The latest FIFA Football Turf Standard marks a decisive turning point for professional football surfaces.
Since its release in 2024, the standard has begun to move from documentation into real-world application—revealing a clear gap between theoretical compliance and proven, on-field performance. As of 2025, only a limited number of projects worldwide have successfully delivered pitches that fully meet the new system-based requirements under match and usage conditions.
Rather than refining isolated performance indicators, the new framework redefines football turf as a measurable, repeatable, and safety-driven system—where long-term behavior, installation accuracy, and system integration are as critical as individual product specifications.
Below, we break down the most important upgrades in a clear and practical way—before explaining the key technical mechanisms behind each change and what they mean for clubs, municipalities, and project stakeholders planning future-compliant football facilities.
Modern FIFA-compliant football field illustrating upgraded turf system for player safety and consistent performance
Standard Upgrade 1: Quantified Shock Absorption, System-Level Protection
In the past, shock absorption was often regarded as a general comfort feature. Under the new FIFA standard, it is redefined as a precisely controlled safety function. The elastic layer beneath the turf is no longer a “soft layer by experience” but a measurable energy management system engineered to deliver consistent and reliable player protection across the entire field.
Key technical points
1. Shock absorption and vertical deformation are now strictly evaluated using EN 15330-4
2. Both parameters must remain within defined quantitative ranges
3. The turf system must demonstrate stable behavior under repeated load cycles
4. As a result, player protection is no longer subjective—it is engineered, tested, and reproducible.
Standard Upgrade 2: Dynamic Testing, Building a Data Profile of Performance
Football is inherently dynamic—players sprint, decelerate abruptly, jump, collide, and fall throughout a match. The new FIFA standard recognizes that static measurements alone cannot adequately represent these real match conditions. As a result, testing now places greater emphasis on dynamic load behavior, translating the previously subjective “feel underfoot” into objective, measurable performance data.
Key technical points
1. Advanced Artificial Athlete devices apply dynamic impact loads of up to 2,000 N
2. Load curves simulate realistic movements such as acceleration, deceleration, and landing
3. Performance evaluation shifts from static values to dynamic response profiling
4. This approach creates an authoritative data model for surface behavior—bridging the gap between laboratory testing and real match performance.
Standard Upgrade 3: Durability at the Extreme, Performance as a Baseline
Elite football fields are expected to perform consistently—not only when newly installed, but also after prolonged and intensive use. For this reason, FIFA has significantly raised durability requirements, ensuring that top-level pitches maintain stable performance characteristics even under extreme wear conditions.
Key technical points
1. For FIFA Quality Pro, surface wear testing has been unified at 6,000 Lisport XL cycles
2. Performance parameters must remain compliant after wear, not only before
3. The test evaluates the entire structural system:
Fiber resilience
Tuft density
Backing and bonding integrity
Durability is no longer a bonus—it is the foundation of professional certification.
Standard Upgrade 4: Comprehensive Safety, Including Head Injury Protection
Player safety is no longer limited to joints and muscles. The new standard explicitly addresses head injury risk, reflecting the growing global focus on concussion prevention. This represents one of the most significant conceptual shifts in the history of FIFA's football turf certification framework.
Key technical points:
1. Introduction of Head Injury Criterion (HIC) / Critical Fall Height (CFH) testing
2. Based on EN 17435 Method A
3. Certified systems must achieve:
HIC ≤ 1000
CFH ≥ 0.60 m
Testing is conducted before and after wear, under dry and wet conditions
Safety protection now extends to every critical point of player impact, including high-energy falls.
What the New FIFA Standard Means for Your Projects
The new FIFA football turf standard goes beyond simply raising technical requirements—it fundamentally transforms how professional football pitches are specified, delivered, and evaluated. For clubs, municipalities, and project developers, compliance is no longer determined by a single product certification but by the ability of an entire system to perform safely, consistently, and predictably over its lifetime. This shift moves decision-making from isolated product selection to integrated system design, long-term performance assurance, and verifiable safety outcomes. While fewer suppliers may meet the new requirements, projects that do achieve compliance offer significantly higher confidence in player safety, durability, and operational reliability.
Integrated FIFA-compliant football turf system demonstrating consistent performance, safety, and long-term reliability
Under the new FIFA standard, compliance is no longer about individual certified products but about how all components perform together as a complete system—from turf fibers and infill to elastic layers, sub-base, and installation. This shift introduces several key requirements:
Integrated System Design: Success depends on coordination between materials, lab testing, and on-site construction. Our company provides a fully engineered solution covering every component, ensuring seamless system performance.
Lifecycle Performance: Stricter wear testing and post-use verification emphasize long-term durability. With our system, clients enjoy predictable field performance and reduced risk of early degradation.
Measurable Safety Assurance: FIFA now requires quantifiable impact and head injury risk evaluation. Our solutions meet these standards, offering data-backed safety benchmarks and confidence for players and decision-makers alike.
Delivering a Fully Integrated FIFA-Compliant Solution
CGT's capability is best demonstrated through real-world results. The Campo de Fútbol de Balsicas project in Spain stands as a landmark achievement, having successfully attained FIFA Quality Pro certification under TM-Football-Turf-2024. This project represents a global milestone: CGT became the first Asian company to manufacture and deliver a FIFA Quality Pro pitch under the new framework, and this installation is the first in the European Economic Community and only the second worldwide to be validated in an actual application. The pitch was independently tested and certified by IGOID Group (Spain), a globally recognized authority in sports surface research, providing rigorous, science-based verification of performance, safety, and compliance at the highest professional level.
CGT FIFA Quality Pro pitch, Balsicas, Spain – TM-Football-Turf-2024, certified for safety and performance
CGT SUPREMO60 – Cutting-Edge FIFA 2024 System
CGT's SUPREMO60 system represents the latest advancement in FIFA-compliant turf, designed specifically to meet FIFA 2024 criteria for performance and safety. Deployed at the Campo de Fútbol de Balsicas in Spain, this shockpad-free system delivers a professional-grade playing experience while optimizing installation efficiency and cost.
CGT's FIFA 2024 SUPREMO60 system—artificial turf, SBR granules, silica sand, shockpad-free
Key features include:
1. 60 mm artificial turf with reinforced Stem+S shape yarns for enhanced durability and a realistic playing feel.
2. SBR granules and silica sand infill, ensuring consistent ball roll and player comfort.
3. Shockpad-free design, reducing installation complexity, time, and overall project cost.
4. Meets FIFA 2024 head injury (HIC) and shock absorption requirements, with measured HIC performance exceeding the FIFA threshold by over 80%, independently tested in Spain to verify compliance and real-world safety performance.
This installation demonstrates CGT's ability to deliver a fully integrated, high-performance FIFA-certified system, providing long-term reliability, safety, and professional-grade field performance in real-world conditions.
Building on proven success, CGT delivers fully integrated football turf systems that exceed the latest FIFA requirements. From master planning and system design to turf, infill, elastic layers, and sub-base construction, every component is engineered to function as a seamless, high-performance system. Rigorous material testing and professional installation ensure consistent, safe, and predictable pitch performance from day one. Beyond construction, CGT provides lifecycle support, including post-use verification and maintenance, preserving safety, comfort, and durability over time. This end-to-end approach makes FIFA compliance a strategic advantage, delivering professional-grade infrastructure that protects athletes and ensures long-term reliability for clubs, developers, and municipalities.
Explore FIFA Quality Pro–Certified Solutions
Learn how CGT applies TM-Football-Turf-2024 in real-world projects—combining certified materials, integrated system design, and verified performance.
