I found this article very interesting because of how the use of turf fields is spreading, and the pros and cons of the material. As a soccer player myself, I can also relate to playing on searing hot fields and slide tackling on turf pellets. I believe that the Women’s World Cup should be played on turf, like the Men’s FIFA World Cup. Turf not only gets everywhere (I’ve found it in my bed, shorts, and mouth), but it causes more injuries. When slide tackling, it leaves a rub mark called a “turf burn” on whatever body part was scraped against the ground. Also, the extreme temperatures cause players to dehydrate much faster, as they are losing a larger amount of water, and both teams become tired, overheated, and possibly sick. Many players wrap their cleats with tape to prevent blisters caused by the intense heat of the artificial field. Turf has even caused severe injuries; ACLs (anterior cruciate ligament), ankles, and bones have been injured because of feet being caught in the turf. The game of soccer is played differently on turf than grass; the ball spins differently, moves much faster, and players are substituted in and out much more often than in a regular game. The topic of turf even relates to gender equality. The Men's World Cup does not play on turf, so why should women? Are we not playing the same game? While the maintenance level is lower, exposure to lead has been linked to turf fields, and toxic runoff is found by the fields. Turf should never be used in soccer.
This would never happen if it were the men playing because they are such a bunch of spoiled brats.
Are there no smaller stadiums that could have accommodated the matches with natural turf? From the few matches i have been watching, there do not seem to be any sell-outs yet (maybe when Canada plays?), so smaller venues should not have been an issue.
Or is this just business as usual, the women are being disrespected and used as a test case by FIFA?
Are there no smaller stadiums that could have accommodated the matches with natural turf? From the few matches i have been watching, there do not seem to be any sell-outs yet (maybe when Canada plays?), so smaller venues should not have been an issue.
Or is this just business as usual, the women are being disrespected and used as a test case by FIFA?
1
Just say no to the green greed of Nike (it has no place on a red white and blue jersey)
If there were women managing FIFA, it would be a very different organization, and the Women's World Cup most certainly wouldn't be played on artificial turf.
Eclectic Pragmatist — http://eclectic-pragmatist.tumblr.com/
Eclectic Pragmatist — http://eclectic-pragmatist.tumblr.com/
2
Can we please stop the 24/7 whining about the playing surface? Hundreds of college and high school teams, male and female, play on this surface and the planet continues to spin. So what if the men do or don't play the World Cup on it? It's the same for each team. First we had predictions of torn ACLs by the ambulance load, and when that didn't come to pass, now we're reduced to complaining about those darn gosh hard to wash out pellets. The day when the women's game generates one hundredth of the global interest of the men's game, feel free to play on the White House lawn.
5
If you aren't embarrassed by this post you should be. Or are you hoping FIFA will hire you? Your complete lack of empathy for those who actually play on artificial turf is obvious. How about you try playing on it and then see if you'd write the same post.
6
@ John D — The petulance, bile, and contempt for these athletes that seeps from that post — you’re essentially saying, “These nobodies should be glad for whatever scraps they’re tossed” — only convinces me that criticism of consigning the women’s World Cup to plastic turf must continue, and be as emphatic as ever.
You make the hollowness of your position obvious by resorting to an absurd misrepresentation of arguments against the use of turf for this tournament — by claiming that critics made “predictions of torn ACLs by the ambulance load.” That’s flat-out untrue. Critics of Canada Soccer’s use of turf for the World Cup have noted that one of the problems believed to be associated with turf is a heightened •risk• of joint injuries, including ACL trauma in knees, especially among female athletes.
But no one was claiming we were likely to see numerous cases of such injuries in the tournament. You forfeit any claim to be taken seriously by imagining that readers here might take such bogus straw men seriously.
— Brian
You make the hollowness of your position obvious by resorting to an absurd misrepresentation of arguments against the use of turf for this tournament — by claiming that critics made “predictions of torn ACLs by the ambulance load.” That’s flat-out untrue. Critics of Canada Soccer’s use of turf for the World Cup have noted that one of the problems believed to be associated with turf is a heightened •risk• of joint injuries, including ACL trauma in knees, especially among female athletes.
But no one was claiming we were likely to see numerous cases of such injuries in the tournament. You forfeit any claim to be taken seriously by imagining that readers here might take such bogus straw men seriously.
— Brian
5
I have played on it, along with many thousands of others. And the next time you use the word "empathy" in the locker room, look for your name on the cut list.
1
I had the honor of working with World Cup Soccer for the 1994 games in Detroit Michigan. The games were played at the Pontiac Silverdome and since these were the first games played indoors under a dome, a team of agronomists from Michigan State University developed a grass that would be both playable and durable indoors with a lack of sunlight. Pallets were placed over the existing Silverdome turf (carpet) and play proceeded. As a career Coach and Athletic Director, I remain a fan of natural fields for a variety of reasons.
4
Thanks for weighing in... I vividly remember those concerns about playing in the SilverDome. I too prefer ideally that all games (no matter the sport) would be played on natural, rather than synthetic 'grass'.
There are problems with little bits from cosmetic products getting into aquatic environments and threatening the marine food chain.
Those little beads may be smaller than turf granules, but like them the turf variety seem to be getting a lot of places no one wants them. And like their cosmetic counter parts, they have a great potential for unanticipated mischief.
A 2009 EPA study (EPA Home-Exposure Research-News-Tire Crumbs) of just a few artificial turf fields found benzene, toluene, carbon tetrachloride and other nasties in the air above the fields as the particles outgassed. The researchers made a point of noting further studies were needed, but that cooperation from authorities who own fields and manufacturers was lacking.
Those little beads may be smaller than turf granules, but like them the turf variety seem to be getting a lot of places no one wants them. And like their cosmetic counter parts, they have a great potential for unanticipated mischief.
A 2009 EPA study (EPA Home-Exposure Research-News-Tire Crumbs) of just a few artificial turf fields found benzene, toluene, carbon tetrachloride and other nasties in the air above the fields as the particles outgassed. The researchers made a point of noting further studies were needed, but that cooperation from authorities who own fields and manufacturers was lacking.
1
For years I trained a martial art on canvass stretched over "rubber dust". Same thing as pellets, I'm sure. No, we didn't get it in our hair, because it was kept below the tarp. But we removed the tarp to stir and even the rubber pieces often. It was not dangerous.
I don't understand why the "grass" is sufficiently porous to allow the "pellets" to migrate. Sounds like bad design, but not dangerous or unhealthful.
I don't understand why the "grass" is sufficiently porous to allow the "pellets" to migrate. Sounds like bad design, but not dangerous or unhealthful.
That is because you don't understand the construction of the field... no offense to you. It's constructed sow that the pellets are seeded into the surface much as one would pour soil between blades of grass. This porousity was by design to allow the surface to 'breathe' and drain properly, reducing among other things, the prevalence of staph infections associated with older turf fields.
Words cannot express how disgusted I have been with this Women's World Cup. The use of turf speaks to so much that is wrong with the world. Sexism and unabashed capitalism have made this difficult to watch. Not only has the game slowed to a crawl as the players avoid common tackles, those "pellets" are also carcinogenic. All countries and fans should BOYCOTT future FIFA event with turf.
5
No offense to our Northern friends, but this is one of two reasons why these tournaments should not be played in Canada... or Russia, for that matter, as we will see in three years. Soccer is meant to be played on grass, not turf (as fans will note American football players have been saying for years).
