Artificial turf, curse or blessing?

Artificial turf, some love it, others hate it.

But why is that? We all know it and, depending on the club, league and state, have had experiences with artificial turf. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. Personally, I have had a lot of good experiences with artificial turf. That's probably because I trained on artificial turf for the longest time.

But what are the advantages?

Everyone knows it: the grass or dirt pitch has not been properly maintained or watered, or the goalkeepers from your club spend most of their time in the 5-meter area. This means that this area quickly becomes a sandy, usually rock-hard and uneven patch. How often do the balls bounce around wildly in the 5-meter area? How often have you conceded a goal and pushed it onto the pitch? It is very unlikely that something like this will happen to you on artificial turf.

So the perfect goalkeeper surface?

Not really. Even though we have some advantages over traditional grass, we have at least as many disadvantages. Have you ever trained intensively on artificial grass? I can tell you that it can be quite painful if you don't protect yourself and dress properly. There is also a lot of wear and tear. Jerseys, shorts, socks and especially gloves only last a fraction of the time they do on normal grass. After a few saves on artificial grass, the inside of the ball is almost black. This is mainly due to the friction with the rubber particles that are added to the artificial grass. This means that a lot of grip is quickly lost.

Gloves specifically for artificial turf?

We advise against this. Why? Well, these gloves last a little longer but offer almost no grip. What is the point if your gloves wear less but offer minimal grip?

Is all artificial turf the same?

Definitely not. I have already been able to train on the artificial turf of SV Werder Bremen and I can tell you that it is no comparison to the artificial turf of the local club. There are huge differences in quality. The artificial turf in question was really soft and comfortable to play on. But I have also played on turf that felt like a concrete surface with carpet on top. So you can say that not all artificial turf is the same.

But what if I can only play on artificial turf?

We goalkeepers have to protect ourselves especially in this case. It is important to wear sturdy clothing with enough padding. Goalkeeper trousers in particular should be chosen carefully. Thick padding on the knees and hips is ideal. I would recommend that all goalkeepers who prefer to play in shorts wear padded underpants. Otherwise it can quickly become very painful. Goalkeeper gloves also require special care. They get dirty quickly and it is strongly recommended that you wash them after every training session or game. They should also always be moistened to minimize abrasion.

So, I hope you enjoyed my little insight into the world of artificial turf. I'm sure you'll find yourself in many of the same situations. Have you had similar experiences? We'd be very happy to hear your comments. If you want to discuss more of these topics, let us know!