What type of artificial grass is best for soccer?

The importance of artificial turf in modern football field construction

In the construction of modern soccer fields, the application of artificial turf is becoming more and more common. For soccer, choosing the right type of turf is crucial because it directly affects the quality of the game and the performance of the players. There are many types of artificial turf on the market, each with unique properties and uses. Understanding these different types of artificial turf and their characteristics can help you choose the most suitable turf for a specific soccer field.

Advantages of Artificial Turf for Football Fields

1. Durability and Stability

Artificial turf requires no rest period and can withstand continuous high-intensity matches and training, making it suitable for frequently used fields. It is highly adaptable to climate, unaffected by weather conditions, and maintains stable performance in various weather conditions. Furthermore, it provides consistent ball roll and bounce, reducing the risk of accidents caused by uneven surfaces.

2. Low Maintenance Costs

No watering, fertilizing, or mowing is required, significantly saving water and labor costs. It is resistant to bald patches or mud and wear. It maintains its appearance and function even after long-term use. Cleaning and maintenance are convenient, requiring only simple debris removal.

3. All-Weather Use

The underlayer design allows rainwater to drain quickly, allowing the field to recover quickly after rain. It has no seasonal limitations and can be used year-round, unaffected by the grass's growth cycle or winter yellowing.

4. Safety and Comfort

Modern sports turf typically includes shock-absorbing pads to reduce stress on athletes' joints and lower the risk of injury. High-quality grass fibers and infill provide excellent slip resistance and grip. The hardness and ball speed of the turf can be adjusted according to the level of the competition to create a customized artificial sports turf.

5. Economic Efficiency and Environmental Friendliness

Although the initial investment is higher, the long-term maintenance costs are far lower than those of natural grass. Artificial turf is particularly suitable for arid regions, conserving water and reducing water consumption. Some artificial turf materials are recyclable, reducing the environmental burden after disposal.

6. Multifunctionality and Flexibility

It has a wide range of applications, suitable for other sports such as football and rugby, improving field utilization. Furthermore, it is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use, applicable to both indoor stadiums and outdoor areas with insufficient sunlight.

Types of Artificial Turf

1. By Fiber Structure

• Monofilament Grass: Each grass fiber is independent, and the cross-section is usually designed with a special shape, such as U-shaped, V-shaped, W-shaped, diamond-shaped, or trefoil. UNIGRASS is a well-known brand of monofilament grass, whose appearance and feel are closest to natural grass. It is highly abrasion-resistant and not prone to pilling or breakage. This monofilament fiber design provides better grip and ball rebound rate, making it ideal for sports requiring high ball control.

• Multifilament Grass: Each grass fiber is woven from multiple strands of fine filaments into a mesh. It is relatively inexpensive, but its abrasion resistance is not as good as monofilament. Due to FIFA's increased requirements for abrasion resistance, mesh grass is now mainly used in low-end training fields or five-a-side football fields.

• Curled&Straight Blended Grass: Straight grass fibers are responsible for support and visual effect, while curly grass fibers act as a bottom cushioning layer. It is usually a no-fill or low-fill system with good uprightness. It is used in small five-a-side football fields, cage football fields, etc.

2. By Infill System

• Infill Grass: The grass fibers are relatively long, requiring infill with quartz sand and rubber granules to hold the grass fibers in place, provide shock absorption, and increase the ball's rolling resistance. It offers the best feel underfoot but requires regular maintenance and replenishment of infill.

• No-Infill Grass: The grass fibers are extremely dense, with reinforcing ribs or curled fibers at the bottom for support, requiring no infill. Installation is quick, and maintenance is virtually zero. However, drainage in heavy rain may be inferior to infill turf, and its rebound performance is slightly weaker. Widely used in school playgrounds, community parks, and temporary event areas.

3. By Grass Fiber Material

• PE Grass: High softness, with a feel close to natural grass, minimizing friction against the athlete's skin. It has good resilience; the grass fibers quickly return to their upright position after compression, ensuring a good ball bounce. It is highly weather-resistant, with excellent UV resistance and anti-aging properties.

