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