(for those curious, the other reason is time zones - in large countries like this it can be very had to get from point a to point b, and the travel takes its tole on the players, and ultimately the game... yes, I realize this means it shouldn't be played in the US, either, and I'm fine with that - the '96 World Cup was largely one to be forgotten).
(for those curious, the other reason is time zones - in large countries like this it can be very had to get from point a to point b, and the travel takes its tole on the players, and ultimately the game... yes, I realize this means it shouldn't be played in the US, either, and I'm fine with that - the '96 World Cup was largely one to be forgotten).
2
Almost as if they didn't hold the tournament that year.
1
You're right - I mean the NFL or Professional Baseball would never let their players play on artificial turf.
Wait....
They do??
Never mind....
Wait....
They do??
Never mind....
@ Eric — Well, since the men’s World Cup that the U.S. hosted was in 19<94> (or 1999 or 2003, if you’re think of the women’s tournament), I guess you’re already well on your way to forgetting it. But if that year’s tournament should be forgotten, it’s not the fault of the time zones. That’s a silly argument.
And if you have any information (from some source more reliable than tin foil hat territory) that the 2018 World Cup in Russia will be played on any surface other than natural grass, then don’t be shy; please share. Russia’s bid clearly stated that all venues will have grass surfaces. If there were any doubts that promise will be kept, it would be •big• news — and I’ve heard not a whisper of any such thing.
Anyhow, the notion that Canada is so far north that it was impossible to have grass surfaces at the venues is absurd. Most of the venues are pretty close to the U.S., of course. Even the northernmost, Edmonton, is just a little above 53° latitude — about the same as Manchester, England. You may have heard, they do grow grass for soccer there . . . .
And even granting the (unlikely) proposition that permanent grass was not viable at the Canada venues, temporary grass could easily have been laid in all the stadia for the tournament. Whatever problems the World Cup in Canada may have, latitude is not among them. No more than longitude, I daresay.
— Brian
And if you have any information (from some source more reliable than tin foil hat territory) that the 2018 World Cup in Russia will be played on any surface other than natural grass, then don’t be shy; please share. Russia’s bid clearly stated that all venues will have grass surfaces. If there were any doubts that promise will be kept, it would be •big• news — and I’ve heard not a whisper of any such thing.
Anyhow, the notion that Canada is so far north that it was impossible to have grass surfaces at the venues is absurd. Most of the venues are pretty close to the U.S., of course. Even the northernmost, Edmonton, is just a little above 53° latitude — about the same as Manchester, England. You may have heard, they do grow grass for soccer there . . . .
And even granting the (unlikely) proposition that permanent grass was not viable at the Canada venues, temporary grass could easily have been laid in all the stadia for the tournament. Whatever problems the World Cup in Canada may have, latitude is not among them. No more than longitude, I daresay.
— Brian
3
It's a crime that they are letting them play on this nasty surface. It's just disgraceful...
4
Is it that difficult for people to discern that women's professional soccer is virtually non-existent across the globe? That, in terms of business, in terms of money generated, it is microscopic in the sports world?
24 countries were invited to come to the women's tournament, no qualifying, and the whole thing lasts what, one month? The men's? Over 200 countries spend three years competing just in order to qualify for the privilige of competing in the final. Men's teams are already playing qualifying matches for 2018.
These women are tough as nails, they compete with all their hearts and souls, and they love the game, but if they ever tried, the very, very best of them, to get on the field and compete straight up with professional men, they would be completely destroyed.
But nobody, man, woman, or child, should ever be forced to play soccer on a plastic and rubber field.
24 countries were invited to come to the women's tournament, no qualifying, and the whole thing lasts what, one month? The men's? Over 200 countries spend three years competing just in order to qualify for the privilige of competing in the final. Men's teams are already playing qualifying matches for 2018.
These women are tough as nails, they compete with all their hearts and souls, and they love the game, but if they ever tried, the very, very best of them, to get on the field and compete straight up with professional men, they would be completely destroyed.
But nobody, man, woman, or child, should ever be forced to play soccer on a plastic and rubber field.
3
@ FWS — You’ve done us all the favor of making it crystal clear: you have not the slightest idea what you’re talking about.
No qualifying? Jeez; no clue. 134 teams entered qualifying, which began in early 2013, over two years ago. That’s two-thirds the number of nations that entered qualifying for the men’s tournament. It’s a healthy showing; most of the nations that didn’t enter are poorer, and women’s soccer is obviously in a developing stage in much of the world. Also, a number of Islamic countries that didn’t enter don’t have a women’s team, or it’s essentially inactive. In neither case, of course, is that the fault of the women there who’d like to play and compete on the world stage.
As for your statement that the very best women would stand no chance in a straight up competition with men, what in the world leads you to think, even if true, that contains a scintilla of relevance?
In wrestling, no one doubts that, if a 110-lb. wrestler — even the very, very best of that class — ever got on the mat and competed straight up with any leading 260-lb. wrestler, he would be completely destroyed. And yet, when fans go to meets, the stands aren’t empty for the lower classes, filling up only for the heavyweights. And people who know •anything• about wrestling consider the 260-pounder’s edge in a hypothetical straight-up match irrelevant to a judgment of who is the better wrestler. Just so, how they’d do against men is utterly irrelevant to the merits of women’s soccer.
— Brian
No qualifying? Jeez; no clue. 134 teams entered qualifying, which began in early 2013, over two years ago. That’s two-thirds the number of nations that entered qualifying for the men’s tournament. It’s a healthy showing; most of the nations that didn’t enter are poorer, and women’s soccer is obviously in a developing stage in much of the world. Also, a number of Islamic countries that didn’t enter don’t have a women’s team, or it’s essentially inactive. In neither case, of course, is that the fault of the women there who’d like to play and compete on the world stage.
As for your statement that the very best women would stand no chance in a straight up competition with men, what in the world leads you to think, even if true, that contains a scintilla of relevance?
In wrestling, no one doubts that, if a 110-lb. wrestler — even the very, very best of that class — ever got on the mat and competed straight up with any leading 260-lb. wrestler, he would be completely destroyed. And yet, when fans go to meets, the stands aren’t empty for the lower classes, filling up only for the heavyweights. And people who know •anything• about wrestling consider the 260-pounder’s edge in a hypothetical straight-up match irrelevant to a judgment of who is the better wrestler. Just so, how they’d do against men is utterly irrelevant to the merits of women’s soccer.
— Brian
11
Um, the only team "invited to come play at the WWC was Canada, by dint of hosting. While not two years in duration, every other team had to qualify, including the USWNT.
4
@ Paul — Just to dot all the “i”s and cross all the “t”s, we should note precisely how long qualifying lasts for the women’s and men’s World Cups. For this year’s women’s tournament, qualifying did last almost two years. It kicked off 4 April 2013, and wrapped up 2 December 2014 — just about 20 months in duration.
As for the men’s tournament, it is beyond dispute that FWS’s claim that national teams “spend three years competing” to qualify is just flat-out wrong. (Big surprise.) Qualifying for the 2014 men’s World Cup got underway 15 June 2011, and concluded 20 November 2013. That was a total of 29 months.
Qualifying for the 2018 men’s World Cup began a little over three months ago, on 12 March 2015, and is projected to conclude in November of 2017. That will be 32 months — definitely less than FWS’s claimed “three years.”
