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Challenges for the developmentof criteria for synthetic turf forAustralian football and cricket

Dara TwomeySchool of Human Movement & Sport Sciences

University of Ballarat

Research Team

Leonie Otago, Natalie Saunders

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Water RestrictionsWater Restrictions –– STAGE 4STAGE 4All outside watering is banned. Nowatering at any time, by any means.

Residential and Commercial Gardens and Lawns

Public Gardens and Lawns

Sporting Grounds

Paving, concrete and other hard surfaces (except foremergency; or for health or safety hazard)

Vehicles

Residential or Commercial Pools and Spas

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In November 2009 for 5 Months….

• Councils and community groups willbe able to apply for water from a500ML allocation for shared publicassets such as parks, sports fieldsand bowling greens

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Ballarat Football OvalsBallarat Football Ovals 11month before the 2007 seasonmonth before the 2007 season

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Project commissioned by AFLCommunity Development to developcriteria for using artificial turf forcommunity level Australian footballand cricket

Funded by AFL, Cricket Australia, JLTTrustees, Sport & Recreation Victoria

Sports usingSynthetic Turf

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Challenges in Australia

The majority of Australian footballovals are used for cricket during thefootball off season

Therefore characteristics of bothgames on natural turf had to be dulyconsidered

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Differences in surfaces forDifferences in surfaces forAustralian football & cricketAustralian football & cricket

At Elite level

The grass is cut daily in summer and twice aweek in the winter. It is cut at a length of12mm during the summer and 25mm duringthe winter.

At community level

15mm in summer and up to 50mm in winter.Mowing depends on rainfall and growth.

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Development of CriteriaDevelopment of Criteria

• Surface Characteristics

e.g. traction, shock absorbency,friction, abrasion, critical fall height

• Ball Interactions

e.g. roll, vertical bounce, angled ballbounce

Critical Fall Height Hardness

Abrasion/Friction Traction

Surface CharacteristicsSurface Characteristics

Criteria1.2m

Criteria<50% Change inFriction Force

Coefficient ofFriction0.35 – 0.75

Criteria65-120g

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Rotational TractionRotational Traction

Traction Football Studs 25Nm - 50Nm

Traction Cricket Studs 7Nm - 15Nm

Traction Cricket Spikes 15Nm - 25Nm

CRITERIA

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Ball InteractionsBall Interactions

Vertical Ball Rebound Main Finding

Shock pads were acritical contributor tothis result.

CRITERIA

Football:0.6 –1.0m

Cricket: 0.1 – 0.4m

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Ball RollBall RollMain Finding

Level of infill veryimportant for consistency.

Cricket ball slows down– implications forboundary placement

CRITERIA

Football:12m

Cricket: 15m

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Angled Ball ReboundAngled Ball Rebound

Main Finding

The release of infill asthe ball interacted withthe surface was a majorcontributor to the result

CRITERIA

Football:45% - 70%

Cricket: 35% - 60%

Player InteractionsPlayer Interactions

HeatHeat

Location Weather Air Temp (°C) Surface Temp (°C)

MCG (Grass) Sunny 28.7 39.6

Telstra Dome (Grass) Sunny 25.0 36.1

Buninyong Oval (Grass) Overcast 16.4 16.8

Telstra Dome (Artificial) Sunny 26.6 34.5

Skilled Stadium (Artificial) Sunny 38.6 63.0

Geelong Baseball (Artificial) Overcast 20.9 22.2

Geelong Baseball (Artificial) Sunny (3pm) No wind 42.1 72.7

Geelong Baseball (Artificial) Sunny (4.30pm) Windy 35.7 58.6

Geelong School (Artificial) Sunny 30.2 63.0

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ConclusionsConclusions• This research highlighted the

important factors that need to beoptimised for synthetic playing fieldsto be to be safe and suitable for use,particularly multisport.

• This criteria has now been acceptedby the Australian Football Leagueand Cricket Australia and the firstsynthetic surfaces for Australianfootball and cricket at communitylevel has been announced.

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AcknowledgementsAcknowledgementsIan Chivers, Racing Solutions, Melbourne.

Rodney Hall & Mel Razmjoo, School ofHuman Movement & Sport Sciences, Universityof Ballarat.

Brian Ashworth, Business DevelopmentWater and Open Space, Downer EDI Works PtyLtd.

Professor Warren Payne, School of HumanMovement & Sport Sciences, University ofBallarat.

Associate Professor Geraldine Naughton,School of Exercise Science, Australian CatholicUniversity.

Dr Peter Le Rossignol, School of HumanMovement Studies, Queensland University ofTechnology.