When it comes to artificial football pitches there has been a huge amount of innovation over the years. You may have heard of pitches referred to as 2G, 3G or even 4G or 5G. What does this mean and what is the difference?

‘what is a 5g pitch ’ refers to the generation of the technology. The first generation of pitches were non-infilled astroturf surfaces and the second generation utilised a mixture of sand and rubber crumb infill to help replicate grass characteristics and cushion players falls. This type of surface became very popular for hockey and multi-use games areas allowing a variety of sports to be played on the same pitch.

Kicking It Up a Notch: How 5G is Transforming Football Pitches

Third generation pitches utilise the same rubber granules as second generation but with a much longer pile height of between 40-60mm and this is what most football clubs would choose to use. The longer strands of the synthetic turf help to replicate the look and feel of natural grass and also helps with ball performance as the surface allows the ball to roll faster than grass – meaning the play is technically better on 3G surfaces.

As well as having the advantages above, 3G football pitches can be used in a lot more weather conditions than grass and this has helped clubs to train and play in all sorts of weather – leading to fewer postponements. If you’re looking at developing a 3G pitch or already have one and are considering maximising income generation from your facility by hiring it out, then check out Bookteq, our own booking platform for sports facilities.