Bear in mind that about two-thirds as many women’s teams as men’s teams attempted to qualify for the most recent World Cups, and that the present 24-team field of the women’s final tournament is two-thirds the size of the men’s 32-team field for their tournament. In view of the simple logistics arising from the number of teams involved, the duration of qualifying for the women’s World Cup is roughly proportionate to that for the men’s tournament.
— Brian
As for the men’s tournament, it is beyond dispute that FWS’s claim that national teams “spend three years competing” to qualify is just flat-out wrong. (Big surprise.) Qualifying for the 2014 men’s World Cup got underway 15 June 2011, and concluded 20 November 2013. That was a total of 29 months.
Qualifying for the 2018 men’s World Cup began a little over three months ago, on 12 March 2015, and is projected to conclude in November of 2017. That will be 32 months — definitely less than FWS’s claimed “three years.”
Bear in mind that about two-thirds as many women’s teams as men’s teams attempted to qualify for the most recent World Cups, and that the present 24-team field of the women’s final tournament is two-thirds the size of the men’s 32-team field for their tournament. In view of the simple logistics arising from the number of teams involved, the duration of qualifying for the women’s World Cup is roughly proportionate to that for the men’s tournament.
— Brian
1
We were one of those families who stood in line before the stadium opened for the USA vs Sweden game so we could purchase a jersey for our soccer loving daughter. We were warned of the long lines, and lack of vendors selling in the arena. What a nightmare! Hour long waits to find out that all USA merchandise was sold out was ridiculous. We left without buying a single thing. My thought was that if it were the men's team playing, there would be much better planning by FIFA.
4
2005 U-17 men's World Cup in Peru was played on artificial turf, so this isn't the first time.
@ Brian — Junior-level tournaments are •not• the same as the senior tournaments, which are supposed to be the game’s showcases. This •is• the first time that a senior World Cup has been played on plastic turf. Let’s hope it’s the last.
— Brian
— Brian
11
I get it that the author, the players and many others are mad at FIFA. But don't blame the Canadian soccer people who, unlike their counterparts in the US, do not have tons of money for renovating athletic fields even for an event like this.
And some accuracy would have been helpful. Recycled tires have not been used in turf fields for years now -- the actual stuff quoted in the article is a light-colored fibre, not a black rubber pellet, and it is new material, not recycled. Absolutely not toxic if you bother to look up the specs. Maybe Winnipeg (where the US had two games) has an older field but Vancouver and Edmonton do not. The last artificial turf field I saw in Jersey City, NJ actually used an organic cork and coconut infill - I wonder if any of that kind of infill is being used. In any case, the whole "crumbs of old Goodyears" comment is a bit uncalled for.
In the end, the tournament should have used Saputo Stadium in Montreal and BMO Field in Toronto (both have grass) and kept the grass in Moncton instead of ripping it out. FIFA should have then paid for temporary grass in Vancouver and Winnipeg and Ottawa and Edmonton and then for new artificial turf fields to replace the grass after the tournament -- this is Canada after all, and nearly all sport surfaces there are turf for a reason. So yeah, FIFA blew it, but the turf is not as bad as described and the Canadians did what they thought would be acceptable.
And some accuracy would have been helpful. Recycled tires have not been used in turf fields for years now -- the actual stuff quoted in the article is a light-colored fibre, not a black rubber pellet, and it is new material, not recycled. Absolutely not toxic if you bother to look up the specs. Maybe Winnipeg (where the US had two games) has an older field but Vancouver and Edmonton do not. The last artificial turf field I saw in Jersey City, NJ actually used an organic cork and coconut infill - I wonder if any of that kind of infill is being used. In any case, the whole "crumbs of old Goodyears" comment is a bit uncalled for.
In the end, the tournament should have used Saputo Stadium in Montreal and BMO Field in Toronto (both have grass) and kept the grass in Moncton instead of ripping it out. FIFA should have then paid for temporary grass in Vancouver and Winnipeg and Ottawa and Edmonton and then for new artificial turf fields to replace the grass after the tournament -- this is Canada after all, and nearly all sport surfaces there are turf for a reason. So yeah, FIFA blew it, but the turf is not as bad as described and the Canadians did what they thought would be acceptable.
2
@ Cdn Expat — Soccer Canada did what it thought it could get away with, certainly not what it could have imagined would be “acceptable” to the players.
It is simply not credible that a wealthy industrialized nation like Canada was unable to come up with the money for natural grass on six fields. And if they truly thought they just couldn’t manage it, to provide natural surfaces for the matches, they should have announced back in 2010 that they were foregoing the opportunity to host the tournament, and let another nation that didn’t see providing grass for the matches as an insurmountable task, to put together a bid.
— Brian
It is simply not credible that a wealthy industrialized nation like Canada was unable to come up with the money for natural grass on six fields. And if they truly thought they just couldn’t manage it, to provide natural surfaces for the matches, they should have announced back in 2010 that they were foregoing the opportunity to host the tournament, and let another nation that didn’t see providing grass for the matches as an insurmountable task, to put together a bid.
— Brian
8
Canada's a wealthy, First World country by any measure. It couldn't grass up a few fields for a few weeks? FIFA--only God and a few insiders in Zurich know just how many billions it sits on. Nobody should buy any kind of poorhouse excuse from up north.
C'est pathetique. The fake turf amounts to a calculated insult from FIFA and Blatter.
C'est pathetique. The fake turf amounts to a calculated insult from FIFA and Blatter.
12
You should also concern yourself with accuracy Cdn Expat.
The black dots that the women in the World Cup are getting lodged into their skin is recycled tires. It is not a light colored fiber, it is not recycled coconut and cork, it is carcinogenic, black tire pieces. This is the same surface my son is playing soccer camp on right now. The lack of research and oversight by the U.S. and FIFA into the safety of turf is shameful, we need to demand better protection from chemicals in our environment.
The black dots that the women in the World Cup are getting lodged into their skin is recycled tires. It is not a light colored fiber, it is not recycled coconut and cork, it is carcinogenic, black tire pieces. This is the same surface my son is playing soccer camp on right now. The lack of research and oversight by the U.S. and FIFA into the safety of turf is shameful, we need to demand better protection from chemicals in our environment.
I'm an adult female soccer player and I regularly play on turf. I have had one of those rubber pellets embedded in my thigh for about 8 years now and it might just be the death of me someday. I've looked into having it removed, but it would actually be much more complicated than a simple incision and extraction because of how much scar tissue exists there. Sigh.
14
Maybe someone already mentioned this but I believe that Scott's Turf offered to provide free grass in return for advertising space.
6
How about these things going down into the waste water stream to the ocean since they are unable to be filtered out? Ban them now.
1
This is horrific for athletes. It's unconscionable of the owners, promoters and advertisers making huge profits on these games to force athletes to play under these conditions. And what about the environment itself. This can't be good for the land, for the natural habitat, small animals and birds, etc. The athletes should refuse to play under such conditions. If they don't play, there's no game and no profits to be made.
4
A problem now in many sports. Teams and leagues should do the right thing for health reasons and go back to natural grass, but it won't happen, because, as Kwai-Chang Kane once said on an episode of Kung Fu, "honor dies.....where interest lies."
1
THANK YOU to the NYT for writing about this issue. It is hard to believe that FIFA and Canadian soccer would not support the women athletes when they asked for this tournament not to be played on artificial turf. OK, it's not hard to believe for reasons that I won't go into, but still..... It is summer, for goodness sake, why on earth are they not playing on grass?
2
That rubber-infused synthetic turf they're using today is a godsend compared to its predecessor, as anyone who has actually played on both understands.
