3G-Football-Turf-Guidance

third generationFOOTBALL TURFguidanceinformation for players, referees, clubs, leagues and ground StaffThird Generation Football Turf GuidanceInformation for Players, Referees, Clubs, Leagues and Ground Staff 01

Third Generation Football Turf GuidanceIntroductionOver the last few years, football has seen major innovations andinvestment, particularly through the Football Foundation, in thedevelopment of artificial grass surfaces or Football Turf as thesurfaces are now designated by FIFA. The development of FootballTurf now allows the game to be played on surfaces that replicate theplaying qualities of the good quality natural turf whilst increasing thelevels of use.Contents“I have seen the impact 3G Football Turf canhave in providing a fantastic experience for thoseplaying, coaching and officiating at all levels of thenation’s favourite game. I would actively encourageall who have not yet experienced 3G Football Turf togo out and try it.They are an excellent addition to the mix of facilitieswe have in this country, I hope this document helpsanswer any questions you may have in relation tothese facilities.”Gareth SouthgateHead of Elite Development, The FA02Third Generation Football Turf GuidanceInformation for Players, Referees, Clubs, Leagues and Ground StaffThe success of these surfaces is such that they are now being used in majorcompetitions including FIFA World Cup qualification matches and the UEFAChampions League. In England Football Turf pitches have been primarilyinstalled for community use and training or coaching venues. However, theyare now being used by some clubs in the Football Pyramid (Evostik League)and other lower leagues across the Country and enquiries are beingreceived regularly for their use.The FA has produced this guide to help provide the facts concerning theuse of these pitches and eradicate some of the myths that currently exist.The guide tries to answer some of the frequently asked questions and istargeted at players, referees, maintenance staff, leagues and clubs.FA Position Statement04 Football Turf Facilitiesin FA Competitions05 Football Turf PItchDifferences06 Information for Players08 Information for Referees09 Information for Clubs10 Information for Leagues11 Information for GroundStaff and Site Operators12 Case Studies15 The FA Facilities andInvestment TeamContact Information“The Football Association is fully supportive of the use of the Football Turf (3G) artificial pitches in theNational Game. The FA recognises the value and benefit of Football Turf facilities to all involved in the game andthe positive impact these facilities have had and will have in the future. This guide has been produced to help allof the grass roots game make informed decisions about their use and address many myths that exist.”Mervyn LeggettChairman of The FA Pitches and Facilities CommitteeThird Generation Football Turf GuidanceInformation for Players, Referees, Clubs, Leagues and Ground Staff 03

Third Generation Football Turf GuidanceInformation forPlayersResearch has concluded thatthe game does not changesignificantly between natural grassand artificial surfacesDoes the game change on 3G Football Turf surfaces?Research commissioned by FIFA undertaken byProzone researching over 100 games concluded thatthe game does not change significantly betweennatural grass and 3GFootball Turf surfaces. As onnatural turf, ball roll and foot/surface reaction is betterwhen the surface is wet, but pitches do not need waterto play on to meet the requirements of football.Are there more injuries on 3G Football Turf?Research commissioned by FIFA, in which more than10,000 injuries were compared, concluded that therewas no significant difference in the types and numberof injuries between natural grass and 3G FootballTurf surfaces.What boots should I wear to play on 3G Football Turf?The FA recommend users of 3G Football Turf facilitiescheck with their own site for specifics.Acceptable: The use of plastic screw-in and mouldedstuds are normally considered acceptable.Unacceptable: The use of flat soled training shoesand astro trainers should be discouraged, and ideallyprohibited, as they flatten the pile of the carpet andincrease the rate of compaction of the infill. A numberof manufacturers and site operators have also decidedthat the use of blades on 3G Football Turf surfaces is notto be recommended.The table opposite gives an at-a-glance guide tofootwear suitable for artificial surfaces.Reccommended Footwear for Artificial SurfacesFootwear typesTrainer(astro turf)Trainer(general)P Recommended • Not ideal O Not recommendedFootball Boot(moulded stud)Football Boot(screw-in stud)Football Boot(blade)3G Football Turf /Long Pile Carpet • O P P OSand-filled Carpet P • O O O06Third Generation Football Turf GuidanceInformation for Players, Referees, Clubs, Leagues and Ground StaffThird Generation Football Turf GuidanceInformation for Players, Referees, Clubs, Leagues and Ground Staff 07

