Artificial turf, also known as synthetic turf, has found a prominent place in sports today. Manufactured from synthetic materials, this man-made surface looks like natural grass. With the international sports associations and governing bodies approving the use of artificial surfaces, sports like football and hockey, which were originally played on natural grass, have moved to these artificial sports pitches. So, next time, you find players playing on an artificial hockey pitch, do not be surprised.

There are primarily three different categories of artificial turf: unfilled, sand dressed and sand filled. The renowned hockey associations located in different countries generally opt for unfilled or ?water-based? artificial turf for playing hockey. As the name suggests, such a hockey pitch features unfilled pile. These pitches are perfect for playing hockey as they minimise the abrasive effect, a common feature of sand-filled turf. An unfilled hockey pitch, however, requires wetting at regular intervals. For this, the groundsman makes use of pitch side water cannon. Sometimes, depending on the weather conditions, showering can be done even during the half-time of the play.

Some artificial hockey pitches may also be sand-dressed. Often confused with unfilled pitches, the sand -dressed pitches consist of pile that is filled with fine sand. The sand is filled within 5-8mm of the tips of the fibre. The third variant, the sand-filled artificial turf is not generally used as a hockey pitch. In this case, the carpet pile is filled with sand almost to the top, making the pitch rough and harder. While, on one hand, such pitches can cause injury to players, on the other, they make the ball speed across the surface at a slower pace.

The introduction of synthetic pitches has changed the game of field hockey significantly. The use of shorter fibres in these pitches has increased the speed of the ball across the surface. As a result, the game has become much faster. Artificial surfaces have also brought about a change in the shape of the hockey sticks to allow for different techniques, such as reverse stick trapping and hitting.

The only concern regarding the use of artificial turf for playing hockey and other sports like football, tennis, and many more, is the initial cost involved in their installation. However, the cost involved is only one-time cost. These synthetic surfaces require minimal maintenance compared to natural grass surfaces, after installation.