Does the Game Change?: Natural Grass versus Artificial Turf Sporting Surfaces

In times of drought and water restrictions the use of natural grass sporting surfaces has come under review. For many years, artificial turf has been the surface of choice for field hockey and has become an increasingly acceptable playing surface for contact sports like American football, soccer and rugby. Even though a number of the governing sporting bodies (i.e. FIFA, IRB, FIH) have defined technical requirements for the selection and installation, such synthetic sporting surfaces are still viewed with scepticism by the public. Although they are still to gain full public acceptance, synthetic surfaces can enhance the sport being played.