Third Generation Football Turf GuidanceInformation forRefereesThird Generation Football Turf GuidanceInformation forClubsWhere 3G Football Turf is used,other lines are permitted providedthat they are of a different colourHire costs vary depending on avariety of factors, especially the timeyou wish to access the facilityLine markingsLaw 1 – The Field of PlayWhere 3G Football Turf is used, other lines arepermitted provided that they are of a differentcolour and clearly distinguishable from the lines usedfor football.Overhead wiresWhere the pitch operator allows, these should belowered and removed from the field of play; if theyare not, and the ball should hit the wire, then Law 5would then be applied:Law 5 –The refereeStops, suspends or abandons the match because ofoutside interference – please note that the response isa dropped ball.How do we get our league to accept the use of3G Football Turf pitches?Clubs should write to the league managementcommittee asking for the use of 3G Football Turf pitchesto be accepted at the league AGM.How do we implement RESPECT on a 3G FootballTurf pitch?The RESPECT barriers cannot be stuck into a 3G FootballTurf pitch. The FA recommends that cones are usedto cordon off an appropriate area.Where can parents stand to watch their kidsplay football?Each facility is designed in a slightly different wayand in turn they vary in size, The FA suggest clubs usediscretion and common sense and ensure the playersand officials have sufficient run off around the pitches.Where do we find our nearest 3G Football Turf pitch?Contact your local County FA or visit Sport England’sActive Places guide at www.activeplaces.com.The cost of hiring a 3G Football Turf pitch isexpensive; why is this?The cost of hire picks up a number of overheadsincluding weekly and annual maintenance, electricitycosts and surface replacement. Hire costs will varydepending upon a variety of factors especially thetime you wish to access the facility, with manyproviders having a peak and off peak price. If the costis prohibitive, The FA suggests speaking with the siteoperator to negotiate a block booking, as these do tendto offer better value for hirers.08Third Generation Football Turf GuidanceInformation for Players, Referees, Clubs, Leagues and Ground StaffThird Generation Football Turf GuidanceInformation for Players, Referees, Clubs, Leagues and Ground Staff 09

