What Grass Is Used on Football Pitches?

Have you ever been watching a game of football and suddenly you find yourself wondering: how does the football pitch grass look that good?

We've all been there - it truly is a beautiful sight for the gardeners among us! So, what grass is used on football pitches and how does it always look so clean and pristine? 

Do all football pitches use the same type of grass?

There's no universal standard for the grass football pitches have to use. If you think about it, there are so many different amateur and professional leagues that it would be difficult to require all football pitches to have the same type of grass. 

The most popular option: hybrid grass pitches

You'll often find that professional football pitches and stadiums opt for a high-quality hybrid grass system. Hybrid grass is essentially real, natural grass (95%) which is reinforced with artificial turf fibres (5%). This way, football players can receive the natural feel of grass under their feet but the difference is, this material can withstand a lot more action and it is easier to maintain after frequent and excessive use.

To put this into perspective, consider the fact that one Premier League player covers over 10km per game!

How are hybrid grass pitches made? 

The creation and installation of hybrid football pitch grass is actually a lot more detailed than you may think!

The process involves the distribution and sowing of artificial grasses from manufacturers such as GrassMaster and SISGrass into the pitch's base layer with specific depths and measurements. This is usually done with specialist equipment. 

Hybrid football pitch grasses have very little maintenance in comparison to natural football pitches. All it takes is a hybrid pitch maintenance annual renovation. This is a period where the sward (the grassy surface of land) must be cleaned out to allow the new hybrid grass to flourish.

What grass can be used on football pitches?

For natural football pitches, the most popular grass to use is the durable perennial ryegrass. Perennial ryegrass is a great type of grass to use for a football bitch, as it grows extremely quickly and it is very durable.

It's the most common grass type in both the US and the UK, and it has incredible recovery powers. As you can imagine, this is especially important when 22 players are running over it with excessive force for 90 minutes!

The only downfall of using ryegrass is that it can sometimes grow too quickly. To keep up with the maintenance of 100% natural football pitch grass will need to be mowed and maintained regularly, often up to 3 times a week for 2-3 hours at a time.

Grounds maintenance from Taylor Total Weed Control

We have assisted all kinds of sports ground clients over the years, providing routine pitch maintenance services or specialist treatments as required.

Taylor Total Weed Control have specialist equipment, knowledge, and access to pitch maintenance products that are beyond the scope of most small sports clubs. We provide specialist weed and moss control services for a number of football clubs.

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