields.
The increasing popularity of artificial turf has come with its share of critics, but it does offer several clear advantages over a natural turf pitch. To get to the bottom of the controversy, let’s take a look at how artificial turf soccer fields stack up to the real thing in a few key areas.
Let’s take a closer look.
Artificial Turf Soccer Field Cost
One of the primary reasons many clubs and organizations have opted for artificial turf in recent years is cost and maintenance concerns.
While it generally comes with a higher upfront cost, studies have shown artificial turf to be a more cost-effective solution over the long term. Because they don’t need the mowing, irrigation, chemicals and fertilizers required of natural grass, artificial fields generally require less upkeep and lower maintenance costs.
Playing Surface
For players on the field, artificial grass provides a much more consistent and predictable playing surface.
While even the most well-maintained turf pitches have imperfections, properly installed artificial turf provides an ideal surface that allows the ball to travel smoothly, quickly and predictably without losing the look and feel of natural grass. Players are also able to run more quickly on turf, adding to the speed of the game. However, because some artificial products can be less forgiving than natural grass, players are sometimes more hesitant to use tactics such as slide tackles and diving headers.
Durability
A well-maintained turf field provides a lush, comfortable playing surface for nearly any sport, but it simply can’t hold up well against frequent use, heavy rainfall and other damaging factors. By comparison, artificial grass provides a durable and versatile surface that stands up to heavy traffic, inclement weather and other adverse conditions.
Artificial fields can be used under virtually any conditions, and their ruggedness significantly decreases the incidence of divots, ruts and other damage that can affect the playability of a natural grass field.
Player Safety
When considering a switch to a different playing surface, player safety is of paramount importance. In the early days of artificial turf, the primitive materials resulted in a hard, unforgiving surface that increased the risk of injury.
Advances in material sciences and construction practices have significantly reduced this issue in recent years, and today’s artificial turf soccer fields have shown no greater risk of injury than natural grass in long-term studies.
However, players who are accustomed to playing on grass may require some time to adjust after a switch to an artificial grass surface.