Third Generation Football Turf GuidanceInformation forLeaguesThird Generation Football Turf GuidanceInformation for GroundStaff and Site OperatorsDo we need to change our rules to allow the use of3G Football Turf pitches?Current FA Rules allow the use of 3G Football Turf pitches(bar specific competition rules) and there is nothingat present in the Standard Code of Rules, although asexplained earlier The FA are considering changing theStandard Code of Rules to allow greater use of thesepitches. The FA suggest it may be worth making itmore explicit within the League Rules so that all clubsare clear that 3G Football Turf pitches are accepted inthe competition.How and when do we change our rules?Potential rule changes are circulated prior to the AGMand then voted for at the AGM. AGM’s normally take placein May-July for leagues. The most sensible approach isto consult all clubs well in advance of the AGM, ensuringall questions are resolved rather than these being raisedat the AGM. It will also ensure the league has a clear ideaon whether the vote will be for or against. The league willalso need to consider altering the kick off times to allowgreater flexibility and more use of these pitches.What do you do if some of your clubs don’t want touse 3G Football Turf facilities?Its important to understand their concerns and giveobjective answers to these. Ultimately if the league votesto accept 3G Football Turf pitches then all clubsin the league will have to play on that surface if thatis the home venue for a club. If they refuse, they wouldbe fined for none fulfilment of fixture and expulsioncould eventually follow if they continue to take thesame position.Our league rules stipulate a kick off time, and thepitch is not available at this time, what can we do?The FA suggest changing your rules to be more flexiblearound kick off times subject to members agreeing.Are there any checks we can put in place as a leagueto ensure the facility is safe?The FA recommendation is to use FA guidance andtesting procedure as mentioned earlier – contact yourFA Regional Facilities & Investment Manager to discussfurther (contact names and numbers can be found atthe back of this document).Can we trial the use of these pitches beforeadopting them fully?This is perfectly acceptable; leagues just need to betransparent with all the clubs about what it is doing. Thepitch will still need to be tested to ensure it meets theperformance criteria and be added to The FA register of3G Football Turf pitches.We have an indoor 3G Football Turf facility in ourarea, are these acceptable for matches?These facilities are acceptable for match play use;if unsure The FA recommend you refer queries toyour FA Regional Facilities & Investment Manager.MaintenanceDo 3G Football Turf pitches require regularmaintenance?Yes – 3G Football Turf pitches should be brushedregularly and have a maintenance schedule in line withthat recommended by the manufacturer. As a guidethe industry has a general rule of 1 hours maintenancerequired to every 10 hours of use.3G Football Turf surfaces should not have any rubbervisible on the surface; if rubber lies on the surface it is asign that the pitch needs maintaining.There are a number of external companies whoprovide additional maintenance for de-compactionand deep cleaning. The FA encourage sites to take themaintenance of their facility extremely seriously.Are there training course for 3G Football Turfpitch maintenance?Yes – please contact your County FA or FA RegionalFacilities & Investment Manager who can advise whatcourses are available.We have been asked to put additional line markingson our pitch for mini soccer is this acceptable?Yes – it is acceptable so long as it is in a different colour,there are a number of products on the market thatcan be applied to 3G Football Turf pitches that vary interms of how long you want the additional markingsto last. Contact your FA Regional Facilities & InvestmentManager for more information.Testing3G Football Turf pitches do degrade with age and heavyuse, it is recommended that pitch operators implementan annual maintenance schedule and have their facilitytested in line with the level of competition played on it.Failure to regularly maintain and periodically test mayinvalidate a field operator’s public liability insurance, asthey may not be able to demonstrate that the pitch isstill fit for purpose.The pitch should be tested either annually for steps 1 to6 (usually required between January and March eachyear) or every three years for step 7 and below, and thepitch should meet the required performance criteriaand be registered on The FA register for 3G FootballTurf pitches.For further information on maintenance and testingplease refer to TheFA.com/my-football.WarrantyManufacturers and sales people will often refer to awarranty. It is important to clarify if this is a productor performance warranty as the product is often hardwearing and will last some considerable time meetingthe product warranty. However, the product maynot meet the performance requirements for matchpurposes that the pitch is being developed to meetshould the usage exceed the manufacturers guidelines.10Third Generation Football Turf GuidanceInformation for Players, Referees, Clubs, Leagues and Ground StaffThird Generation Football Turf GuidanceInformation for Players, Referees, Clubs, Leagues and Ground Staff 11

Third Generation Football Turf GuidanceCase StudiesThe League supports the use of 3GFootball Turf pitches for competitivefixtures and recognises that theinvestment into these facilities inHertfordshire will benefit players,clubs and leaguesMark Axten,Chairman, West Herts Youth LeagueClubBideford Blues FCFA Charter Standard Community Club, Devon FATotal project cost £192,210 (2010)ClubSutton Coldfield Town FCStep 4 National League System, Birmingham County FATotal Project Cost: £382,000 (2011)Local AuthorityStanley ParkChippenham Town Council, Wiltshire County FATotal Project Cost: £967,873 (2011)The club were one of the first grass roots club in thecountry to develop a 3G Football Turf surface at a clubsite. Since its first facility in the late 90’s the club builtup a sinking fund and sourced external funding to redeveloptheir existing facility and harness FA guidanceand new technology. The new 60x40m 3G Football Turffloodlit facility is based at the clubs home ground whichhas a club house and 2 grass pitches. The pitch is usedto serve the community and local schools during theday and is accessed by the clubs 17 teams for trainingas well as other local teams and individuals.The new facility has seen the club go from strengthto strength and is solely reliant upon the volunteerswithin the club who are ensuring the club is on a soundfinancial footing in the years to come when the surfacewill need replacing.The club approached the FA in late 2010 with a view toreplacing the natural turf stadia pitch with 3G FootballTurf, recognising the natural turf was struggling to copewith the demands the club had with a ground share andother teams from within the club. The club engaged theleague and the FA at an early stage to ensure that thefacility was to be compliant to enable them to continueplaying in the National League System and implicationsfor cup competitions.The project funded by external monies and privatefinance recognised that access to floodlit spaceand senior grass pitches was limited and demandfor such a facility was high in the city. With this inmind and recognition that day time use was key forthe sustainability of the facility the club brokered arelationship with a local FE college. Today the facility isgoing from strength to strength and approaching its firstfull year of operation as a financially sustainable entity.They key to its success has been the acknowledgementthat the workforce and maintenance to support such afacility is essential.The Stanley Park site was initially developed with 18grass pitches in 2003. Football demand at the facilityhas grown significantly and the site was being used by20 teams for training and playing. To accommodate theneed a second phase was delivered in 2011 comprisingof a full-sized floodlit 3G Football Turf pitch andadditional changing facilities.The site now caters for 89 teams playing and trainingeach week. Stanley Park has hosted matches involvingdisabled football teams and from next season the pitchwill also be used by clubs playing in the local Leagues.Over 10,350 matches and training sessions have takenplace since the official opening.Key to this success has been the Football DevelopmentOfficer based on the site working with key local clubsand partners with support of the Wiltshire County FA.12Third Generation Football Turf GuidanceInformation for Players, Referees, Clubs, Leagues and Ground StaffThird Generation Football Turf GuidanceInformation for Players, Referees, Clubs, Leagues and Ground Staff 13