The blame rest squarely on the lap of FIFA, they have ignored women's soccer for years; and in year of women's world cup have not even sent a ranking official to the games. Shame on FIFA.
4
Yes, we probably should know if this is safe, but no one has bothered to find out. But, in 10 years, we'll start to hear horror stories of respiratory or skin problems. But that won't be a problem - only kids and women are playing on it, not the "star" male players. Gives a whole new meaning to "women and children first."
3
this article largely misses the point. Finding them everywhere after playing is an annoyance, but the injuries that come from playing on turf, (cuts, scrapes, bruises, more ankle twisting when your foot plants and gets stuck in the rubber) are a much bigger issue. One commenter pointed out already the only relevant sentence in the article is that FIFA and the Canadian women's soccer Association don't value women enough to mandate that the fields be grass. the 2022 world cup will be played in dubai- not exactly a grass friendly temperate climate, but I'm betting that grass fields will be built.
4
Qatar, not Dubai.
2
As a european I can understand the novelty/ angst from european sides over the use of artificial turf.
but artificial turf fields are surely a pretty common feature of sport at all levels here in the US in football, soccer, lacrosse etc.
Indeed given that due the inclement/ severe nature of the north american winter in many parts of the country soccer is a de facto summer game and that even well maintained grass fields are sparse and rock hard by mid summer I am not sure there is even much doubt that artificial surfaces are better , in totality, than the alternative at most levels of the sport.
That being said the filler is a pain and does get everywhere. worse still are the grazes/ burns that result from sliding/ falling.
however here again the US and canadian players will have faced this since childhood. Players from countries like england, fance and germany meanwhiel are more likely to have played almost exclusively on grass.
but artificial turf fields are surely a pretty common feature of sport at all levels here in the US in football, soccer, lacrosse etc.
Indeed given that due the inclement/ severe nature of the north american winter in many parts of the country soccer is a de facto summer game and that even well maintained grass fields are sparse and rock hard by mid summer I am not sure there is even much doubt that artificial surfaces are better , in totality, than the alternative at most levels of the sport.
That being said the filler is a pain and does get everywhere. worse still are the grazes/ burns that result from sliding/ falling.
however here again the US and canadian players will have faced this since childhood. Players from countries like england, fance and germany meanwhiel are more likely to have played almost exclusively on grass.
1
Another soccer parent recently shared this with me: http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Soccer-coach-Could-field-turf-be-caus... . Evidence is anecdotal but as the parent of an 11-year-old goalkeeper playing in the Pacific NW, I'm paying close attention--fortunately at least for now, we mostly play on grass.
Last fall there were a number of articles published about the carcinogens in these rubber pellets including arsenic, benzene, cadmium and nickel.
see this article in Forbes: http://www.forbes.com/sites/bobcook/2014/10/20/should-parents-worry-synt...
There are thousands of these fields across the country and they have been linked anecdotally to skin, eye and respiratory irritation as well as cancer. Studies have been called for, but how long will that take.
see this article in Forbes: http://www.forbes.com/sites/bobcook/2014/10/20/should-parents-worry-synt...
There are thousands of these fields across the country and they have been linked anecdotally to skin, eye and respiratory irritation as well as cancer. Studies have been called for, but how long will that take.
2
They forgot to mention how cool the trails of rubber coming off their feet look. Almost like a video game special effect for emphasis. We should seriously advocate for adding colors to the rubber balls for an even cooler effect.
3
There is new "turf" here in the Bay Area which is made using coconut husks.
It's somewhat dusty but has no rubber pellets.
I'm an official and it closely feels like real grass.
It's somewhat dusty but has no rubber pellets.
I'm an official and it closely feels like real grass.
2
John, I'm also an official (based on NYC) and interested in learning more about the use of coconut husks on the "turf." Especially curious to know if this alternative to rubber pellets does anything to reduce the extreme temperatures produced by sunlight heating the artificial surface (160 degrees have been measured at boot level). Thanks for bringing this up.
Soccer moms across the country know the scourge of the black pellets, all over the car, the house and so forth. Complaint about hot turf and turf burns are commonplace. So these complaints are no surprise at all. Another example of FIFA being oblivous, this time to the world's top women players. When the U.S. hosted the men's World Cup in 1994, they had to promise to put grass fields in all the venues, regardless of what was there already. I recall a lovely grass field installed in Giants Stadium. Why couldn't Canada do this for the women if they wanted to host?
16
In 1994, the USSF even managed to provide a grass playing surface (on removable trays) for the Pontiac Silverdome. The contrast of that effort versus FIFA and the Canadian Federation turning down two offers to provide grass surfaces for all fields *at no cost,* could not be more stark.
4
Several years ago, I started noticing black particles of some sort scattered over our bathroom floor. Oh, God, I thought, do we have mice?! But looking more closely, I saw they weren’t mouse droppings. Still, what on earth were they, and where were they coming from?
I can’t recall how long it took me to figure it out, but eventually I realized they were from across the street, where the high school in Urbana, Illinois, had installed new turf fields for soccer and football, and our son was keeper for the soccer team. I knew that modern artificial turf features those black rubber granules as infill, presumably to make the surface softer, and perhaps provide better traction, especially when the turf is wet. Still, it took a while to make the connection; I’d had no idea that our son would come home from practice and games with his socks and the rest of his clothes just filled with the stuff!
We had been, and remained, happy to get the turf installed. The public high schools didn’t have the money and expertise to maintain natural grass fields in good condition, and for us the turf provided a surface considerably superior to what was otherwise available — much more consistent over the whole field, without bare patches and potholes.
But those granules do make a mess. And welcome as turf surfaces are at many schools, and youth-level competitions, they remain far from the quality of good natural grass, and simply should not be used in senior competitions, for men or women.
— Brian
I can’t recall how long it took me to figure it out, but eventually I realized they were from across the street, where the high school in Urbana, Illinois, had installed new turf fields for soccer and football, and our son was keeper for the soccer team. I knew that modern artificial turf features those black rubber granules as infill, presumably to make the surface softer, and perhaps provide better traction, especially when the turf is wet. Still, it took a while to make the connection; I’d had no idea that our son would come home from practice and games with his socks and the rest of his clothes just filled with the stuff!
We had been, and remained, happy to get the turf installed. The public high schools didn’t have the money and expertise to maintain natural grass fields in good condition, and for us the turf provided a surface considerably superior to what was otherwise available — much more consistent over the whole field, without bare patches and potholes.
But those granules do make a mess. And welcome as turf surfaces are at many schools, and youth-level competitions, they remain far from the quality of good natural grass, and simply should not be used in senior competitions, for men or women.
— Brian
4
Great article, Juliet. This is a topic that fully deserved your tongue-in-cheek treatment. I hope the article is forwarded to FIFA officials around the world and there's enough money -- that hasn't been diverted into their own pockets -- to fund a study on the health effects of artificial turf. This could be the next emerging health threat for organized sports.
4
This says it all:
"They will also stand a constant reminder that neither FIFA nor the Canadian Soccer Association valued the women’s game enough to mandate that its biggest championship be played on grass"
To the CSA and FIFA these are second rate games for second rate people deserving of a second rate surface... Abhorent!
"They will also stand a constant reminder that neither FIFA nor the Canadian Soccer Association valued the women’s game enough to mandate that its biggest championship be played on grass"
To the CSA and FIFA these are second rate games for second rate people deserving of a second rate surface... Abhorent!
