Performance and Safety

More in this section

• Hybrid Grass
• Innovation
• Performance and Safety
• Ecology and Convenience
• Types of Playing Fields
• FAQ 08 Water Consumption

The POWERgrass hybrid field offers better traction, stability, and softness, in short, a safe playing surface because it reinforces the natural grass sod! The player quickly gains confidence with the playing field and is more focused on the action, providing greater spectacle.

POWERgrass Hybrid Field for Keeping Up

Performance and Safety

Coaches explain that ball control is the most important aspect of soccer. If the player can stop the ball at the first bounce, an essential goal has been achieved. In the POWERgrass hybrid turf, the ball bounce is natural, and the player is supported by the reinforced sod ensuring that the athlete can move quickly, change direction, accelerate or decelerate without ever losing a step.

Now it is possible to play safely on a playing field with:

1. a uniform, level surface without holes even with intensive use
2. a draining playing field with traction even during rain to reduce falls,
3. a stable turf, with 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 sports surface that is non-abrasive for sliding smoothly.

On the POWERgrass hybrid turf, the player feels more secure, so they are more inclined to tackle and slide to recover the ball, offering a spectacular game without risking skin abrasions typical of synthetic grass fields, while on natural grass fields, it avoids sprains when the grass sod lifts, causing the foot to sink, often observed when rooting is poor, especially during the winter period.

Performance and Safety Indices for Playing

Hybrid systems compared to natural grass

Hybrid grass fields are classified as natural grass fields according to FIFA standards because they contain less than 5% synthetic fibers. This is understandable, as it is difficult to standardize a system composed of 95% natural elements, which are subject to constant changes. However, there is a system known as POWERgrass, which offers performance and playing safety very similar to natural grass and manages to keep them uniform over time, even at great distances, such as 900 km.

Many criteria determine the quality of a hybrid system, but for playing, three fundamental parameters are primarily considered:

1. Surface Hardness: the Clegg Impact Value (CIV) of the playing surface must be between 65 and 100.
2. Rotational Resistance: the grip of the field, important for all playing actions, must be between 25 and 65 Nm.
3. Ball Bounce: the bounce height, when the ball is dropped from a certain height, must 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 highlighted that all the hybrid systems examined are suitable for a world tournament, however, the data reveal some distinctive qualities of the POWERgrass system:

- It is the closest to the ideal performance of natural grass, used as a benchmark at both locations.
- The results for Surface Hardness are uniform at both sites, 900 km apart, thus contributing to greater standardization of fields.
- Measurements taken with the Clegg hammer are close to the lower values of the range, suggesting a softer field, resistant to intense trampling; this translates to greater playing safety and fewer interventions needed to relieve compaction, especially when values approach 100 CIV.

The POWERgrass system is available with high fiber density per square meter, securely anchored to the backing with a force of 30 N. It is accompanied by a 12-year warranty, ensuring prolonged use and continuity of play, even if natural grass shows signs of decline in some areas. This allows for optimized maintenance planning, making the system much more sustainable economically, socially, and environmentally.