Third Generation Football Turf GuidanceCase StudiesThird Generation Football Turf GuidanceThe FA Facilities andInvestment TeamSenior ManagerPeter KayPeter.Kay@TheFA.comNational ManagerMark PoverMark.Pover@TheFA.comRegional ManagersNorth WestEamonn FarrellEamonn.Farrell @TheFA.com07904 266696North East & YorkshireMark CoulsonMark.Coulson @TheFA.com07904 166858EastMark LiddiardMark.Liddiard @TheFA.com07984 003466LondonDylan EvansDylan.Evans @TheFA.com07903 248817CollegeTelford College of Art and TechnologyIndoor 60x40m 3G Football Turf facility (2005) £765,000Full size 3G Football Turf/Rugby facility (2012) £684,000In 2005, Telford College of Arts and Technology brokewith tradition and covered one of the first communityindoor 3G Football Turf facilities. Since its construction,the college was chosen to become one of the first FAFocus Colleges to help support the delivery of TheNational Game Strategy. The benefits of such a facilityhave resulted in a significant number of new collegeteams being developed and helped support the collegeand community in its football development programmeas well as other sports and education programmes.As the football development programme grew and thenumber of students involved in the college programmesincreased, the college sought to expand their facilities.This resulted in the development of a unique facilityto service both rugby and football in 2012, allowingmultiple fixtures on the college’s campus.The key to the success of this site has been the abilityto align the workforce to the facility seven days a weekand the commitment of the college to continueto develop.14Third Generation Football Turf GuidanceInformation for Players, Referees, Clubs, Leagues and Ground StaffRefereeNigel Hickes, Middlesex County FALevel Five refereeing in Middlesex County FootballLeague, Combined Counties Football League andRyman Youth Football LeagueAny differences when compared to officiatingon grass?The bounce of the ball is usually more true on syntheticpitches, so it tends to highlight poor technique includingtackling. As a result I can safely judge a poor tackle assuch without having to take any deficiencies in theplaying surface into account.Quality of the experienceGenerally good. 3G Football Turf pitches are usuallypart of new or modernised facilities, so changingaccommodation and showers are usually of areasonable quality. The surface itself always gives thesame response, no matter what the weather conditions.The surface is never rock-hard in very dry weather, neverfrozen in cold weather, and never has puddles in wetweather. The run of the ball is always true because thesurface has no divots or potholes, nor do bare patchesdevelop as a result of the wear and tear of the season.The facilities usually have floodlights, so the games arenot subject to the timing of daylight hours.West MidlandsHannah BuckleyHannah.Buckley@TheFA.com07960 148340East MidlandsMatt BartleMatt.Bartle @TheFA.com07960 148357South EastStuart LambStuart.Lamb @TheFA.com07932 391096South WestSimon WoodSimon.Wood @TheFA.com07984 003460Third Generation Football Turf GuidanceInformation for Players, Referees, Clubs, Leagues and Ground Staff 15