FIH and FIFA join hands for dual-sport synthetic turf pitches

The International Hockey Federation (FIH) and the FIFA Innovation team have jointly published a guide for the design and construction of synthetic turf pitches suitable for both hockey and football.

Synthetic turf has long been the surface of choice for hockey and is increasingly valued in football for its durability and all-weather playability.

The Dualsport Pitches for Football and Hockey – Performance and Construction Guidelines provide performance and quality criteria details for these new types of surface, along with guidance on the levels of hockey and football that it is envisioned will be played on the pitches.

The guidelines are available in English, French, and Spanish. It provides information on pitch dimensions and layouts, the appropriate construction standards, and field certification. Focusing on the grassroots and community, the guide is the first of its kind published by the two organisations.

FIH President Tayyab Ikram expressed enthusiasm and said, “It is fantastic that both the FIFA Innovation team and FIH were able to collaborate for the mutual benefit of grassroots football and hockey. This guide will provide a great help to millions of young football or hockey players around the globe. On behalf of hockey’s global community, I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to FIFA, and especially its President, Gianni Infantino, for joining forces with us.”

Synthetic turf pitches play a substantial part in the development of both sports worldwide. They enable accessibility of wider communities and society to sport and are a great platform to demonstrate our sustainability efforts.”