It is difficult to imagine a football game without an even saturated green field, which literally mesmerizes with its freshness and softness. I just want to go over it, introducing myself as one of the virtuoso players. Today, its cover is undergoing a truly technical revolution. After all, the key to a first-class game is not only the training of athletes, but also an ideal platform for the game.
Currently, there are two types of coating: natural and artificial field. They vary not only in price, but also in structure and practicality.
Natural grass
This species consists of soil and seeded grass (or a finished sod component). Despite the fact that today the process of growing a natural lawn is much easier, it still has a number of disadvantages. Firstly, the high price of a natural lawn is approximately 160 thousand euros. Not every football club can afford it. Secondly, it is fast "wear". After one football match, friability and damage to the integrity of the grass cover remain in such a field. Restoration work is required, again requiring a lot of financial investment and time. Thirdly, natural lawn is very moody in relation to weather conditions. After bad weather, draining it is a very long and laborious process.
Alternative option
As practice shows, the natural is not always better! This fact is especially contrary to the construction of football fields. Laying and growing a natural lawn requires a lot of strength, patience and ingenuity, so an artificial field is the ideal solution in this situation. This is the latest generation engineering design. It is made of polyethylene fiber and layed in rolls. Their width reaches about four meters, and the length corresponds to the length of the football field.
Artificial field structure
Natural and artificial football fields differ only in the styling process. The structure of both types includes a drainage system, a base and heating. First, a layer of coarse gravel is poured (20-25 cm), then the surface is leveled with a filling of fine gravel (5-10 cm). Asphalt ground can serve as the basis.
The second step is flooring rolls. They are connected using a special mounting tape on polyurethane adhesive. The height of the grass, or pile, ranges from five to seven centimeters. For greater strength and practicality, the grass cover is woken up with quartz sand and rubber crumb (granulate), mixed in equal proportions.
Backfill
The artificial field should maximally correspond (and even exceed) the functional indicators of the natural coating. For over a decade, leading sports companies with world-wide status have worked tirelessly on its perfection. The latest innovation in the development of artificial turf is grass backing from unvulcanized materials. Thus, OLOSPORT has already launched production of granulate from thermoplastic elastomer for several years. It is manufactured using special technology and has several advantages:
- does not emit sulfur, prolonging the life of artificial turf;
- does not have a specific rubber smell;
- has a sufficient specific gravity, is not washed out by rain;
- differs in mechanical strength and endurance;
- provides elasticity, high rebound of the ball and safety;
- does not contain heavy metals, phthals, PVC, therefore, in contact with human skin does not cause allergies.
The artificial football field of the latest generation is used today by many European football stadiums. A single financial investment of about 350 thousand euros pays off with high quality and durability of green coverage.
Grass
The grasses of the latest developments have perfect characteristics. It is made of materials resistant to external influences. Artificial grass tolerates elevated ultraviolet and low temperatures equally well, perfectly passes water. Pile has virtually no life and allows football matches and training to be held for a very long time. The artificial field does not require maintenance, watering and fertilizer.
In the manufacture of synthetic coatings, the tufting method is used. This is a weaving of a pile in an elastic base. The grass itself is made of polyethylene. Recent developments also include polypropylene and polyamide. Thanks to this unique combination, the artificial field does not knock out, does not get trampled and does not lose its rich green color.
And finally, another feature of the latest generation of artificial turf is a latex curing layer with antibacterial, antifungal and waterproof properties.
Mini football
Mini-football equipment technologies are slightly different. This is directly related to the parameters of the playing field. Traditionally, futsal is held in sports halls, which is why it got its second name “futsal”. Although outdoor games are no exception, they rather confirm the rules. The monolithic coating and the absence of seams are the main features that the mini-football artificial field boasts. Photos of the venues show a glossy colored surface that at first glance resembles the ordinary wooden floor of school gyms. However, this building is much trickier and more inventive.
The latest-generation artificial soccer field is a multi-layer product. A rubber substrate (or mat) is attached to the polyurethane base. It, in turn, is covered with two layers of special putty. And this “pie” is crowned with a colored coating (it can be not only classic green, but also blue, yellow, red, etc.), treated with varnish.
Each layer has its own consumer value. So, polyurethane allows you to seal possible pores, and the color coating has leveling properties that make the football pitch perfectly smooth and durable. Sealing varnish is not only decorative, creating gloss on the surface of the site, but also prevents the penetration of moisture into the deeper layers of the sports facility. In addition to technical practicality, the artificial field for futsal is safety, resilient and absolutely non-toxic.