NFL Unveils Initiative to Increase Safety Levels on All Stadium Surfaces

As the debate over the NFL’s playing fields continues, the league is introducing a plan that aims to bring more consistency to all fields.

The new advanced standards will have to be tested by 2028, according to the NFL, and will be set through lab testing and field testing.

Nick PAPPAS, the NFL’s field director, shared some details about the program’s rollout plans.

Each team will be given an “approved and approved library of NFL stadiums” before the 2026 season. Any new stadium will immediately meet those standards, and all teams will have two years to meet them. Both the turf and synthetic pitches will face new standards.

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Most implants are replaced every two or three years, Pappas said. Natural fields can have short spans of use and are often changed over and over again at the same time.

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Pappas added that the fields will be heavily tested and approved by the Committee in conjunction with the NFLPA.

“It’s kind of a red, yellow, green effect, where it’s clear that we’re trying to cut off fields that we’re willing to do less well than new fields coming into the industry,” he said.

“This is a big step for us. This is something that I think is a very good result for the joint committee of work, delivery and development of devices to find the quality of the fields that are relevant and have had in the past.”

Pappas said the fields were tested in labs and in the field using two advanced tools. One is called the Beast, which is a traction testing device that replicates the motion of an NFL player. Another is called a pulse influence tester, which helps determine the intensity of each field.

The league’s goal is to get fields as consistent as possible across all 30 NFL stadiums and at each birth throughout the season. PAPPAS said the “vital pillars” of the field are mocked for play, reducing the risk of injury and player response.

The NFL has no plans to require natural grass fields. The league’s chief medical officer, Dr. Allen Sills, said there was no “statistically significant difference” in lower injuries or concussions at MetLife Stadium, where the new Jets play.

“The face is the only driver of these lower back injuries,” Sills said. “There are many other factors, including the player’s load and previous history and fatigue, adaptation to emerging conditions and the cleats worn.”

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The natural grass field for the upcoming Super Bowl at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, has been growing on SOD’s farm located a few hours east of the Bay Area.

The accompanying device contributed to this report.

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