Injuries are one of the toughest parts of sports. While they are an inevitability for athletes pushing their bodies to the physical limit, nothing is more disheartening than seeing a player go down with a serious injury in the middle of a game. One important factor to consider is the playing surface, and repeated injuries on artificial turf have raised concerns about its safety for athletes.
Sept. 28, New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers suffered a torn ACL during a game played at MetLife Stadium, which utilizes an artificial turf field. MetLife Stadium’s playing surface has been relentlessly scrutinized for its lack of safety after a number of NFL players suffered detrimental injuries while playing on the field.
Following Nabers’ injury, former Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. begged the NFL to get rid of turf fields. “[MetLife Stadium] has taken too many talented players away from the game,” Beckham wrote in a post on X. Beckham has suffered two ACL tears during his career, both of which occurred while playing on turf.
The primary concern with artificial playing surfaces is the added strain they place on an athlete’s lower body. Turf is a much harder surface that restricts natural leg movement when an athlete plants their foot. Instead of offering any leeway, the ground pushes back completely and forces the joints to absorb the full force of the movement. Under extreme stress, this can lead to serious injuries such as ACL or Achilles tears as the joint succumbs to the pressure.
Grass surfaces are far more forgiving to the sudden, explosive movements performed by athletes in any sport. The dirt allows the foot to dig in, absorbing some of the impact and reducing stress on the lower body.
A 2018 study further emphasized the risk of playing any sport on turf. The study analyzed over 4,800 lower-body injuries to NFL players between 2012-2016 and concluded that “higher rates of lower extremity injury occurred on synthetic turf than on natural turf.”
It is unreasonable to think that the risk of injury would be eliminated entirely if sports were played on grass fields; however, the data clearly highlight how playing on turf significantly increases that risk.
UMass Boston has recently started a renovation of the softball field, tearing down the old field with plans of installing a new turf surface.
Artificial surfaces can be beneficial given their durability, consistency, and low maintenance, which can be especially appealing in regions with poor weather conditions, like the Northeast. However, its convenience should not come at the expense of athlete safety.
There’s a duty for stadium operators, athletic departments, and league officials across amateur and professional sports to minimize the risk of injury for athletes — and that starts with installing the proper playing surface. Too many athletes have fallen victim to the dangers of turf fields, and now is the time to ditch artificial surfaces for good.