• PP Grass: High hardness and rigidity. The fibers are straight and not easily flattened, but it lacks elasticity. The raw material price is cheaper than PE, but its abrasion resistance and fatigue resistance are poor, and it is prone to breakage or permanent deformation under long-term heavy pressure.

• PA Grass: Extremely abrasion resistant, the most abrasion resistant of all materials, with an extremely long service life. It has high hardness, very stiff fibers, and good shape retention. However, it feels harder underfoot, is expensive, and easily becomes brittle at low temperatures. Due to its excessive stiffness, pure PA grass fibers are now rarely used on football field surfaces. However, it is still used in the undercoat of no-infill turf or in high-end rugby/hoop fields.

How to choose the most suitable type of turf?

In general, choosing the right artificial turf for a soccer field requires considering a variety of factors, including the frequency of use of the field, budget and expected quality of competition. Monofilament fiber systems such as GUNIGRASS are ideal for many football-specific fields due to their excellent performance and real grass appearance. For training fields and public fields that are used frequently, multifilament fiber systems may be more suitable. Hybrid fiber systems provide a solution that takes into account multiple needs. Understanding and choosing the right type of turf can greatly improve the overall quality and use experience of the soccer field and provide players with a safe and comfortable playing environment.

Summary of three UNIGRASS high-performance football turfs

Core Technical Parameters

Turf Height: 50-65mm is optimal. Too high can easily cause it to fall over, while too low provides insufficient cushioning.

Turf Density: 10,000-15,000 strands per square meter. A moderate density ensures ball stability.

Fiber Denier: Typically 1,000-1,500 denier (the higher the denier, the thicker and more durable the turf). Football fields require 1,000 denier or higher.

Infill Material Specifications:

Quartz Sand: Particle size 0.3-0.8mm, filling height approximately 1/3 of the turf;

Rubber Granules: EPDM or SBR, particle size 1-3mm, filling height approximately 2/3 of the turf. Must meet environmental standards (no heavy metals, no odor).

Base fabric material: composite woven base fabric (PP woven fabric + non-woven fabric) + grid reinforcement layer, tensile strength ≥ 2000N/5cm, ensuring that the lawn is tear-resistant and not easy to deform.

What type of artificial grass is best for soccer?

Artificial turf with reinforcing monofilament PE is the optimal choice for standard soccer fields. For professional competition fields, FIFA-certified turf with special cross-sections (U/W/diamond), infilled with quartz sand and EPDM rubber granules, and double-layered TPU backing is preferred, balancing extreme wear resistance, realistic ball feel, and athlete protection.

For ordinary school playgrounds and community fields, regular monofilament PE turf offers better value. Indoor five-a-side and cage soccer fields are better suited to infill-free PE straight-filament + PP curved-filament blended turf, avoiding infill splashing and simplifying maintenance. It should be noted that woven turf and pure PP turf are no longer suitable for modern soccer fields due to their poor wear resistance and hard feel.

When choosing a lawn, you need to be clear about the following:

1. Will your artificial turf field be used for competitive sports, recreational activities, or training?

When choosing artificial turf fields, select certified professional turf for competitive events, choose models that balance durability and protection for daily training, and choose comfortable and easy-to-maintain models for leisure use; most turf can be adapted to a variety of sports, while only specially customized models are suitable for a single sport.

2. Is the number of people in the venue high or low?

For high traffic volume, choose high-durability competition-grade turf; for medium traffic volume, choose training-grade turf; for low traffic volume, choose recreational-grade turf. If you cannot accurately predict the traffic volume, just choose based on the peak traffic volume.

3. What performance characteristics are most important/needed?

When choosing artificial turf, clarify your needs: for high-intensity use, look for wear resistance/anti-aging; for sports protection, look for shock absorption/rebound; for leisure scenarios, look for comfort/easy maintenance; for multi-sport compatibility, look for versatility; and for children/pets, prioritize environmental protection and safety.

4. How long does it take to procure and install turf?

Fastest timeline for turf procurement and installation: 2-5 days for small sites (backyards), 6-14 days for medium/large sites (sports fields); add 3-5 days if foundation construction is included.