FieldTurf
Encyclopedia : F : FI : FIE : FieldTurf
FieldTurf is a Montreal-based company which installs artificial grass playing surfaces identified by the FieldTurf trademark. Artificial grass is designed to simulate natural grass and is often used where a grass-like field is required, but where natural grass is not feasible. FieldTurf uses a sand and crumb rubber mixture to mimic natural soil, and special plastic shafts are used to simulate blades of grass. FieldTurf is a major synthetic turf competitor, contributing to the replacement of what was once the most popular artificial turf, AstroTurf. As of 2005, seven out of the nine Canadian Football League teams had installed either FieldTurf or a similar surface, as had a number of National Football League and Major League Baseball clubs. Many high schools have also started using Field Turf.
To combat the inroads into the market by FieldTurf, the manufacturer of AstroTurf, Southwest Recreational Industries, duplicated the product so closely in its AstroPlay line that FieldTurf sued the American company for patent infringement. FieldTurf lost the suit for lack of evidence[link], and in late 2003 was ordered to reimburse Southwest Recreational Industries for approximately $4.3 million in legal expenses[link]. However, in early 2004 Southwest Recreational Industries filed for bankruptcy, citing heavy debt and inability to keep up with rapid market growth[link].
Unlike AstroTurf, FieldTurf has been approved by FIFA, UEFA and other governing bodies for use in soccer, except for the World Cup finals. FIFA's policy is to actively encourage the installation of artificial turf of the newest generation where conditions demand it, and many European clubs are said to be considering installing it. Several UK teams have installed it as a training pitch, but as of February 2006, all continue to prefer natural grass for first-team matches. The Scottish Premier League banned synthetic pitches for competition matches in 2005. In 2005, Saprissa Stadium in San José, Costa Rica became the first stadium to host a World Cup qualifying match on FieldTurf.
FIFA requires an appropriately marked field for competitive matches, which is problematic for the sport's backers in North America as many gridiron football teams have insisted on installing permanent gridiron lines in their surfaces to reduce maintenance.
After a two year trial at the University of Washington's Husky Stadium, it was introduced to the NFL at the Seattle Seahawks new stadium, Qwest Field (formerly Seahawks Stadium).
Super Bowl XL, featuring the Seattle Seahawks and the Pittsburgh Steelers, marks the first time that the Super Bowl has been played on this new generation turf. The Ford Field installation differs from the standard installation as the recycled rubber used is made from Firestone tires[link]. It has been installed in the facilities that both teams practiced on while in Detroit and is already used by both teams' home facilities.
See also
External links
From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.