Something that we should all be made aware of, especially those who will be playing on artificial turf playing fields, is that there are still some hazards lurking on the pitch. The whole reason for many playing field owners making the decision to convert their fields to artificial turf is because of the treacherous footing that can occur deep into winter after weeks of heavy rain.
In some cases the fields have become completely unplayable with most grounds simply an ankle injury just waiting to happen. But without proper artificial turf maintenance, a synthetic turf field could also be hiding some unpleasant surprises for unwary athletes.
Two of the possible dangers involve the compression of the artificial grass fibers and the shifting nature of the crumb rubber infill. Both of these factors can result in uneven footing or slippery footing or a little bit of both. If the proper maintenance procedures have not been carried out then there is a possibility that the turf surface is no longer at its best.
Compressed grass fibers and uneven infill are both quite commonly occurring phenomena with artificial turf fields. With a lot of traffic using the playing field and high speed collisions taking place on a regular occasion the infill can take a real battering. When that happens it can be piled up in clumps causing some mounding to take place. Regular maintenance with a groomer will solve this problem with the groomer sweeping the infill back into even place again. At the same time the groomer will fluff the grass fibers up again relieving the surface of any compression that was taking place.
As long as the owners of the artificial turf playing fields are doing their job on a regular basis there should be little to worry about in terms of the possible surface traps that may be lurking. Just like natural grass a synthetic grass field must be cared for if it is to be kept looking good and performing well.