8
Except that Canadian men play on turf as well in many national soccer team games, the entire CFL, the one Canadian MLB team and one of the three MLS teams. It's not discrimination, it's just that Canada has only two grass stadiums in the entire country, and one of those was out of action due to the Pan Am games. Outdoor sports infrastructure in general in Canada is second rate, it is true, but I'm sure they thought they were doing the right thing by using the latest turf.
1
@ Cdn Expat — Again, I don’t buy for a second the innocent-naïve picture you’re trying to present of Canada Soccer, that, gee, “they thought they were doing the right thing by using the latest turf.” It’s no more credible than the scrappy-little-Canada-putting-on-a-big-time-sports-event-on-a-shoestring excuse for failing to provide natural grass for the matches.
Canada would •never• bid for the men’s World Cup with a proposal to play •any• of the matches on artificial turf. Canada Soccer did so with the women’s World Cup because they viewed the women’s game as second-class, and they bet FIFA would feel the same way. Unfortunately, they got that one right.
— Brian
Canada would •never• bid for the men’s World Cup with a proposal to play •any• of the matches on artificial turf. Canada Soccer did so with the women’s World Cup because they viewed the women’s game as second-class, and they bet FIFA would feel the same way. Unfortunately, they got that one right.
— Brian
5
@Cdn Expat: but what of the TWO offers, months ago, to provide grass playing surfaces, gratis, that were summarily dismissed?
1
The maid at a team hotel is afraid to get in trouble with FIFA? Really? The players should have refused to play on artificial turf. But they did not. So this World Cup is being played on artificial turf. And the tournament is approaching its final phase. People play on artificial turf all over the world, including at very many US high schools and colleges. It could be said that were it not for artificial turf fields many would not even have the opportunity to play, especially in countries where the weather is an issue or where grass does not easily grow. It's time to let this "issue" go and concentrate on the games themselves. And if it is that important, start organizing the women now to make sure the next World Cup will not be played on artificial turf.
This type of turf is nothing new; it's been around for years, usually known as FieldTurf, although that is one brand among others. If you think back to when pro teams began to play on AstroTurf, remember how it just LOOKED like a carpet?
For those snobs who think that soccer is to be played on grass only, realize that MOST of Europe and (I believe) all of MLS (except for the team playing out of Yankee Stadium) plays on turf, which is another step above the stuff that the NFL plays on.
And yes, there is a name for the little pellets; high schoolers call them 'turf turds', and they stick to shoes, socks, etc. I can vouch for the heat; our school's marching band practices in an asphalt parking lot in July and August, because it's not as hot as the field.
For those snobs who think that soccer is to be played on grass only, realize that MOST of Europe and (I believe) all of MLS (except for the team playing out of Yankee Stadium) plays on turf, which is another step above the stuff that the NFL plays on.
And yes, there is a name for the little pellets; high schoolers call them 'turf turds', and they stick to shoes, socks, etc. I can vouch for the heat; our school's marching band practices in an asphalt parking lot in July and August, because it's not as hot as the field.
What on Earth are you talking about? The overwhelming majority of European stadiums are absolutely grass. There are a handful of stadiums, most prominently in Scandinavia that have turf but otherwise it is almost entirely grass. Likewise, 15 out of the 20 MLS teams play on grass home surfaces.
I've played on AstroTurf, FieldTurf and Grass surfaces. While FieldTurf is light years better than AstroTurf, nothing beats the quality of a good Grass surface.
I've played on AstroTurf, FieldTurf and Grass surfaces. While FieldTurf is light years better than AstroTurf, nothing beats the quality of a good Grass surface.
10
Sepp Blatter's pronouncements on the future of FIFA should only be paid attention to when they entered into evidence.
5
These tiny rubber pellets (also called "crumb rubber"), aren't just a hot, uncomfortable nuisance, they are hazardous to one's health. Crumb rubber contains a cocktail of toxic chemicals, including benzothiazole, carbon black, and heavy metals. Exposures to these chemicals at high levels are known to cause birth defects, neurologic and developmental deficits, and some can even cause cancer. Of course, what constitutes "high levels" is a source of much debate and more research is needed. However, some cities have elected to scrap crumb rubber turf in favor of alternative infill. The New York City Parks Department stopped installing crumb rubber turf in 2008 followed the next year by the Los Angeles Unified School District. There are natural alternatives, such as coconut fiber. Undoubtedly grinding up used tires is less expensive. But only in the short run?
14
Crumb rubber is not longer used for infill. As the article pointed out, the infill in Vancouver and Edmonton is "bionic fibre" made out of virgin plastic.
https://www.melos-gmbh.com/en/granules/products/artificial-turf-infill/i...
https://www.melos-gmbh.com/en/granules/products/artificial-turf-infill/i...
A World Cup T-shirt will fade and become threadbare, but these World Cup souvenirs will last and last — because, after all, bits of recycled rubber don’t exactly scream biodegradable....
[ Yuck, this had better be benign. ]
[ Yuck, this had better be benign. ]
I don't know whose big, fat, good idea this was but it is ridiculous. I live in Manitoba. We can grow grass. It grows SO well we have to mow the lawn every 2 days. Every high school for miles around has a lovely field of real grass which gets mowed continuously all spring,summer and fall whether or not anyone even uses it. It does seem that the real meaning behind this use of artificial turf is that women do not count. Now, had it been a hockey tournament for overpaid, overgrown male hockey players...
26
Don't be ridiculous, nearly every pro sports field in Canada is turf because their season and use is a little greater than a Manitoba high school. All CFL games are played on turf, and last I checked those were men. Toronto and Montreal have grass for their MLS soccer teams, but Vancouver does not. The Blue Jays are on turf (although they would like to have grass and have to kick the Argos out in order to get it.)
As for hockey, they've been using artificial ice for over a hundred years. Such is the nature of pro sports.
As for hockey, they've been using artificial ice for over a hundred years. Such is the nature of pro sports.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t think FIFA would like that,” she said. “And we don’t want to get in trouble with FIFA.”
Doesn't that just say it all?
Some other thoughts: Manitoba, where I watched a great game, grows and exports turf, including that used in the Super Bowl and other sporting events. So there was plenty of real grass available, even in May.
Another significant complaint from our city was that FIFA firmly refused to work with the city to plan satellite events or to coordinate traffic. The only World Cup events allowed to happen were at the stadium. Basically, if there was money to be made only FIFA was allowed to make it.
Doesn't that just say it all?
Some other thoughts: Manitoba, where I watched a great game, grows and exports turf, including that used in the Super Bowl and other sporting events. So there was plenty of real grass available, even in May.
Another significant complaint from our city was that FIFA firmly refused to work with the city to plan satellite events or to coordinate traffic. The only World Cup events allowed to happen were at the stadium. Basically, if there was money to be made only FIFA was allowed to make it.
17
I played high level ultimate for a few years and always hated when we were forced onto the turf fields, they smell like rubber, are blistering hot under the sun and suck to dive on. It's like being at a tire-changing shop in the desert. FIFA should only ever mandate that serious tournaments be played on all grass, the way the sport should be played.
6
I recall reading an article about cancer clusters in youth soccer goalies who get a high dose of these rubber pellets. FIFA has a lot to answer for!
1
Goalies sometimes get them in there eyes when they do diving catches.
