The two main reasons are player comfort and the stability of the blades. In addition to the elastic base layer, the infill ensures the pitch has good absorption and traction properties. The risk of injury is reduced. Depending on the infill, the rolling and bouncing properties of the ball are comparable to those of a natural turf pitch in good condition. The infill ensures that the turf carpet always stands upright and lies evenly even under high loads and that it does not become flat in the stress zones (such as the goal area or the centre circle), preventing proper play.

There are different types of infill: A sand-only infill is the cheapest type and the simplest from a technical perspective. However, a pitch filled with sand does not offer the same playing comfort as a pitch filled with cork or granules. Both are applied to the sand layer. The advantage of cork: It offers much more suspension comfort than a pitch filled with sand alone. However, cork is a very light material, which can float during heavy rain and must then be put back into place. Polytan prevents this floating with a certain weave of the carpet blade. Texturing simply means a crimping of the blades, which act like a kind of net and curb the floating of the cork. The third infill option is rubber granules. The pitch is structured in the same way as a system filled with sand or sand and cork, i.e. an elastic, water-permeable layer on a gravel/grit mixture on which the turf carpet is then laid. Here, too, a sand layer is filled first, onto which the granulate is then spread.

The advantage of modern rubber granulate lies in its properties. It is relatively heavy, so it cannot float or be blown away even in very heavy rain. There is also its special shape, which prevents discharge. Polytan’s latest granulate, Fusion GT, consists of 70 percent natural raw materials such as hemp and chalk and 30 percent synthetic rubber. Another advantage: You only need a mere two kilograms per square metre.

The following applies to all granules on Polytan pitches: If something does end up being discharged from the pitch, it can be swept up and either re-spread or disposed of. Although 70% of the granules are made from natural raw materials and are absolutely non-toxic, they are considered to be microplastics by law. Whatever infill material our customers choose, with modern structural measures, we can protect the environment and create maximum play comfort. With our innovative filter systems, such as the Hauraton channel, we are able to reduce the discharge of granules into the environment to almost zero. It is also possible to replace the granulate without having to replace the entire pitch.

Hockey pitches generally do not require an infill. The turf is more tightly woven and much shorter than football pitches and is therefore tailored to the requirements of the sport. Polytan now also offers football turf with little or no infill.