POLL: Is Sofi Artificial Turf Causing More Injuries than Natural Grass?

[Topcat]

The Bolts have been bitten by the injury bug again. Seems it happens every year. KA's hamstring, Bosa's groin injury, Palmer's ankle, and now, Guyton is out for the year with an ACL. I looked into the incidence of injuries on artificial turf vs. natural grass, and the conclusion is that there IS a higher chance of injury on artificial turf vs. natural grass. For example, let's focus on Guyton's ACL. Look what this study found:

"Studies looking at the risk of ACL injuries in collegiate and professional football and soccer players have found an increased risk of ACL injury in practice and competition when play occurs on artificial turf compared to natural grass. These injuries on artificial turf often happen due to the increased frictional force between your shoes and the artificial grass when you plant your foot on the ground, it is more strongly stuck in that spot. As such, any twisting of your upper body will put a greater stress on the ACL, leading to a higher chance of tearing the ligament.^1] With natural grass, the planted foot would more easily be able to move, preventing the high forces put on the knee and reducing the risk of injury. Additionally, the increased risk of ACL injury associated with activity on artificial turf is made worse by hot or dry weather conditions, with increased injury rates in the summer months."

https://curovate.com/blog/turf-leads...ct-or-fiction/

This is probably the best scientific explanation I've seen which verifies the science behind artificial turf injuries. Come on, Kroenke! Why can't you roll out the natural grass like they do in Vegas? Getting tired of these nagging injuries year after year!

[Velo]

The debate between artificial turf vs natural grass is getting some play, after OBJ tweeted about it after G'nts WR Sterling Shepard tore his ACL Mon Night at Met Life Stadium. Beckham asked why every stadium doesn't have natural grass. Ravens HC John Harbaugh made similar comments after he lost two players to injury playing at Met Life Week 1.

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/09/28/john-harbaugh-agrees-with-players-like-obj-every-team-should-have-the-best-playing-surface/#comments

Jalen Guyton tore his ACL at SoFi Sunday. I'm surprised OBJ didn't mention that, because he tore his ACL at SoFi in the Super Bowl.

Last season Joey Bosa commented on how much more beat up players feel after playing on the artificial turf at SoFi compared to natural grass.

Bosa suffered a serious groin injury Sunday at SoFi.

Keenan Allen suffered a hammie pull at SoFi Week 1.

It's highly unlikely that the turf at SoFi was a factor in Slater's injury, but I'll throw it out there.

Corey Linsley's knee injury occurred at Arrowhead, which has natural grass.

So, how responsible is SoFi's turf for the injuries to Guyton and Beckham and Bosa and KA? I don't know if KA's hammie pull can be attributed to the turf, but what about Bosa's groin?

[jamrock]

I don’t know the answer but I’ve never understood why SoFi doesn’t have natural grass. We’re in LA.

[Duck of Death]

It definitely seems like fake turf contributes to a higher injury rate. But don’t forget that the biggest science based factor for increased injuries is wearing a Charger uniform ...

[Caslon]

Is that artificial dirt I see flying up from time to time?

:smoking:

[Boltx]

Really no excuse for a multi -billion dollar industry to not have the absolute best fields for the players. They spent all this money on player safety, new helmets, equipment, etc but forgot about the most basic element - the surface they run around and fall down on.

[richpjr]

We had the 7th fewest number of games lost by players last year on that turf so I'm not sure what to make of last year vs this year. Not sure how the Rams injuries were on the turf.

[Caslon]

It’s gotta be state of the art fake grass. It even has fake dirt. So…no. Gone are the days where a game was canceled after a player could be seen pulling up a square of Astro Turf. (“Call 858-two three hundred, Empire today!”).

[Velo]

I don’t know the answer but I’ve never understood why SoFi doesn’t have natural grass. We’re in LA.

My understanding is that SoFi is a multiuse facility and real grass hinders the ability to hold other events there. Kroenke has to pay for it somehow, and football is just one of the uses.

[Caslon]

My understanding is that SoFi is a multiuse facility and real grass hinders the ability to hold other events there. Kroenke has to pay for it somehow, and football is just one of the uses.

lol, so that’s why I see dirt flying up sometimes, it was motocross 2 nights earlier.

[Velo]

Is that artificial dirt I see flying up from time to time?

:smoking:

I think it's cuboidal rubber granules, which is, if I'm not mistaken, chopped up old automobile tires. This piece explaining the turf at SoFi doesn't specify where it's old tires.

https://www.therams.com/news/a-detailed-breakdown-of-sofi-stadium-turf

[Bolt-O]

I don't know if there is that much difference from falling onto today's artificial surfaces vs. real grass, but players are faster on the fake stuff meaning more energy in tackles. Still better than the original Astroturf which was a carpet on concrete. Grass is always preferable, though.

The location of SoFi is not ideal, between two heavily used flightpaths, so it had to be covered to reduce the noise from the jets, and had to be dug out so that the roof wouldn't be an issue to the planes, meaning that they couldn't do the roll-in turf like they do in Vegas and Glendale, AZ. Kroenke got a great deal on that old Hollywood Park land, and a willing local government to make it happen. He probably doesn't give a rip about injuries... just the cost of doing business.