Best Artificial Turf for Football: What You Need to Know

Did you know that football is the world’s most popular sport? It’s no surprise then that artificial turf has seen a significant rise in popularity, with this durable, safe surface used for full pitches, mini football, training areas and futsal centres.

When selecting the right artificial turf for football, there are important factors to consider. Read our helpful guide below to learn everything you need to know before buying artificial turf for football. 

Key features of football turf

The biggest benefit of using artificial turf for football is that it is accessible year-round. No more muddy pitches during winter. So what features go into synthetic football grass?

• Infill: Usually made from sand, cork or rubber, infill provides shock absorption ideal for sports usage. It also enhances ball bounce and roll and provides extra traction for player safety. However, some new cutting-edge synthetic turfs, like TigerTurf’s NRG XWR Sport, do not require infill. This is thanks to a combination of multiple yarns and the unique No Rubber Granules (NRG) factor, making it a low-maintenance, durable option with an easy-clean surface.

• Yarn: Synthetic turf yarn for football is typically manufactured from monofilament, which is particularly resilient and provides better ball interaction. Other common options include fibrillated yarn and material like polyethylene.

• Drainage: Drainage is essential for a safe, stable turf that is made to last. Integrated backing perforations enable water to pass through at pace, preventing water from pooling and allowing accessibility all year.

• UV-resistant fibres: Unless your football field is indoors, look for synthetic turf that includes UV-resistant fibres to maximise longevity against sun exposure.

• FIFA certification: Ideally your turf will meet international standards for players safety, ball behaviour and turf resilience. One way to ensure this is to select a turf that has the FIFA Quality or Quality Pro certification, like many TigerTurf products.

Ready to browse our comprehensive range of high-quality artificial turf for football? View our collection of world-class artificial turf for football.

Differences in pile height & density

Pile height and density refers to how tall and thickly packed the blades of synthetic grass are. The longer the piles, the more plush and natural your turf will appear and the softer it will be underfoot. The shorter the piles, the more hardy and resilient the turf will be. For football and other high-impact sports, shorter piles are preferred, usually around 25mm in length. This ensures your turf can handle the heavy usage and is easy to maintain between games.

Best turf types for different play levels

Regardless of the intended use for your sports turf, you should focus on three key things: performance, durability and safety. On top of that, there are different turfs for different uses, outlined below.

Community sports

For recreational community use, look for a multi-use turf that can handle different kinds of sports (not just football). A non-infill system like TigerTurf NRG XWR Sport is affordable, durable and requires minimal maintenance. 

School fields

For school usage, opt for a durable turf and add an optional shock pad layer for injury reduction and enhanced player safety. TigerTurf offers many options suitable for schools, but a highly resilient multi-use turf like Endurance Play is an excellent choice. 

Professional use

For professional and elite competitions, look no further than our Atomic Pro range. The Atomic Pro 40 and Atomic Pro 60 are FIFA Quality certified, so you can rest assured knowing your athletes are playing on industry-safe, long-lasting and high-quality synthetic grass. The Atomic Pro 60 is our premium professional sports product, Football Q and Football Q Pro compliant and the result of years of research for consistent, high performance playing.

Case Studies

Don’t take our word for it! Hear what some of our previous clients have to say.

• Ormiston Primary School: We were thrilled to build a state-of-the-art football field for Ormiston, using our patented ecocept® pad for an environmentally responsible touch and our non-infill turf system, NRG2, to provide a durable, high-performance finish. Read more here!
• Victoria University: The brief for this job was to build a high-performance pitch for indoor training to be used by the Wellington Phoenix football team and full-contact rugby. TigerTurf Endurance 60 was the clear winner in this scenario, providing exceptional quality and resilience. See the full story here.
• Bill McKinlay Park: This client was looking for year-round access that could handle frequent usage, so we designed a premium-quality turf that met FIFA 2 testing standards. Discover the journey here.

Discover quality artificial turf for football

TigerTurf is your one-stop-shop for exceptional synthetic football turf, designed to last and professionally installed for years of usage. Browse our wide range of sports turf today!