Why locations like Arrowhead Stadium is perhaps much less prone to produce concussions

In line with a brand new examine investigating discipline sort and concussions, artificial turf creates a larger deceleration impression than pure grass.

Turf has been hated on for years by NFL gamers. It creates extra alternatives for harm: Turf burn, turf toe, and different lower-body accidents. To not point out the pellets used in turf are thought to be not exactly the healthiest thing. Now, there’s much more cause to hate it… It is perhaps one of many many elements that contribute to a participant struggling a concussion.

A current examine from the College of Hawaii regarded into the hyperlink between concussions and taking part in discipline sort. First noted by Derek Saul at Forbes, the examine titled Impression Pressure Variations on Pure Grass Versus Artificial Turf Soccer Fields investigated deceleration impression between taking part in surfaces, discovering that the impression was “considerably larger” on turf than pure grass.

Right here’s Saul’s summation of the examine:

“Researchers strapped a soccer helmet and sensors to a life-like model and dropped the model on its entrance, again and facet a complete of 1,710 on 10 totally different grass fields and 9 turf fields, measuring the autumn’s impression with sensor knowledge.”

Speedy head motion could cause the mind to basically bodily rattle contained in the skull, and the faster the top decelerates, the extra pressure it experiences, elevating the chance of concussion. Grass, ostensibly, gives a floor that serves as a softer cushion with a extra gradual deceleration upon floor contact.

Clearly, elements particular to the play and sort out are of significance, and discipline sort is much from a silver bullet resolution to the NFL’s concussion downside.

Concussion examine provides to the discourse on concussions within the NFL

In Week 3, Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered what regarded like a concussion and was permitted to come back again in the identical sport. He performed once more in Week 4 and left that sport on a stretcher, spending just a few hours within the hospital that evening after struggling one other head harm.

Whereas the timing is happenstance provided that research like this take loads of time and analysis to place collectively and write on findings, it couldn’t have come at a extra fortuitous time with the league and NFLPA working collectively to fortify its concussion protocol.

Any additional knowledge and knowledge on what might shield gamers from critical head trauma is necessary to contemplate.

Will the NFL ever mandate grass? No, except the danger of head trauma is introduced down to almost zero by the change, most likely not. The reasoning is pure effectivity. For many indoor stadiums — exceptions being for locations like State Farm Stadium which has a singular multi-million greenback roll-out system to develop grass outdoors and roll it inside — pure grass is solely impractical. An identical difficulty exists for cold-weather, out of doors stadiums the place grass turns into extremely tough to maintain as much as par within the winter months. That’s why groups just like the Payments and Patriots use turf.

 What NFL fields are pure grass?

In 2022, these groups have pure grass at their house discipline:

• Arizona Cardinals
• Baltimore Ravens
• Chicago Bears
• Cleveland Browns
• Denver Broncos
• Jacksonville Jaguars
• Kansas Metropolis Chiefs
• Las Vegas Raiders
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Tennessee Titans
• Washington Commanders
• Pittsburgh Steelers

The video games performed at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London this yr are performed on Turf. Whereas the Spurs play on grass, turf is saved beneath the sphere and brought up via an impressive mechanical transformation.