Testing for FIFA Certification
3. Testing for FIFA Certification
3.1 Test Procedures
The FIFA Recommended Marks are only awarded to those artificial turf pitches which have passed a series of stringent laboratory and field tests. The marks will only be given to an installed pitch and not simply to the turf carpet. This is because the underlying base surface is just as important to the playability of the pitch as the turf itself.
Therefore every turf product must first pass laboratory tests to determine its composition and then must be tested for durability, climatic resistance, player-to-surface interaction and ball-to-surface interaction. If it passes all these tests, then this completes the first stage of the process towards the award of the marks.
In the second stage every installed pitch must be tested on site. Firstly, specialised field-testing equipment measures how the ball reacts on the surface in terms of roll, vertical rebound and how the ball behaves when it strikes the surface at an angle. Then it must similarly be tested to see how it reacts to the actions of players ¨Cincluding shock absorbency, surface deformation, slip resistance and traction. In addition, the reaction of the turf to the skin of the players, when sliding on the surface, will be measured in form of skin abrasion and friction for the higher FIFA Recommended level.
If the artificial turf pitch passes all the laboratory tests and all the field tests then it will qualify for one of the two FIFA Recommended Marks.
3.2 Quality Levels
Since the implementation of the FIFA Quality Concept for Artificial Turf in 2001 many top league clubs worldwide have already installed, and thus discovered the advantages of, FIFA Recommended artificial turf training pitches. Many lower division and amateur leagues are already accepting artificial turf pitches for competitive matches. The positive feedback from players induces more and more top football clubs to consider artificial turf pitches in their stadia and football association to open their competitions for these surfaces.
The International Football Association Board has also recognized the advances in artificial surface technology and decided to introduce artificial surfaces into the Laws of The Game in July 2004. Following the International FA Board mandate to FIFA to create universal guidelines for artificial turf, the FIFA Quality Concept has been further developed by introducing a FIFA Recommended 2 Star rating system. Based on player’s feedback, medical research, test results and information from the industry since the implementation in 2001, a second, more stringent standard has been developed in addition to the existing level.
The creation of a top-of-the-range FIFA standard will further improve playability and safety. This new benchmark will lead the industry to develop artificial turf products even closer to the perfect natural grass pitch model and provide the world of football with the best artificial turf surfaces for the professional game.
The FIFA Quality Concept for artificial turf consisting of the FIFA Recommended 2 Star and the FIFA Recommended 1 Star quality levels is reflecting the segmented market situation.