1
Artificial turf fields are one of those inventions from hell whose primary appeal is it looks good on video and stays flat. No mud, no dead grass, no fertilizer or cutting but lord help you if you fall on it on a hot summer day. And the rubber bits float so they are carried away in the field drainage system to the storm sewer system, down the river and out to sea.
I'm sure they are inhaled. They are not pellets per se but crumbs of shredded tires in various shapes and sizes mixed with a fine sand and raked into the artificial grass. Between the silica in the sand and the chemical compounds in the rubber players are exposed to a really unhealthy mix. The technology should be banned in my view.
I'm sure they are inhaled. They are not pellets per se but crumbs of shredded tires in various shapes and sizes mixed with a fine sand and raked into the artificial grass. Between the silica in the sand and the chemical compounds in the rubber players are exposed to a really unhealthy mix. The technology should be banned in my view.
8
They are no longer recycled rubber tires. The last field I was on in northern NJ used coconut and cork pieces.
Given that FIFA and the Canadian Soccer Association don't care about the health and safety of women athletes, doesn't Canada have laws about workplace safety?
1
In school environments, those fields are great. Four practices a day from mens and womens soccer and lacrosse teams are not a problem for a field like that. A grass field woud never last, you'd end up with a mud pitch.
Despite protests from players representing numerous countries involved in the World Cup, FIFA refused to even consider making sure that all of the competition took place on natural grass. If it had been the national men's teams from, say, Brazil, Germany, Italy, Spain and the U.S., protesting playing on artificial turf, you know darn well they would have been listened to. This is, as are so many other things involving FIFA, just another example of Sepp Blatter's stooges acting in a totally sexist manner. Hey FIFA, let's see you try to push around the likes of Messi, Ronaldo, Suarez, et.al. as you have the world's best women futbal players.
1
I wonder if sepp got a commission. There are places like heavily used urban fields but a grass field is always the best there is. what happens with spit when you spit on a turf field……. etc
1
And when the players fall on this stuff, and get scraped up, and the pellets get embedded in their skin...that's a lot of fun. Thanks a lot, Herr Blatter. Way to show respect for the game.
2
Having played on turf for years, I can attest to the nuisance of the pellets. I have gotten them in my eyes, nose, mouth, ears and worst of all embedded into wounds from sliding on the turf. Most concerning, and not mentioned in this article are the long term dangers of these products. Others, such as the Huffington Post (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/20/scrap-tires-toxic-playgrounds_n... ) reported the carcinogens in these products and, "a number of current and former soccer goalkeepers who had developed rare cancers" for those that played regularly on turf. The fact that FIFA is more concerned with their bottom line (cheaper fields, prettier TV) than the health and well being of their female players says a lot about how FIFA operates. Even more disturbing is the fact that the general public is not outrages at the treatment of these athletes from the deadly heat, bone crushing bruises, concussive surfaces, and potentially cancerous pellets. These talented women deserve our voice and support -- these conditions reflect an unsafe work environment and are unacceptable.
1
To put this in a somewhat larger context - the pacific garbage patch is made of billions of tiny pieces of plastic and rubber and other detritus of our industries. Now FIFA has decided to add to the problem by scattering tens of millions of tiny pieces of rubber on the field where a non insignificant number will, eventually, make their way into the pacific garbage patch. Bravo FIFA! Well done.
1
I've played (American) football on artificial turf like this, and it's horrible. These athletes are tougher than I'll ever be to slide full speed on this stuff, in shorts. Let this be the last world cup played on such a travesty of a field.
4
Years from now, when middle-aged, retired athletes that made our country proud in 2015 cough up little bits of recycled tires it will be seen as a very bad idea.
FIFA has an awful lot of bad ideas.
FIFA has an awful lot of bad ideas.
Clearly women have no voice in FIFA or for that matter anywhere else men rule.
Actually men don't have much voice where men rule either.
Actually men don't have much voice where men rule either.
1
It's true that there's hardly more females in authority in FIFA than there are in Iran under the ayatollahs. They would have spoiled the smug, corrupt, clubroom atmosphere enjoyed by the FIFA barons.
There's an Astroturf-type running track at a local school which has similar pellets, and I've stopped running on it because they get into the shoes and under the socks and it's annoying to step on them.
Perhaps the FIFA shakeup will lead to more equal venues for men and women. Some "cold" comfort for the women athletes: in 2014 the men had to broil in Brazil.
Perhaps the FIFA shakeup will lead to more equal venues for men and women. Some "cold" comfort for the women athletes: in 2014 the men had to broil in Brazil.
The women should refuse to play the remaining games. That's a start. Then investigate the collusion between the corrupt to the core FIFA and the Canadians responsible for this 'artificial' decision. There's a payoff waiting to be uncovered. But no, inhaling and swallowing recycled rubber pellets couldn't possibly be a health risk. Who would intentionally risk the welfare of elite women athletes for money?
21
As any parent in America knows, this stuff gets everywhere. Even requiring a trip to the pediatrician to have it washed from deep in an ear. The nurse was incredulous when I explained that it was "artificial turf dirt."
2
Is this the same type of turf used in the NFL? I don't see rubber pellets during NFL games. Why are they used in the WWC?
1
I do not think it's prudent to dismiss Amy Griffith's empirical data on cancer in soccer goalies as "anecdotal." So much of it makes sense. Grinding recycled tires maximizes their surface area, heat releases carcinogens, goalies have the most intimate contact with the field of any players, and Amy Griffin noticed (without seeking it out and without financial incentive) that so many goalies she has known have gotten scientifically confirmed blood-related cancers. These are longitudinal data of high quality. Also, an oncology nurse told her she hooked up four goalies on the day Amy visited the unit--what are the odds of that happening by chance?. In short, we may be poisoning children and world class athletes--shouldn't that be the story here?
7
At the high school and college level, turf fields are preferable to poorly maintained grass fields. They are smooth, even, and they drain well, while grass fields are clumpy, produce unexpected bounces and standing water. My daughters played on grass fields where the ball would hit a puddle and stop dead. It was rather funny to watch, but it also illustrates the deficiencies of grass. It is only at the highest levels where highly manicured grass fields are preferable to turf.
Having said all that, I do believe that the world cup deserves the best surface - and that is highly-maintained grass. I think in a few years, we'll probably here about under-the-table payments from the turf industry to FIFA officials that resulted in the turf fields for these games.
Having said all that, I do believe that the world cup deserves the best surface - and that is highly-maintained grass. I think in a few years, we'll probably here about under-the-table payments from the turf industry to FIFA officials that resulted in the turf fields for these games.
1
I find it very hard to believe this is healthy. Rubber found in all places of the. Body? How about the carcinogens from this rubber that you can't see?
1
Kudos to Juliet Macur for this angle on the women's World Cup. This toxic turf is surely the result of some sleazy backroom deal and tens-of-millions-of-dollars contract that has made FIFA infamous. (And the men play on grass!)
4
Since when is FIFA God? If artificial turf is unavoidable (why?), and it needs "filler" (why?), something more friendly must be found. It is absolutely unacceptable that women are denied the natural turf provided for men! It seems to me - an avid fan and watcher of women's soccer on TV - that there have been many more falls on this surface than on grass as well.
2
Keep up the pressure on FIFA. Good piece.
1
Just goes to show. The women's game is not the draw the men's is. The league has to go cheaper.
1
@ R.Kenney — No, the World Cup didn’t have to go cheaper. Taking refuge in excuses of “necessity”, here as it is so many times, is a hollow rationalization for an inclination to discriminate, for those with power to see just how much they can get away with.
