Knowledge Center

Sports field managers are consistently challenged to provide safe, playable athletic fields for their athletes. In addition, maintaining a safe work environment and safe sports facility is equally important for employees and the public. The following public resources can be used to help you take safety precautions at your facility. SFMA offers its members a wide variety of resources pertaining to field management for safe surfaces in the Members Only section of the website.

SFMA Bulletins:

• Injury Research Review – Natural Grass and Synthetic Turf Playing Surfaces
• Improving Field Safety for Athletes
• Sports Field Safety Football/Soccer Safety and Maintenance Checklist
• Sports Field Safety Baseball/Softball Safety and Maintenance Checklist
• Lightning Safety at Your Sports Facility
• Field Hardness Testing

University Resources:

• How to Measure and Manage Surface Hardness on Natural Turf Athletic Fields – Penn State’s Center for Sports Surface Research
• How to Measure and Manage Surface Hardness on Synthetic Turf Athletic Fields – Penn State’s Center for Sports Surface Research
• Turfgrass Management, Athletic Field Conditions, and Injuries in High School Football – Penn State University
• Synthetic Turf Injury Studies – Penn State University
• Synthetic Turf Health and Environmental Impacts – Penn State University
• Synthetic Turf Surface Temperature – Penn State University
• Survival of Staphylococcus aureus on Synthetic Turf – Penn State Univeristy
• Evaluation of Playing Surface Characteristics of Various Infilled Systems – Penn State University
• Surface Temperature of Synthetic Turf – Penn State University
• Understanding Gmax – Penn State University
• Sports Turf Injury Research – Penn State University
• Synthetic Turf and Staph Infections – Cause for Concern? – Penn State University

Websites:

• OSHA
• CDC
• NFL – Play Smart, Play Safe
• USA Football – Heads Up Football
• PBS Documentary – Football High