What is the secret behind the pristine look of the modern football pitch? It isn’t just the high quality grass and the elaborate draining systems, it goes way beyond that. But before we take a look at the inventive approach in building a perfect pitch let’s see what initiated the change in the first place.
The traditional turf
The pitch is a crucial and integral part of the game of football, as much as the players and the ball. Having a standardized playing surface on every stadium in the world is paramount in professional sports. Not always possible, but that is the goal.
The traditional football pitch made entirely out of natural grass couldn’t be further away from this goal. The surface changes dramatically with the weather conditions. And the weather wasn’t always the cause for unplayable conditions.
Back in the day Derby’s manager Brian Clough made his ground staff flood the turf because he believed that those conditions suited his team’s style of play. Apparently at that time deliberately changing the playing conditions was no big deal. The phrase “a level playing field” was probably still very new to the English language.
These damages to the filed caused by weather, and the Brian Cloughs, especially on the British island, saw the need of a more consistent surface. Artificial grass was introduced.
Synthetic grass and the 3G pitch
The artificial pitch, today known as the 3G pitch, is made entirely out of synthetic grass-like blades, inserted into a layer of sand which was supported by rubber crumbs made from recycled tyres. This made the filed more durable, with better drainage and ensured the playing conditions would be unaffected by the weather.
But a lot of players started to complain that the new surface was causing more injuries to joint ligaments and tendons due to it being harder and more abrasive.
In the 2000’s another concern was emerging. A Norwegian study in 2006 showed the link between the artificial pitches and cancer. The study said that the rubber granules used in the 3G pitches presents a cancer risk.
These fears sparked the invention of the hybrid pitch.
The hybrid pitch – The future is now
The hybrid turf surfaces address all the problems of the traditional pitch and the artificial 3G pitch. Only 3% of the field is made with artificial grass yarns, the rest is natural grass, and it doesn’t have a rubber granule base. It is completely made out of sand and soil organic mix.
The artificial yarns hold the grass roots together, they grow around them, making the surface more durable and recover much faster. The technology has proven so effective that all of the stadiums in the Premier league use hybrid surfaces.
Field condition no longer a factor when placing a bet
Online betting sites now offer information about match day weather conditions, but that is less of a concern today. Online bookmakers give you the Las Vegas thrill right from your couch. Have fun and bet here with a safe account.
