Standards for Synthetic Turf Sports Surfaces
Why are standards important?
Standards are fundamental to the design, manufacture, installation, testing and maintenance of synthetic turf sports surfaces. They ensure that surfaces are safe, perform consistently, are durable, and meet the expectations of players, facility owners and sports’ governing bodies.
Standards allow sports’ governing bodies to define how the surfaces used in their competitions should perform, ensuring the outcome of a match is determined by player skill more than by differences in the playing surface.
Standards provide consultants and owners with measurable acceptance criteria during procurement. Because products are assessed using the same methods, consumers can compare different turf systems using objective data rather than marketing claims.
What type of standards are set?
Setting standards for synthetic turf sports surfaces is a well-established methodology; first established by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) in the mid-1980s. Today two types of standards are generally set.
Product standards
Product standards assess the synthetic turf system itself before it is placed on the market to ensure it has suitable sports performance, player welfare properties, durability and environmental compatibility.
Field standards
Field standards specify how the installed synthetic turf surface must perform. Facilities are tested periodically through their service life to ensure they are still performing as required.
Both product and field standards are generally based on performance. The standards specify how a turf system, or facility must perform, rather than prescribing how it should be designed or what materials it must contain.
Who sets standards for synthetic turf sports surfaces?
Sports Governing Bodies
At the international level, standards are set by a number of international sports federations and compliance is often mandated through their sporting and competition regulations. International sports’ federations setting standards for synthetic turf sports surfaces include:
European Standards (EN)
For community sports and training activities, that fall outside of the scope of sports’ federation standards, there are European Standards. These are developed by CEN.
CEN TC 217
Surfaces for Sports Areas
Developing a New Standard
The development of a new standard is undertaken in stages. They are:
New Work Item (NWI) Approval
A proposal is submitted (by a member, the European Commission, or a TC). CEN members are balloted to see if they support the development of a new Standard.
Drafting Stage (Working Draft – WD)
Experts draft the initial text. Multiple iterations may occur. This stage ends when the Technical Committee agrees the draft is ready for wider consultation. At this point the standard becomes a prEN – pre-norm).
Enquiry Stage (Public Consultation) – CEN Enquiry
Comment Resolution & Preparation of Final Draft (FprEN)
Formal Vote
What European Standards apply to synthetic turf sports surfaces?
CEN/TC 217 maintains over 30 active standards, many are test methods that are used across multiple surface types. The Standards published by CEN TC 217 also refer to other test methods developed by other CEN TCs or by the International Standards Organisation (ISO).
Product Standards
| Standard Number | Title | Publication Date |
|---|---|---|
| EN 15330-1 | Surfaces for sports areas - Synthetic turf and needle-punched surfaces primarily designed for outdoor use - Part 1: Specification for synthetic turf surfaces for football, hockey, rugby union training, tennis and multi-sports use | 2013 (currently being revised) |
| EN 15330-2 | Surfaces for sports areas - Synthetic turf and needle-punched surfaces primarily designed for outdoor use - Part 2: Specification for needle-punched surfaces | 2017 |
| EN 15330-5 | Surfaces for sport areas - Synthetic turf and textile sports surfaces - Part 5: Specification for infill materials | 2025 |
| prEN 15330-6 | Surfaces for sports areas - Synthetic turf sports surfaces - Part 6: Specification for synthetic turf carpets | Currently under development |
Test Methods
| Standard Number | Title | Publication Date |
|---|---|---|
| EN 933-1 | Tests for geometrical properties of aggregates — Part 1: Determination of particle size distribution — Sieving method | 2020 |
| EN 1097-3 | Tests for mechanical and physical properties of aggregates — Part 3: Determination of loose bulk density and voids | 1998 |
| EN 1969 | Surfaces for sports areas - Determination of thickness of synthetic sports surfaces | 2000 |
| EN 12229 | Surfaces for sports areas - Procedure for the preparation of synthetic turf and needle-punch test pieces | 2014 |
| EN 12228 | Surfaces for sports areas - Determination of joint strength of synthetic surfaces | 2013 |
| EN 12230 | Surfaces for sports areas - Test method for the determination of tensile properties of synthetic sports surfaces | 2023 |
| EN 12234 | Surfaces for sports areas - Determination of ball roll behaviour | 2013 |
| EN 12235 | Surfaces for sports areas — Determination of vertical ball behaviour | 2013 |
| EN 12616 | Surfaces for sports areas — Determination of water infiltration rate | 2023 |
| EN 13672 | Surfaces for sports areas - Determination of resistance to abrasion of non-filled synthetic turf | 2004 |
| EN 13865 | Surfaces for sports areas - Determination of angled ball behaviour - Tennis | 2017 |
| EN 14808 | Surfaces for sports areas — Determination of shock absorption | 2005 |
| EN 14809 | Surfaces for sports areas — Determination of vertical deformation | 2005 |
| EN 14836 | Surfaces for sports areas - Synthetic surfaces for outdoor sports areas - Test method for artificial weathering | 2018 |
| EN 14955 | Surfaces for sports areas — Determination of composition and particle shape of unbound mineral surfaces for outdoor sports areas | 2005 |
| EN 15301-1 | Surfaces for sports areas — Part 1: Determination of rotational resistance | 2007 |
| EN 15306 | Surfaces for outdoor sports areas - Exposure of synthetic turf to simulated wear | 2014 |
| EN 16837 | Surfaces for sports areas - Determination of linear shoe/surface friction | 2018 |
| EN 17326 | Surfaces for sports areas - Determination of dimensional stability of shock pads used within sports systems | 2020 |
| EN 17435 | Surfaces for sports areas - Test method for the determination of Head Injury Criterion (HIC) and Critical Fall Height (CFH) | 2021 |
| EN 17467 | Surfaces for sports areas - Test method for the determination of the residual deformation of synthetic or organic infill granules after static load | 2022 |
| CEN/TS 16717 | Surface for sports areas - Method of test for the determination of shock absorption, vertical deformation and energy restitution using the advanced artificial athlete | 2015 |
| EN 20105-A02 | Textiles — Tests for colour fastness — Part A02: Grey scale for assessing change in colour (ISO 105-A02) | 2010 |
| ISO 1763 | Carpets — Determination of number of tufts and/or loops per unit length and per unit area | 2020 |
| ISO 2549 | Textile floor coverings — Hand-knotted carpets — Determination of tuft leg length above the woven ground | 1972 |
| ISO 4919 | Carpets — Determination of tuft withdrawal force | 2012 |
| ISO 854 | Textile floor coverings — Methods for determination of mass | 2020 |
| ISO 11357-3 | Plastics — Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) — Part 3: Determination of temperature and enthalpy of melting and crystallization | 2026 |
FAQs
What languages are EN standards available in?
EN standards are published by CEN in English. If a national standards body wishes it can translate the document into its native language, but it cannot make any technical changes to the content.
Where can I buy EN Standards?
EN Standards may be purchased from any EN member national standards body. In addition, some international standard bodies (e.g. ASTM in the USA) sell selected standards that are of interest to their local market.
How long do EN standards remain valid?
Unless there is a specific request, a published EN remains valid for five years from the date of publication. At that point CEN members are balloted to see if the standard can be reconfirmed for another five-year period, should be reviewed and updated, or is no longer required and can be withdrawn.