Edel Grass shapes the future of hockey turf
Edel Grass has succeeded in developing an artificial turf surface for hockey that complies with the requirements FIH has set for dry turf. The Edel Aero 14-28 is now being rolled out in the Netherlands. Testing data and user feedback collected should help the FIH, the Dutch KNHB and other associations in further defining the quality criteria for this type of surface.
While the importance of dry turf for both the sport of hockey and society at large is disputed, the quality criteria it should meet are still being fully developed. The International Hockey Federation (FIH) pursues a surface that provides the same player experience as a watered surface, but without water. This is a challenge, as surfaces for elite hockey rely heavily on water to deliver ball control, ball speed, surface consistency, and foot grip, and to minimise carpet burns when sliding. It also helps cooling down the temperature when games are being played in full sun.
FIH is pursuing a dry turf, as it has committed itself to the United Nations Millennium Goal to “ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all” by 2030. Even though the approximately 5,000 litres of water modern watered surfaces use per watering is a far cry from the 18,000 litres of water that was once the norm, FIH views this volume as being unacceptable. Therefore, it has challenged the artificial turf industry to develop a new type of surface.
Contact for more info
Gijs Peters
Area sales manager Sales
Frank Herbrink
Head marketing & communications PRElite player input
Early in 2024, Edel Grass received FIH approval for its Edel Aero 14-28 dry turf product. Shortly thereafter, they also received permission to do several installations in the Netherlands. Both approvals have been granted, based on a test in a laboratory.
“These are significant approvals as, first and foremost, this shows that both FIH and the Royal Dutch Hockey Association (KNHB) have confidence in our product. More importantly, these approvals will allow us to now start collecting data and feedback from the players. These are vital to both us and the governing bodies, as this feedback will be used in fine-tuning the quality criteria for dry turf,” Edel Grass sales manager Gijs Peters explains.
Recognising that the sport has evolved, FIH decided in 2021 to first re-establish what players value most, before defining how a new type of surface should perform. This was a radical move away from the established process of expecting new products to meet well-defined quality criteria a move that forced the artificial turf industry back to their drawing boards. FIH used the Tokyo Olympics to establish what players value in a surface.
The key focus of the questionnaire included areas such as player experience and surface performance, in addition to questions that were raised with other stakeholders, addressing maintenance and cost, the environmental impact and the overall sustainability of international competitions.
Four key game events
Based on the input, FIH identified four key game events where the characteristics of a water-based pitch are deemed to be important:
- the ball speed
- oblique ball bounce
- stick-surface friction
- performing 3D skills like lifts, jinks, or pops
“Factoring these events in in the process of developing our Edel Aero product was really a challenge,” Peters says. “However, through our close collaboration with our yarn producer within the Victoria Grass Group and other partners, we managed to develop a system which delivers well.”
Peters calls it a system, as the performance of an artificial turf field is the collective result of the turf, a possible infill material like sand or water, and a performance layer like an ET decke or prefabricated shock pad. “We have developed, tested and applied crimping techniques in a new way resulting in an ultra-texturized yarn which has been tufted very densely in the weave cloth. The crimping process provides a yarn with thickness and comfort, which contribute to its performance in the system.”
Edel Grass submitted both a dry turf on an ET decke as well as on a prefabricated shock pad. “ET deckes are hailed for the very flat surface they deliver, making them the performance layer of choice for elite games. However, as modern prefabricated shock pads also manage to deliver a high-quality finish, we have also developed a system with a shock pad to be able to offer a solution when a club desires different from a ET decke.”
Good for the body
Edel Grass also values player input when developing a new product. It has very good contact with a variety of players from various clubs in several countries, including Surbiton Hockey Club in Engeland. This partnership goes back to the early 1990s. Over the years, this club has become a testbed for the various Edel Grass hockey surfaces.
Following a recent renovation of the entire complex, Edel Grass installed several of its latest products. Not entirely coincidentally, the women’s team at the club has won the national title nine times in the past 10 years. Ansley is a player at the club and knows the various Edel Grass hockey solutions inside out. “They are really nice,” she says. Asked for her opinion about the latest Edel Grass hockey surface that was installed at the club, she says: “It is quick, which is really nice. And the ball bounce behavior definitely makes a big difference compared to other surfaces.”
As the pace of hockey has become much faster in recent years, she is also pleased with the impact the surface has on her body. “It provides a nice underfoot.” To her this is important, as she has had the experience of fields wearing her down. “The fields used for the Paris Olympics were really soft. A pitch that is slightly softer allows you to better place your stick under the ball, but the downside is that such a pitch will wear you out. In Paris, my legs felt really heavy because of the soft pitches.” These are characteristics the FIH will definitely not pursue, as this would mean elite players cannot perform when they are supposed to be in their prime.
Ansley also has experience with hockey surfaces in so-called hot countries. Recently, she participated in a two-month league in Australia. She was dismayed with the quality of the surfaces she played on in that country. “Many are very old and worn out, making them very difficult to play on, especially on days when the temperatures were high.”
The Australian city of Brisbane is earmarked to host the Summer Olympics of 2032. Given the fact that the FIH has recently requested the local organising committee of the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles for permission to still use a watered surface for their tournament, Brisbane could become the first Olympic hockey tournament where dry turf will become the norm.
Yet, Peters remains cautious. “It is early days to state whether this is possible, as the first dry turf fields are currently being rolled out. FIH and the artificial turf industry first have to collect and analyse the player feedback to determine the road forward. Until such time, we now have an artificial turf in any FIH surface category that clubs can choose from.”
First installations
Recently, Edel Grass installed a first pitch at HC Cranendonck and a mini training pitch with Edel Aero at HC ‘s Hertogenbosch. “These are major milestones for us, as everybody will closely monitor how hockey will develop. We are pleased that clubs are already taking a giant leap forward by investing in a surface that eventually will become the norm,” Peters continues.
Other dry turf installations in the Netherlands and a possible first installation in the US he looks forward to. “With the LA Olympics coming up, this is an important opportunity”, he sais. “Before the summer, we will already install the Edel Aero 14-28 at three different clubs in the Netherlands. The protocol here is that, once installed, the field will be monitored for a full year by an independent testing institute. Every three months, they will establish its performance, to allow us and the Dutch sports authorities to understand how the field performs during the various seasons. Furthermore, we will have to interview players and officials to collect feedback. If all goes well, our Edel Aero 14-28 will be approved in the Netherlands from 2026 onwards.”
Once approved, the Dutch sporting authorities will continue collecting feedback on all approved dry turf surfaces. “The collective data of all tested products, including those from other artificial turf suppliers, will eventually be used by the KNHB to lay down the requirements for future dry turf products.” Given the fact that the protocols and quality criteria for artificial turf surfaces in the Netherlands are well-defined and closely monitored, Peters expects that FIH will monitor these trials and closely liaise with KNHB about the route forward. “Remember, the Netherlands is the Olympic champion in both men’s and women’s hockey,” he reminds us. It is safe to say that the Edel Aero 14-28 surfaces that will be installed in the coming months will lay the foundation for future dry turf products.
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