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Development of Dry (non-irrigated) Hockey Turfs

Since hockey first embraced synthetic turf surfaces in the late 1970s, players have preferred to play on them when they are wet. Experience shows that water provides fast, predictable, and consistent playing conditions that allows players to perform to the best of their ability. Watering a hockey field does, however, come at a cost, both financially and environmentally, and it is increasingly being recognised that this is no longer a sustainable policy for hockey. Therefore, the FIH has challenged the synthetic turf industry to develop hockey turfs that retain the desired characteristics, but without using water.

A key part of ensuring these new types of dry hockey turfs have the playing characteristics hockey desires is being able to measure and quantify their performance. The FIH Hockey Turf and Field Standards are the internationally recognised quality standards for hockey fields. Part 1 describe the sports performance, player welfare, surface durability and environmental characteristics required from FIH Approved hockey turfs. The standard has five categories of turf with the Global category being the one intended for top-level competitions. Currently, the Global category requires turfs to be watered prior to use, as this ensures they have the qualities the players’ desire. Removing the requirement to water means this certainty will no longer exist, so new requirements are needed to ensure the turfs still provide acceptable levels of performance. Following a programme of research, the FIH has established an Innovation Category of Hockey Turf that is designed to ensure that dry turfs:

  • Replicate, as far as possible, the playing qualities of wet hockey turfs
  • Provide satisfactory levels of foot grip
  • Provide acceptable levels of player comfort
  • Have acceptable durability

Ideally, dry turfs will have similar playing characteristics to wet hockey turfs, but this may not be possible in all aspects so, the FIH Innovation Category is sub-divided into a target range, based on the performance of wet hockey turfs, and a wider range intended to ensure that the surfaces have performance that is better than that provided by national category hockey turfs.

As fields are surfaced with dry hockey turfs, the FIH, in conjunction with our National Hockey Associations will seek player feedback. This will help establish how good the performance of dry turfs are, and where the limits of acceptable performance can be set. With this information, we will be able to amend our Hockey Turf and Field Standards to include the new performance properties and to remove the requirement for global category turfs to be watered prior to use. It is currently envisaged that this will be done no later than Q3/Q4 2024.

To download the criteria for Innovation Category of Hockey Turfs click here

To download the latest FIH Dry Turf project update report click here

To download the background research report that allowed us to create the Innovation Category of Hockey Turfs click here

The following Dry Turfs are certified as complying with the FIH Dry (non-irrigated) turf innovation category:

Manufacturer Hockey turf FIH Certificate number Company website
AstroTurf AstroTurf Paris GT zero 11-43 MB EL 10 HT-24-073 https://astroturf.com
AstroTurf AstroTurf Paris GT zero 11-43 MB ET 35H HT-24-074 https://astroturf.com
AstroTurf AstroTurf Paris GT zero 11-43 MB PFS 13 HT-24-076 https://astroturf.com
AstroTurf AstroTurf Paris GT zero 11-43 MB PFT 6 HT-24-075 https://astroturf.com
Edel Grass Edel Aero 14-28 ET 25 HT-24-011 https://edelgrass.com/
Edel Grass Edel Aero 14-28 PFT HT-24-026 https://edelgrass.com/
FieldTurf Hockey Gold Speed D 9-40 ET 25 HT-24-049 https://fieldturf.com/en
FieldTurf Hockey Gold Speed D 9-40 XC 9006 HT-24-051 https://fieldturf.com/en
Greenfields GreenFields TX Pro Plus EL10 HT-24-080 http://www.greenfields.eu/
Greenfields GreenFields TX Pro (v2.0) EL10 HT-24-081 http://www.greenfields.eu/
Greenfields GreenFields TX Pro (v2.0) PE06.9 HT-24-082 http://www.greenfields.eu/
Greenfields GreenFields TX Pro Plus PE06.9 HT-24-083 http://www.greenfields.eu/
Greenfields Greenfields Pure EP 8 375 HT-23-032 http://www.greenfields.eu/
Lano Sports S-tec Orbion ERGO-PE6 HT-23-054 https://www.lanosports.com
Lano Sports S-tec Orbion II ERGO-PE6 HT-24-033 https://www.lanosports.com
Lano Sports S-tec Orbion II ET25 HT-24-034 https://www.lanosports.com
Lano Sports S-tec Orbion II ET35 HT-24-035 https://www.lanosports.com
Lano Sports S-tec Orbion II ET24 rewetta HT-24-092 https://www.lanosports.com
Limonta Sport Newgrass MF/8 Hockey 13 EL 25 D HT-24-040 http://www.limontasport.com
Polytan Poligras Paris GT Zero 11-43 MB EL 10 HT-24-032 https://www.polytan.com/sports/hockey/
Polytan Poligras Paris GT Zero 11-43 MB ET 35H HT-23-033 https://www.polytan.com/sports/hockey/
Polytan Poligras Paris GT Zero 11-43 MB PFT 6 HT-23-047 https://www.polytan.com/sports/hockey/
Polytan Poligras Paris GT Zero 11-43 MB PFS 13 HT-24-062 https://www.polytan.com/sports/hockey/
SIS Pitches SISGrass Xcel ECO + Kinea SP RF 250/6 HT-24-095 https://www.sispitches.com/
SIS Pitches SISGrass Xcel ECO + EL15 + Kinea V5030/4 HT-24-096 https://www.sispitches.com/
Sports and Leisure - Domo Sports Grass Domo Fastplay ET25 HT-24-017 https://domosportsgrass.com/
Tigerturf TigerTurf Wett Pro PE06.9 HT-24-093 https://tigerturf.com/
Tigerturf TigerTurf Wett Pro EL10 HT-24-094 https://tigerturf.com/

The following fields have been tested and shown to comply with the FIH Innovation Dry (non-irrigated) Turf field category:

Field name Location (city & country) Hockey turf Turf manufacturer FIH field certificate number
Indiana T2 De Pinte, Belgium S-tec Orbion II ET 25 Rewetta Lano Sports CF-24-187
St Andrew’s School Bloemfontein, South Africa Poligras Paris GT Zero 11-43 MB PFT 6 Polytan CF-24-047
Lille Métropole Hockey Club Lille, France Poligras Paris GT Zero 11-43 MB ET 35H Polytan CF-24-075
Pembroke Wanderers Hockey Club Dublin, Ireland Poligras Paris GT Zero 11-43 MB EL15 Polytan CF-24-137
Walvis Bay Gymnasium Walvis Bay, Namibia Poligras Paris GT Zero 11-43 MB PFT 6 Polytan CF-24-194