The sound of cleats striking the ground, players heaving in air, and then smack. An athlete rolls around, grasping his ankle in pain. Ouch, that seems painful!.

Soccer, being a contact sport, is associated with high injury rates, with most injuries involving the lower extremity, such as the knee or ankle. These injuries can sometimes pose a serious threat to the player’s wellbeing with major physical setback. Here, we’ll take a deep dive into the debate between playing soccer on artificial turf vs grass.

In 2007, David Beckham, an English soccer star, stated, “As a professional athlete, you can’t play a game like soccer on that sort of field.” He believed that every team should have natural grass, not artificial turf. This includes many other soccer stars, such as Thierry Henry, Didier Drogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. 

World renowned soccer player, Lionel Messi, has had lady luck on his side throughout his career as he managed to escape serious injuries. Today, 17 years later from when David Beckham first made his statement, we are seeing Messi struggle with multiple injuries. This makes one wonder, is it just his age or could it be his playing field? After recently joining Inter Miami, his home playing field is the Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, which has synthetic turf. Messi has expressed how it does not matter whether he plays on artificial turf or grass. “The truth is my youth was spent on artificial turf, my whole life was on that pitch.” Messi also shared, “Truth is it has been a while since I’ve played on artificial turf, but I have no problem adapting myself again.” Although with this statement, Messi claims that playing on turf is not an issue for him, recent studies show mixed results.

Mark Cote, director of Outcomes Research for Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital writes in his article “they have good reason to blame artificial surfaces — but there are a number of reasons why injuries occur, and turf isn’t the only one,” he says. Soccer involves many sudden and quick movements, which can place stress on the joints of players.

There have been multiple studies to assess turf versus grass related injuries. This includes soccer, football, lacrosse, and field hockey. A 2018 study published by the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine was performed to study the influence of surface type on lower body injury groupings. The study utilized date from 32 NFL teams and concluded that playing on artificial turf resulted in a 16% rise in lower extremity injuries per play than natural grass.

Turf fields mimic natural grass and provide a more even playing field. Contrary to grass fields, turf fields have no uneven bumps and holes, allowing for a smoother game. Some athletes even claim that turf helps them run faster. The first and original brand of turf was AstroTurf, which was first developed in the 1960s by James M. Faria and Robert T. Wright. It was made up of a short-pile, rubber-based material. 

Nowadays, synthetic grass is made of numerous materials, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and nylon. The field virtually never changes and provides consistent gameplay. The average lifespan of an artificial lawn until replacement is around 15–25 years. 

Artificial turf doesn’t need to be watered. It also doesn’t cost as much to maintain as natural grass. The maintenance cost is around $6,000 a year for a turf field, while the annual maintenance cost for natural grass is around $42,000. This is a significant difference, as cost is a huge deal when it comes to maintaining a stadium and hosting soccer games. Compared to natural grass fields, turf fields offer a prodigious advantage over grass fields because they can be used nonstop, in all types of weather conditions. 

Although artificial turf may appear more economical, the turf is rougher and, when sliding on the surface, can cause painful turf burns. Artificial turf also leads to more non-contact injuries like sprains and ligament injuries. This is because cleats have a harder time penetrating and exiting the surface of the grass, which causes some players’ feet to get stuck in the turf. This fleeting, momentary lapse in movement is enough to make a player fall and hurt themselves. 

On natural grass, players can encounter uneven sections and possibly bumps. This can slow down some plays, but it creates a more controlled speed. A more controlled speed allows players to focus more on the ball, which can make smoother plays. Natural grass also makes the ball bounce more naturally, which makes it much easier for players to control the ball. Grass has a softer texture than turf, allowing for more cushioning when falling or sliding. Most players, therefore, prefer natural grass, which could be because of lower injury rates.

Cleats have an easier time penetrating and digging into the grass. This allows players to make quicker turns, cuts, and directional changes without getting stuck and injuring themselves. As we know from artificial turf, not being able to easily penetrate the surface can be harmful to one’s joints and can cause serious injuries. Natural grass makes the ball bounce more naturally, which makes it much easier for players to control the ball. Ball controllability is crucial for passing and dribbling, turf makes the ball bounce more, which could catch some players off guard. 

According to most studies, injuries can be seen more frequently associated with artificial turf. At the same time, playing on a grass field does not make a player invulnerable to accidents. Unfortunately, the majority of players end up with sheer bad luck, being at the wrong place at the wrong time. More studies and data need to be collected to provide definitive evidence whether artificial turf or natural grass causes more injuries. In the meantime, where would you play your next match, turf or natural grass?