— Brian
— Brian
Down with Blatter. The misogyny has to end.
Sexism knows no borders nor no bounds.
1
These fields are so common in Division I college football, there are very few grass fields left. Football players don't mind it as much, since the bounce of the ball isn't an issue and they wear much more body armor. But they do get the pellets in their eyes - players have had to leave the field while they get their eyes washed.
There are data indicating an increase in injuries related to torsional motion, as the foot plants much more firmly in Fieldturf and it doesn't break like grass. So more ACL and MCL sprains and tears. The manufacturers counter with their own data, but with almost every team using it on at least a practice field, not only is it tough to parse out but there's no going back now. Money rules.
There are data indicating an increase in injuries related to torsional motion, as the foot plants much more firmly in Fieldturf and it doesn't break like grass. So more ACL and MCL sprains and tears. The manufacturers counter with their own data, but with almost every team using it on at least a practice field, not only is it tough to parse out but there's no going back now. Money rules.
12
My alma mater installed a Faketurf football field years ago--then ripped it out a few years later and replaced it with good old real grass. Everyone celebrated.
1
Writer does not explain WHY there are rubber pellets mixed in with the artificial grass; how it acts like "dirt" for give and prevents sudden stops, preventing injury. Should this be obvious?
2
Sports should be played on GRASS. Real Grass. Ground up tires contain cadmium, chromium, aluminum, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, selenium, sulfur, and zinc. It is not stuff anyone should be breathing, ingesting, or grinding into their skin. The temperatures are also insane. Why don't they just play in a big oven?
The companies that make this stuff like to pretend it is safe, and ground up tires are even sold as plant mulch. They do not mention it kills your plants, and all kinds of beneficial insects. It also leaches toxic chemicals into the air & the soil you may be growing food on, or having your kids play around. Bad Stuff.
The companies that make this stuff like to pretend it is safe, and ground up tires are even sold as plant mulch. They do not mention it kills your plants, and all kinds of beneficial insects. It also leaches toxic chemicals into the air & the soil you may be growing food on, or having your kids play around. Bad Stuff.
7
This is about Mulch, but the materials are the same as playing fields. http://www.motherearthnews.com/nature-and-environment/is-rubber-mulch-sa...
The State of California conducted a study and found that rubber play surfaces at playgrounds or tracks posed minimal risk. The study can be found here:
http://www.groundsmartrubbermulch.com/docs/resources/Evaluation-of-Healt...
http://www.groundsmartrubbermulch.com/docs/resources/Evaluation-of-Healt...
Sooner or later there will be more definitive studies on long term exposure. Hopefully they will be objective.
A much shorter term, more immediate issue is the heat retention on turf fields. I have been a youth Soccer Coach for the better part of 12 years and there is no question that when it is a hot day and we are playing on turf, the kids suffer. We walk on the field and it is literally like going onto a frying pan.
Some things that have helped (but not completely) is watering the field before a match begins to cool it off and rotating the players more rapidly so they can rehydrate and cool off. We have also asked the referees for "quarterly" breaks (rather than just at the half).
A much shorter term, more immediate issue is the heat retention on turf fields. I have been a youth Soccer Coach for the better part of 12 years and there is no question that when it is a hot day and we are playing on turf, the kids suffer. We walk on the field and it is literally like going onto a frying pan.
Some things that have helped (but not completely) is watering the field before a match begins to cool it off and rotating the players more rapidly so they can rehydrate and cool off. We have also asked the referees for "quarterly" breaks (rather than just at the half).
16
The unfortunate reference to "Black Rain" is , one surmises , an absence of exposure to events consequent to the conclusions of the Asian Theatre of WW II (WW 2) , and an insular look at the closing moments of that horror .
Black Rain , a 1989 B&W Japanese film , tells the story of these events in the heartbreaking emotional context only in as profound a cultural shock , in a depth rarely found , and unique to Japan for a host of reasons .
One hopes these references fade from contemporary memories for all the right reasons . Hope being among the slender threads where hangs the continued absence of additional nuclear incidents fired in anger .
Black Rain , a 1989 B&W Japanese film , tells the story of these events in the heartbreaking emotional context only in as profound a cultural shock , in a depth rarely found , and unique to Japan for a host of reasons .
One hopes these references fade from contemporary memories for all the right reasons . Hope being among the slender threads where hangs the continued absence of additional nuclear incidents fired in anger .
This stuff is, undoubtedly, in their lungs already and will be the source of future legal battles, similar to what the NFL is now experiencing.
1
Stop the whining. When the stadiums are full for every game and TV ratings provide needed revenues the games will be played on grass. Attract the same advertising dollars as men and you may demand (and get) anything. The only green that matters are dollars! (Can$, eh!)
@ sad taxpayer — Assuming you’re not being facetious, your paternalism is contemptible, as is your attempt to hide prejudice behind the façade of “objective” economic imperatives. I hope these athletes never accept your notion that they should Know Their Place — and that they keep demanding to be treated with respect. People in power in organizations like FIFA and Soccer Canada can’t be relied on to do what’s right; those affected by their decisions have to be prepared to demand it.
— Brian
— Brian
Why are they playing on fake turf? The men don't. Is this yet another bungle by FIFA?
3
Maybe FIFA is also taking bribes from the artificial turf manufacturers. I sure wouldn't buy a car from FIFA.
1
Feigned look of disgust? I'm guessing the disgust was quite sincere.
4
I've played soccer on turf for years, and yes, the black pellets are endless. The pellets are called "jerks", at least among everybody I play with, as in "Hey, you've got some jerks stuck to your face."
2
Nothing is more absurd than FIFA insisting on artificial turf. A surface that gets so hot it melts players shoes on a hot day.
There has got to be a big under table payoff to someone in FIFA to take such a ridiculous stand. Big money, yes. It has already trickled down to kids soccer fields. Ask anyone who has played on artificial turf what they think of it.
Bring back real turf for all sports fields. Most, I suspect, would prefer dirt to artificial turf.
There has got to be a big under table payoff to someone in FIFA to take such a ridiculous stand. Big money, yes. It has already trickled down to kids soccer fields. Ask anyone who has played on artificial turf what they think of it.
Bring back real turf for all sports fields. Most, I suspect, would prefer dirt to artificial turf.
19
Afraid to talk to a reporter. Another reason to get rid of the bullies and crooks at FIFA.
8
Amazing that the word "cancer" was not mentioned once in the article. Nor the current trend of local schools refusing to install crumb rubber turf out of safety concerns. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/early-lead/wp/2014/10/09/is-there-a-...
5
Huge numbers of athletes play on artificial turf these days, so it's hardly some unique cross the soccer players have to bear.
And good for Canada for putting on this tournament economically and not wasting huge amounts of money on new fields, like Brazil did for the men last year.
And good for Canada for putting on this tournament economically and not wasting huge amounts of money on new fields, like Brazil did for the men last year.
@ Steve — Your economics argument is nonsense. The criticism of Brazil related to the cost of massive new •stadiums• that are not likely to see full use, now that the circus has left town — not to the cost of their grass •fields•.
A wealthy industrialized nation like Canada most certainly could have afforded to provide natural grass fields for this tournament. But if Canada Soccer felt that it just couldn’t manage it, they should have announced that they were skipping what everybody anticipated was going to be Canada’s turn as host. Some other country would have stepped up and taken the opportunity to do it right.
