What sports can be played on astro turf pitches?

For the traditionalists, an astro turf pitch construction can be seen as completely inferior to real grass. They may say there is nothing like the feel of real dirt and turf below your boots, or that certain sports cannot be played on a 4g pitch installation, but technological advancements have vastly improved the quality and performance of artificial pitches. Sports surfaces need to be both functional and durable, and unless you have unlimited time and money, a synthetic cricket pitch construction is a lot easier to maintain than real grass, and there is no limit to the amount of games you can play on it.

Football

When old school players think of artificial playing surfaces, they may be thinking of sandy, rough fake turf that left them grazed, cut and bloody. A modern 4g pitch installation is completely different to this, offering a much smoother running and tackling surface. Newer pitches are filled with rubber crumb, which is a combination of sand and rubber granules, providing a more comfortable experience and improved ball control. The individual blades of artificial grass are also longer on 3g and 4g pitches, making them more realistic and resemblant of real grass in both functionality and appearance.

Rugby

Rugby is a high impact game, meaning that any pitch it is played on needs to be durable and able to withstand repeated, hard impacts. This is especially true in areas such as around the try line, where a lot of the action occurs, and players hitting the ground is very common. This is a big challenge with real grass, particularly when the pitch is wet (which can cause permanent damage to the surface) or frosty (which can cause permanent damage to players due to impacting on such hard ground). An astro turf pitch construction improves safety and performance, and can be created to the exact specifications that the club needs. A 4g pitch installation is also usable in all weathers, which is ideal for avid players who are out no matter the conditions.

Tennis

One of Britain’s most well-loved sports, tennis, suffers dreadfully from the unpredictability of the British ‘summer’ weather. Following a rainy downpour, it can take a long time for play to be able to continue due to players not wanting to damage the surface or get bogged down and muddy whilst playing. An astro turf pitch construction will not suffer this problem, with play being able to continue as little as half an hour after the rain stops. They also have a shorter pile length, which ensures optimal ball control.

Cricket

The most important thing about a surface for cricket, whether real grass or a synthetic cricket pitch construction, is that it is non-directional and durable. High traffic areas of the pitch, such as the wicket, need to be even tougher as there will be frequent footfall across it. This makes woven surfaces the best choice for a synthetic cricket pitch construction. They’re incredibly durable and perform well under stress for long periods of time. For limited budgets, needlepunch surfaces are the next best solution. They won’t be quite as durable, but are still your best bet if you can’t splash out on a woven pitch.


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