NFL cites player safety in plan to improve playing surfaces at all stadiums.
NEWNow you can listen to News articles!
As the debate over NFL playing surfaces continues, the league unveiled a plan that aims to bring more consistency to all stadiums.
The new improved standards will need to be met by 2028, according to the NFL, and will be established through laboratory and field testing.
NFL Field Director Nick Pappas shared some details about plans for the program’s launch.
Each team will receive “a library of approved and accredited NFL fields” before the 2026 season begins. Any new fields will have to immediately meet those standards, and all teams will have two years to reach them. Both grass and synthetic turf fields will be subject to the new rules.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON News
The NFL logo on the field at SoFi Stadium on November 25, 2024, in Inglewood, California. (Kirby Lee/magn Images)
Most artificial surfaces are replaced every two to three years, Pappas said. Natural fields may have a shorter period of use and are often replaced multiple times during a single season.
2025 NFL BUZZ WEEK 14: COMMANDERS RECALL QB JAYDEN DANIELS VS. VIKINGS
Pappas added that the fields will have undergone extensive testing and been approved by a joint committee with the NFLPA.
“It’s kind of a red, yellow and green effect, where we’re obviously trying to phase out fields that we’ve determined are less ideal than newer fields coming into the industry,” he said.
The Las Vegas Raiders logo at midfield at Allegiant Stadium on October 27, 2024, in Paradise, Nevada. (Kirby Lee/Image Images)
“This is a big step for us. This is something that I think has been a great result of the work of the Joint Surfaces Committee, the implementation and development of devices that determine the appropriate metrics and ultimately give us a way to corroborate the quality of the fields more than ever in the past.”
Pappas said the fields have been tested in laboratories and on site using two main tools. One is called BEAST, which is a tensile testing device that replicates the movements of an NFL player. The other is called STRIKE Impact Tester, which helps determine the firmness of each field.
The grass field for a preseason game between the New Orleans Saints and the Denver Broncos at Caesars Superdome on August 23, 2025 in New Orleans. (Derick E. Hingle/Getty Images)
The league’s goal is to find fields that are as consistent as possible across all 30 NFL stadiums and in each stadium throughout the season. Pappas said the “key pillars” of a course are optimized playability, injury risk reduction and player feedback.
The NFL has no plans to require natural grass fields. The league’s chief medical officer, Dr. Allen Sills, said there are no “statistically significant differences” in lower extremity injuries or concussions that can be attributed to the type of playing surface or a specific surface despite widespread player preferences for grass fields and complaints about surfaces like the one at MetLife Stadium, where the New York Giants and Jets play.
“Surfacing is only one cause of these lower extremity injuries,” Sills said. “There are many other factors, including player load, previous history and fatigue, positional adaptability and cleats used. So surfaces are one component, but it’s a complex equation.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE News APP
The natural grass field for the upcoming Super Bowl at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, has been growing on a grass farm located a couple of hours east of the Bay Area.
The News contributed to this report.
Follow News Digital sports coverage in Xand subscribe to the News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Chantz Martin is a sports writer for News Digital.