FIH and FIFA Innovation join forces to publish new guide on dual sport synthetic turf pitches

Hockey and football both embrace the benefits synthetic turf fields bring to their sports. For hockey it is the surface of choice, whilst football appreciates the surface’s ability to accommodate different levels of use, in a wide range of weather conditions. For many, a synthetic turf sports field is now the preferred or only way of meeting the sporting needs of their communities.

At the higher levels of competition, FIH (International Hockey Federation) and the FIFA Innovation team have developed standards that define the qualities required from the fields used for their competitions. These are based on types of synthetic turf that have been developed to be used exclusively or primarily for their sport.

But at the grassroots and educational levels of play sport there is often a need to play more than one sport on a single field. Recognising the benefits multi-sports fields bring and seeing the opportunities that the new innovative types of synthetic turf being developed to address environmental concerns offer, FIH and the FIFA Innovation team have been investigating if these surfaces can be used successfully for hockey and grassroots football on dual sport fields.

The results are positive, creating new and enhanced sporting opportunities for many. By combining the performance criteria of the FIFA Basic category of field certification and updating the FIH Multi-sport category of hockey turf, FIH is delighted to be able to announce the publication of their Dualsport Pitches for Football and Hockey - Performance and Construction Guidelines. Available in English, French and Spanish on the FIH website (Facilities Guidance - Multi-sport Fields | FIH Resources Hub) and the FIFA website (FIFA Standards - Football-turf), the guide describes the performance, durability and construction requirements for dual use hockey and football pitches. It provides performance and quality criteria details for these new types of surface, along with guidance on the levels of hockey and football that it is envisioned will be played on the pitches.

To aid those designing dual-sport pitches, the guide also provides information on pitch dimensions and layouts, the appropriate construction standards, and field certification.

FIH President Tayyab Ikram said: "It truly is fantastic that both the FIFA Innovation team and FIH were able to collaborate for the mutual benefit of grassroots football and hockey. This guide will provide a great help to millions of young football or hockey players around the globe. On behalf of hockey’s global community, I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to FIFA, and especially its President, Gianni Infantino, for joining forces with us.”

Synthetic turf pitches play a substantial part in the development of both sports worldwide. They enable accessibility of wider communities and society to sport, and are a great platform to demonstrate our sustainability efforts.”