Grass on football fields

2002/07/01 Roa Zubia, Guillermo - Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Materialak

Sometimes, once the match is over, the only cause of concern is the caretaker of the field. If the game has been hard, the alleged green tapestry is filled with holes. And that is not the only concern of the caregiver, for example, on both sides of the gatekeepers the grass disappears quickly.

Actually, taking care of the field is not an easy task, since the grass is not in a natural state. That is why it is not worth any herbaceous species, but you have to choose the one that best suits. Genetically modified grass is prepared in various fields and cultivation techniques are studied. More than one species can be used, depending on the use to be given: they are not the same as those used in football and golf.

Golf was invented in Scotland, a rainy village in which the techniques of conservation of the meadows were developed. And the modern concept of sport has demanded the improvement of these techniques. On the golf course there is no single type of grass. The most specialized is the strike. There the obstacles of a few millimeters are also not acceptable, so the grass barely exceeds 4 millimeters in height.

In football the grass is about 17 millimeters high, the way to cut is simpler, but the sport practiced in it is much more painful for the grass. On the other hand, more criteria are included in the game to determine the height to which it should be: it is usually agreed between the caregiver and the coach. But there is a way to avoid cutting grass: using artificial grass.

Natural or synthetic?

Despite its antiquity, artificial grass remains considered a curiosity. But, like everything, it has advantages and drawbacks. For example, installation and maintenance is clearly visible. The installation of artificial grass is expensive, but the field requires little maintenance, the opposite with natural grass: it installs in pieces easily, but requires specialized maintenance.

Components of synthetic baling: layers of sand and rubber from bottom to top and on it a green plstic of grass.

G. Roa bridge

From the player's point of view, in general, artificial grass is much more abrasive than natural. In addition, the ball does not respond in the same way, especially on the side of the boot; and the soccer player who runs notes the difference when making quick changes; it is also customary. However, artificial grass meadows better support their daily use; the survival of a highly used field for training is very difficult if you have natural grass.

Currently, natural grass fields are mostly used by higher level groups, it seems that the authorities want to encourage the growing use of synthetic grass. It is worth observing the characteristics of both types of grass.

Artificial grass

Today the football fields can be blue, would you be a supporter of it? We have a habit of seeing green grass, but if we put it synthetic, there are many colors to choose from. In short, this herb is the plastic that forms the fibers, but it is not just that. In case of fall, a player is more easily injured if he is playing on artificial grass than on natural grass, due to the components of the former.

Synthetic grass is made up of several layers. Usually the bottom is sand, on which the rubber or silica is placed and the green plastic in the form of grass on top. Silica was used because rubber is more abrasive. On the other hand, the top plastic is cut with a machine and so fine fibers are made. Once done, the field is ready to start playing. But when it rains?

Artificial grass field in Zubieta.

G. Roa bridge

When it rains, to avoid the accumulation of water, the drainage system that occurs in the fields of artificial grass is the planimetry, that is, on the slope below the water moves to the sides. That's why football fields aren't quite flat.

Natural grass

Natural grass has other problems. The grass is, of course, a plant, and like other plants, you have to take care of it. The roots of the plant in the soil make the pieces of grass loose easily when root diseases occur. Fertilizers and specific treatments are used to combat it. However, the biggest problem to keep the root healthy is the excessive watering that athletes demand.

Athletes (players and coaches) demand that the field be wet. But to keep it moist it is necessary to water the grass frequently, so the plant has a water source more abundant than the top. The land has less water than the irrigation system, so its roots grow up in its search. When so, the grass does not hold the ground well and footballers destroy the field quickly.

If the grass is damaged in one game, it will probably not be possible to fix it for the next one, even if the next one is the next day or the next week. In addition, water retained by heavy rains makes work difficult. Therefore, the drainage system in a field of natural grass needs, in addition to planimetry, an installation that makes the water come out below. Having a healthy football field is not easy, but the fan is not aware of it while winning the team he loves.