Hockey

Artificial surfaces for Hockey Pitches

Approximately 1 in 10 of the hockey pitches in England that currently hold FIH certification have benefitted from SSL’s consultancy services. Our knowledge of construction of new build hockey pitches and refurbishment of existing facilities is second-to-none.

There are a number of surface options available for hockey pitches, with a large number of manufacturers offering a range products for each surface type.

We’ve outlined some brief information about each of the options below. We would be happy to talk through the different surfaces, improvements in surface design/manufacturing techniques and ultimately advise what would be best for the requirements of your facility and its users.

Sand filled surface

A hardwearing turf surface of woven, tufted or knitted synthetic material fully supported or stabilised by the addition of sand infill to the full depth of the turf pile to help maintain its height. Not as aesthetically pleasing as the other surface types, sand filled turf provides a good all-round surface type.

Sand dressed surface

A turf surface of woven, tufted or knitted synthetic material partly supported by a filling material such as sand. The filling material will be between 65% and 80% of the pile depth to help retain its height. The pile is more dense in this surface from others, but the pile is also not as high. With less sand infill, the hockey ball rolls off the turf fibres which in turn enables a truer ball roll. The most modern sand dressed surfaces are manufactured using a curly-pile monofilament yarn which provides a playing performance much closer to that provided by a water based surface.

Water based (unfilled) surface

A turf surface comprising a very dense woven, tufted or knitted synthetic pile of a short length material. It is essential that this surface is kept wet during play – this helps to ensure not just the safety of players but also the quality of the playing surface. Keeping the surface wet will also help to ensure the longevity of the pitch. Water based surfaces are designed for elite standard hockey.

At SSL we provide facility designs that are in accordance with the requirements of the latest FIH Hockey Turf and Field Standards (2017 Edition)

And it’s not only new build facilities we deal with. If you have an existing pitch and need expert advice with regards to resurface options, or require a detailed condition survey to provide you with a report explaining your options moving forwards, please get in touch with the SSL team.