In 1965, Houston, Texas opened the world's first dome stadium. The stadium at the time was a baseball field with natural lawns. Because of the transparent dome, daylight can reach the stadium floor.
However, this also caused problems for the players. The sunlight transmitted by the dome caused glare, which caused visual obstacles to the players when they caught the high flying ball. In order to solve this problem, the dome was painted with color, but the lawn could not touch the sunlight, and the natural lawn surface layer quickly degraded.
To solve this new problem, the stadium leaders and engineers decided to replace the natural lawn with the first artificial turf, a green lawn blanket made of nylon fiber. The 1966 baseball season paved the ground for a new field and ushered in a new era.
First generation artificial turf
In the early 1970s, Europe introduced artificial turf carpets, replacing the nylon turf carpets, and new polypropylene fibers. New materials are cheaper, softer and more comfortable than nylon. This means that the risk of injury to athletes playing on artificial turf is extremely low. The first generation of artificial turf was tightly compacted with tufts and was very wear resistant.
Second generation artificial turf
In the late 1970s, artificial turf continued to develop. The second generation of artificial turf, which has a larger tuft spacing, further mimics the natural turf. The sand is filled between the fibers to give the field ground layer sufficient hardness and stability (when used by athletes).
The second generation of artificial turf provides a superior surface layer than the natural turf, enabling better ball control and preventing the ball from moving in an unexpected direction. Especially for hockey games, this is a major improvement, but the promotion of artificial turf is very slow. For the hockey field, the natural lawn was widely replaced after about ten years of artificial turf.
However, for other sports such as football and football, the second generation of artificial turf is not suitable. In the second-generation artificial turf, the performance of the game and the movement characteristics of the sphere could not catch up with the natural turf, and the sand filled with friction was frictional. However, in the 1980s some football clubs used second-generation artificial turf. Until 1996, the next generation of artificial turf systems was developed and proven to be suitable for physical contact sports.
Third generation artificial turf
Advances in science and technology have led to the birth of the third generation of artificial turf, also known as 3rd Generation. The third generation of artificial turf uses longer fibers (>55mm) with greater spacing between the fiber clusters. The lawn is generally no longer polypropylene and polyethylene is used. The polyethylene is softer and less abrasive; the third generation artificial grass surface layer is filled with rubber particles in addition to the stable sand layer. The combination of fiber and filler ensures that the race surface is more comfortable, safe and durable, and its performance is superior to natural lawns.
Sites using the third generation of artificial turf are widely accepted by youth and university programs and are considered excellent all-weather training and venues in all sports fields.
The next generation of artificial turf?
Some companies call it the fourth generation or even the fifth generation of artificial turf, but the authoritative sports management institutions such as FIFA, the International Federation of Music or the International Rugby Board have not yet recognized it.
Perhaps the next generation of artificial turf finishes is unfilled, but still achieve the same performance and quality of competition as approved by sports management agencies.
