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Like the NFL debate playing surfaces Ongoing, the league has unveiled a plan that aims to bring greater consistency across all stadiums.
The new expanded standards must be met by 2028, according to NFL, and will be established through laboratory and field testing.
Nick Pappas, NFL field director, shared some details about plans to roll out the program.
Each team will be provided with a “library of approved and accredited NFL fields” before the start of the 2026 season. Any new field would have to meet these standards immediately, and all teams would have two years to achieve them. Grass and synthetic turf fields will be subject to the new standards.
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The NFL logo is seen on the field at SoFi Stadium on November 25, 2024 in Inglewood, California. (Kirby Lee/Magnet Images)
Majority artificial surfaces are replaced every two or three years, Pappas said. Natural fields may have a shorter lifespan and are often replaced several times during a single season.
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Pappas added that the fields will undergo extensive testing and be 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 deposits that we think are less ideal than the new deposits coming into the industry,” he said.
The Las Vegas Raiders logo is seen in center field at Allegiant Stadium on October 27, 2024 in Paradise, Nevada. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)
“This is a big step for us. I believe this is a great result of the work of the Joint Surface Committee, the deployment and development of devices that measure relevant metrics and ultimately provide us with the ability to substantiate field quality more accurately than ever before.”
Pappas said the fields were tested in labs and in the field using two main tools. One of them is called BEAST, which is a traction testing device that mimics the movements of an NFL player. The other is called the STRIKE impact tester and helps determine the hardness of each pitch.
The turf field for the preseason game between the New Orleans Saints and Denver Broncos at the Caesars Superdome on August 23, 2025 in New Orleans. (Derik E. Hingle/Getty Images)
The league's goal is to find fields that are as consistent as possible across all 30 NFL stadiums and at each stadium throughout the season. Pappas said the “key pillars” of the course are optimizing playability, reducing the risk of injury and providing feedback to players.
The NFL has no plans to require natural grass fields. The league's chief medical officer, Dr. Allen Sills, said there were no “statistically significant differences” in lower extremity injuries or concussions that could be attributed to the type of playing surface or the specific surface, despite widespread player preference for grass fields and complaints about surfaces such as those at MetLife Stadium, where the New York Giants and Jets play.
“The surface is just one cause of lower extremity injuries,” Sills said. “There are many other factors, including player load, previous history and fatigue, positional adaptation and worn studs. So surfaces are a component, but it's a complex equation.”
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Natural grass field for the upcoming Super Bowl in Levi Stadium in Santa Clara, California, growing on a sod farm a couple of hours east of the Bay Area.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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