This survey was conducted by the NFLPA at team meetings during September through November 2010.
A total of 1619 active NFL Players from all 32 teams voluntarily filled out survey forms.
Which surface do you think is more likely to contribute to injury?
Grass 15.9%
Artificial Infilled 82.4%
Which surface do you think causes more soreness and fatigue to play on?
Grass 9.2%
Artificial Infilled 89.1%
Which surface do you think is more likely to shorten your career?
Grass 7.6%
Artificial Infilled 89.7%
RANKING: BEST GRASS PLAYING FIELD
1
ARIZONA CARDINALS:UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX STADIUM
2
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS: RAYMOND JAMES STADIUM
3
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS: QUALCOMM STADIUM
4
CAROLINA PANTHERS: BANK OF AMERICA STADIUM
5
GREEN BAY PACKERS: LAMBEAU FIELD
6
MIAMI DOLPHINS: SUN LIFE STADIUM
7
HOUSTON TEXANS: RELIANT STADIUM
8
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS: EVERBANK FIELD
9
DENVER BRONCOS: INVESCO FIELD AT MILE HIGH
10
TENNESSEE TITANS: LP FIELD
11
WASHINGTON REDSKINS: FEDEX FIELD
12
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS: CANDLESTICK PARK
13
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS: ARROWHEAD STADIUM
14
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES: LINCOLN FINANCIAL FIELD
15
PITTSBURGH STEELERS: HEINZ FIELD
16
CLEVELAND BROWNS: CLEVELAND BROWNS STADIUM
17
CHICAGO BEARS: SOLDIER FIELD
18
OAKLAND RAIDERS: OAKLAND COLISEUM
RANKING: WORST GRASS PLAYING FIELD
1
PITTSBURGH STEELERS: HEINZ FIELD
2
OAKLAND RAIDERS: OAKLAND COLISEUM
3
CHICAGO BEARS: SOLDIER FIELD
4
MIAMI DOLPHINS: SUN LIFE STADIUM
5
CLEVELAND BROWNS: CLEVELAND BROWN STADIUM
6
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES: LINCOLN FINANCIAL FIELD
7
GREEN BAY PACKERS: LAMBEAU FIELD
8
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS: ARROWHEAD STADIUM
9
TENNESSEE TITANS: LP FIELD
9
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS: CANDLESTICK PARK
11
HOUSTON TEXANS: RELIANT STADIUM
12
CAROLINA PANTHERS: BANK OF AMERICA STADIUM
13
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS: EVERBANK FIELD
14
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS: RAYMOND JAMES STADIUM
15
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS: QUALCOMM STADIUM
16
WASHINGTON REDSKINS: FEDEX FIELD
17
DENVER BRONCOS: INVESCO FIELD AT MILE HIGH
18
ARIZONA CARDINALS: UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX STADIUM
RANKING: BEST ARTIFICIAL INFILLED PLAYING FIELD
1
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS: LUCAS OIL STADIUM
2
NEW YORK JETS/GIANTS: NEW MEADOWLANDS STADIUM
3
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS: LOUISIANA SUPERDOME
4
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS: QWEST FIELD
5
DALLAS COWBOYS: COWBOYS STADIUM
6
ATLANTA FALCONS: GEORGIA DOME
7
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: GILLETTE STADIUM
8
DETROIT LIONS: FORD FIELD
8
BALTIMORE RAVENS: M&T BANK STADIUM
9
ST.LOUIS RAMS: EDWARD JONES DOME
10
CINCINNATI BENGALS: PAUL BROWN STADIUM
11
MINNESOTA VIKINGS: METRODOME
12
BUFFALO BILLS: RALPH WILSON STADIUM
RANKING: WORST ARTIFICIAL INFILLED PLAYING FIELD
1
MINNESOTA VIKINGS: METRODOME
2
BUFFALO BILLS: RALPH WILSON STADIUM
3
ST. LOUIS RAMS: EDWARD JONES DOME
4
CINCINNATI BENGALS: PAUL BROWN STADIUM
5
NEW YORK JETS/GIANTS: NEW MEADOWLANDS STADIUM
6
ATLANTA FALCONS: GEORIGA DOME
7
DETROIT LIONS: FORD FIELD
8
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS: LOUISIANA SUPERDOME
9
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: GILLETTE STADIUM
10
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS: LUCAS OIL STADIUM
11
BALTIMORE RAVENS: M&T BANK STADIUM
12
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS: QWEST FIELD
13
DALLAS COWBOYS: COWBOYS STADIUM
What type of field do you prefer to play on?
Grass 69.4%
Artificial Infilled 14.3%
No preference 9%
How significant a role do you believe NFL grounds keepers play in the performance of NFL grass playing surfaces?
75% say “very significant”
How significant a role do you believe NFL grounds keepers play in the performance of NFL artificial infilled playing surfaces?
23.7% say “very significant”
How much do you value your grounds crew’s work on your practice fields?
73.3% say “strongly value”
Most re-occurring comments
Artificial Turf is much harder on the body with joint soreness and makes for tougher work. Southern grass fields are the best.
Fields that are used for baseball and football leave hard infield that is difficult to play on. When you have one foot on grass
and one in hard dirt, injuries are bound to happen.
If it’s grass, enough of the high schools, colleges and concerts playing on it the day before. If it’s a cold weather grass field, these fields
are battered to heck. The grounds crew can only do so much.
We need a league wide standard/regulation policy for every field if the NFL really cares about the safety of all players.
No baseball or half grass/half dirt infields.
Suggested changes for improvement
Artificial surfaces should be required in cold weather cities.
We need better practice fields. Level and eliminate holes, divots and uneven ground.
Cold weather grass teams should have road trips late in the season to avoid playing on frozen surfaces. There should be no games
played on grass fields the same weekend as another event.
Even dispersement of rubber material is needed, specifically comfortable give in twists and turns and level in height with no bumps.
Every stadium should be evaluated properly every week prior to game day.
If it’s a multi-purpose stadium, mandate that it’s artificial. If only one team used by the NFL, then it can be grass. Force Chicago and
Pittsburgh to go turf.
More time and money need to be spent on the fields. College surfaces are better.
Use softer bermuda grass with sand.
No more non updated artificial turf that is hard and over filled with ground up rubber and cheap top layer grass that you can pull off like a
cheap toupee like Kansas City.