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With many different types of sports fields on the market, it can quickly become confusing to determine which is best for your sport and requirements. In this guide, you’ll find everything you need to know about each type of sports field. If you want to know the difference between a artificial turf or hybrid grass field, or you’d like a description of each field type, you’ve come to the right place.
Each type of sports field is manufactured differently, choosing the right type for your sport is important to ensure you select the field that will perform best.
In this guide, we’ll go through the following:
Hybrid Fields are constructed from 95% natural turf that is specially stitched (injected) with 5% synthetic fibers. These types of systems are capable of much longer playing hours than 100% natural grass surfaces. The blend of natural and synthetic materials means that pitches have the robustness and endurance normally associated with synthetic turf.
SIS Grass Hybrid, our flagship product, is a technologically advanced, reinforced turf system with patented technology. We are proud to say that our SIS Grass Hybrid pitches have been installed at 6 out of 12 world football cup stadiums.
SIS Grass Hybrid pitches can be prepared in as little as 3 days, even between games.
Use our handy table below to learn the differences between each type of surface and what sport they are recommended for:
A synthetic grass field is made up of entirely artificial (man-made or produced) materials such as an artificial turf carpet, sand and rubber infill.
Synthetic turf (also known as astro turf) is becoming increasingly popular at global sports venues as more and more clubs and organizations see the benefits of using this durable, high-quality surface.
SIS Pitches’ range of synthetic turf is SIS Grass Synthetic. Our synthetic turf fields are made in our factory using the most technologically-advanced production process and high-quality materials.
Below you will see a typical synthetic field profile, which shows all the layers that make up a artificial turf field.
According to FIFA, synthetic surfaces consist of entirely artificial (man-made or produced) materials such as an artificial turf carpet, sand and rubber infill. However, hybrid surfaces use natural grass with synthetic fibers to support the surface. It is an industry standard for the synthetic fibers to be below 5% of the total grass coverage.
Some of the key differences between hybrid fields and synthetic fields are:
When choosing a field type, it is important to consider a number of factors. The type of sport(s) that you will be playing, as well as the expected hours of usage will play a massive role in which surface you go for. You should also consider the realistic upkeep of the field that you are committing to. For example, if the field is going in a high school, then you will want to opt for one that is low-maintenance and designed to last a number of years.
If you need help choosing which field is best, then one of our expert and friendly team members will be happy to help – get in touch today.
Second Generation (2G) synthetic surfaces consist of two elements: synthetic turf and infill. They are typically between 13mm-24mm in pile height. These surfaces are either sand-dressed or sand-filled. Whilst older style sand-filled fields are still available, newer partially sand-dressed systems have become more popular in recent years.
2G fields are perfect for field hockey, tennis and recreational soccer. They are often installed with a shock absorbent pad to meet a certain performance and testing criteria.
3G stands for a Third Generation synthetic surface which consists of three elements; synthetic turf, sand infill and rubber infill. These surfaces are typically between 35mm-65mm in pile height. Primary sports played on these types of surfaces are Football, Rugby, Lacrosse and soccer. This combination of materials is sometimes installed with a shock absorbent pad to meet certain performance and testing criteria.
3G fields can also be installed with a shock absorbent pad underneath in order to meet performance and testing criteria such as the FIFA Quality Concept and World Rugby Regulation 22.
Our 3G SIS Grass Synthetic pitches are made using premium materials and tested to FIFA, World Rugby, Federation of International Hockey (FIH) standards by leading test houses.
Fourth Generation (4G) surfaces consist of one element: synthetic turf. These surfaces are still in the early stage of development and are designed to eliminate the requirement for any infill products, whilst still meeting all the performance and testing requirements required by the sporting governing bodies.
4G fields are relatively new innovation to the market which struggles to meet performance testing and safety standards over a long period of time compared to 2G and 3G systems.
The main difference between 3G and 4G surfaces is that 3G sport fields contain infill, whilst 4G systems do not. 3G fields are the latest to be recognized by any accredited governing body.
Some key differences between 3G and 4G sport fields:
3G fields:
4G fields:
Both 3G and 4G fields have their advantages, making neither one the better choice. The type of field you should choose will depend on a number of different factors, including the sport being played, the environment, the usage and your needs. If you need help deciding which is best for you, then our expert and friendly team can help – get in touch today.
Fifth generation (5G) surfaces are very similar to 4G surfaces consisting of completely synthetic turf. However, where a 4G pitch doesn’t have an infill product, a 5G field is said to have a fully rubber crumb infill.
5G surfaces are also still in the early stage of development and do not yet meet the performance testing and safety standards over a long period of time compared to 2G and 3G systems.
If you’re looking for an expert in sport field design, installation and maintenance, SIS Pitches can help. We have over 25 years of experience, installing and maintaining some of the world’s most famous sports fields.
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