— Brian
A wealthy industrialized nation like Canada most certainly could have afforded to provide natural grass fields for this tournament. But if Canada Soccer felt that it just couldn’t manage it, they should have announced that they were skipping what everybody anticipated was going to be Canada’s turn as host. Some other country would have stepped up and taken the opportunity to do it right.
— Brian
When do the men get to get cancer?
I don't think it is prudent to dismiss Amy Griffin's data on sick goalies as "anecdotal." It is empirical, longitudinal, and it makes sense. As these pellets heat up they release carcinogens, shredding anything increases surface area, the cancers did not start appearing at disproportionate rates until the recycled tire pellets appeared, and goalies clearly have the most intimate contact with the field. The human or subjective aspects of her data collection do not affect the primary variable: of the soccer players she has known (a considerable number), goalies have a disproportionately ("That's the fourth goalie I've hooked up this week") high occurrence of scientifically confirmed cancer. Parents and players should be concerned.
1
What a great mix of tongue-in-cheek irony and serious concern! Although FIFA is thick skinned, perhaps this article's words will burn the (rubbery) point home for them.
3
What's more likely to have unknown health dangers: rubber pellets or the vast array of chemical fertilizers and pesticides used on grass?
I have multiple children that play and am very concerned about the possible health implications of turf. For the most part the younger ones play on grass but as you get older and/or play at a high level turf becomes much more common. One of mine is a goalie so she's constantly diving, getting it literally everywhere like the article described. There already is a proven link to higher infection risks among football players who tend to practice/play on the surface much more often. There are no long-term studies but some scary anecdotal evidence or cancer risks. Many towns are putting them in because then teams can practice virtually all year long. But I was very grateful our town recently turned one down. For once I was glad to live in a town with a lot of cheapskates!
3
Sure would have been nice if the writer explained the whys and wherefores of the pelletized turf. I'm sure I'm not alone in never having heard of it.
1
So why are these part of artificial turf? No word on that?
And the men play on grass. The women have complained about this for a long time. Abby Wambach calls playing on artificial turf " a nightmare '.
4
Hey Polytan investors: Is your board reserving the hundreds of billions you will be facing in claims? It's your asbestos moment.
1
How does this horrible turf differ with the old Astroturf that used to be in baseball fields? That stuff had no pellets.
@ Bartolo — This is softer than the original Astroturf, which in some cases was little better than indoor/outdoor carpeting laid on concrete. The rubber granules are partly an attempt to provide a softer surface, with better footing, especially when wet.
— Brian
— Brian
1
Is this an issue in the NFL or College Football? You don't hear about it, but there's not a gender issue there.
@ eager — There is a gender issue, because the relevant comparison is the men’s World Cup; that tournament has never been competed on artificial turf, and it is as certain as can be that the élite male players would not stand for any proposal to do so.
— Brian
— Brian
The focus of this article - the mess that turf pellets make - is bizarre.
I've played on turf fields of this sort for 7 years. I just played on one today. And it's true, the pellets get everywhere. They fill up my duffel bag, they gather in my shower drain, and little puddles of them gather underneath my shoe rack.
But the mess they make is an utterly trivial nuisance, especially given that they're materials for the best low-cost, low-maintenance athletic fields I've ever played on. This newest generation of turf is the closest thing to grass that you don't have to water and mow.
Had the article focused on the inevitable turf-burns players pick up from slide tackles and falls, provided some substantial research on the health hazards of playing on turf, or highlighted FIFA's blatant discrimination against these female athletes by forcing them to play on an inferior surface in order to save on costs, that would have been fine.
But the messy pellets? Come on.
I've played on turf fields of this sort for 7 years. I just played on one today. And it's true, the pellets get everywhere. They fill up my duffel bag, they gather in my shower drain, and little puddles of them gather underneath my shoe rack.
But the mess they make is an utterly trivial nuisance, especially given that they're materials for the best low-cost, low-maintenance athletic fields I've ever played on. This newest generation of turf is the closest thing to grass that you don't have to water and mow.
Had the article focused on the inevitable turf-burns players pick up from slide tackles and falls, provided some substantial research on the health hazards of playing on turf, or highlighted FIFA's blatant discrimination against these female athletes by forcing them to play on an inferior surface in order to save on costs, that would have been fine.
But the messy pellets? Come on.
Juliet, next time you report on this story, can you ask the players how they feel about playing on the turf fields in the NWSL and WPSL, plus all the turf fields they played on as youth players.
Thanks!
Thanks!
"They will also stand a constant reminder that neither FIFA nor the Canadian Soccer Association valued the women’s game enough to mandate that its biggest championship be played on grass — the way the game should be played, and the way the men get to play it."
A glaring inequity. Also, I noticed the lack of the additional goal line ref. that could have benefited these games given the number of missed/erroneous calls in that zone of the field.
A glaring inequity. Also, I noticed the lack of the additional goal line ref. that could have benefited these games given the number of missed/erroneous calls in that zone of the field.
1
It would be reasonable to expect this article to explain why those pellets are there, and why anyone in their right minds can claim artificial turf should be used anywhere. Part of the aura of athletics is the variance in fields due to weather. That's the game, and it is disgusting (to me) that sports dollars now determine the fundamental tenor of what used to be an exciting natural field of play.
The more the game, any game, is played for the benefit of spectators and advertisers -- tv and in stadia -- the less it is an athletic event. This is especially true for American football and basketball where the exciting flow of a game is halted for commercial timeouts.
The more the game, any game, is played for the benefit of spectators and advertisers -- tv and in stadia -- the less it is an athletic event. This is especially true for American football and basketball where the exciting flow of a game is halted for commercial timeouts.
3
FIFA is a global embarrassment.
8
Burned feet, pellet on skin.... anyone else thinking that these nasty little rubber bits are being inhaled into the lungs of these young athletes? They may not need to take them home in jars to have a reminder of where they played 3 decades from now.
86
We can all thank Sepp Blatter for minimizing the concern of the players and recommending that they wear shorter shorts
3
And, up their shorts and into their bodies. I think that was being implied by some of the players as a possibility!
1
"They will also stand a constant reminder that neither FIFA nor the Canadian Soccer Association valued the women’s game enough to mandate that its biggest championship be played on grass — the way the game should be played, and the way the men get to play it."
Yes.
Yes.
161
I have a distinct feeling that Cristiano Ronaldo would not be forced to up with sliding around on rubber. Hopefully, things will change now that sexist Blatter is out.
2
And yet again women's sports gets the shaft!
1
Most city high schools have installed artificial turf on soccer fields and it is what kids are learning to play on. Grass fields don't hold up and rapidly turn to dirt fields due to overuse. There isn't enough land area to set aside for grass fields and limit play on them in order to keep them intact.
Recycled tires? I am SURE that's not healthy to be on your skin, let alone breathing.
87
They are not recycled tires, at least not these days. That practice was discarded long ago for turf fields.
Take that up with Juliet Macur. She *specifically* says they're recycled tires. Even if they're from recycled sneaker soles, what guarantee is there that sneakers made in China are free of carcinogenic additives? Precious little, I'd say. And even if the rubber fill WAS pristine, inhalation of even virgin rubber would constitute an assault on the lungs whose long term effect is plainly unknown.
1
Youth soccer players have been dealing with this for years , are we sure that the pellets are safe ?
75
No, we are not sure.
Crumb rubber is a known carcinogen and there is growing evidence that it is is indeed unsafe in artificial turf. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/early-lead/wp/2014/10/09/is-there-a-...
1
We are not.
1