NFLPA head says 92% of players prefer playing on grass

The San Francisco 49ers’ issues with their practice fields at the Super Bowl gave the NFL Players Association an opportunity to highlight players’ desire for grass fields across the league.

NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell emphasized the importance of installing grass fields, discussed modifications to the league’s gambling policy, dismissed consideration to eliminate the hip-drop tackle, and more in his first state of the union address since moving into the role eight months ago.

“The one issue where there was unanimous commentary was, ‘At the end of the day, I want to play on the highest quality grass surface,'” Howell said Wednesday in a nearly 90-minute news conference inside the Mandalay Bay Convention Center.

An NFLPA survey revealed that 92% of players prefer to play on high-quality grass, 6% percent were indifferent between grass and synthetic turf, and most of the 2% who prefer synthetic turf are kickers.

“Grass fields have a lower injury rate,” Howell said. “A difference in what kind of chronic pain they’ll be in for the rest of their lives.”

Of the 30 stadiums used by the NFL’s 32 teams, 15 have artificial turf and 15 have grass or hybrid grass, which is natural turf reinforced with synthetic fibers. The league doesn’t have a specific regulation on the type of surfaces teams use and there are various types of each.

The argument for grass is that it’s softer and prevents injuries. The NFL has defended the use of artificial turf, pointing to 2021 when the numbers for injuries on both surfaces were close.

“Turf has stayed relatively consistent at an injury rate over the last decade,” NFLPA president JC Tretter said. “Grass this year has its highest injury rate over the last decade, but it was still lower than the injury rate on turf. So, the worst performing year on grass is still better than turf this year.”

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Publish date : 2024-02-08 14:18:53

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