Astroplay® 

"AstroPlay® was engineered originally for soccer.  With the introduction of AstroPlay®, a revolution in the world's most popular and respected game will occur.  Already, FIFA (Federation International de Football Association) and UEFA (United European Football Association) have expressed great interest.  In fact FIFA states that "all qualifications matches for either the FIFA World Cup TM or Olympic Football Tournaments may take place on FIFA Recommended artificial turf."  AstroPlay is very proud of its first FIFA Recommended Training Field installed in November 2001 in Lugano, Switzerland."

The AstroPlay® system was developed to overcome the problems associated with sand filled turf systems introduced worldwide in the 1980's.

From the beginning, the "patent pending" THATCH ZONE was the primary design feature of AstroPlay®. It sets it apart as unique. It is called a "Thatch" because it functions much like THATCH on good natural grass fields (providing initial shock absorbency, resilience, stability and ball performance characteristics).

The THATCH ZONE in AstroPlay® is a lower layer of highly textured monofilament nylon 6.6 fibers. Their function is critical to the success of the system:

Function 1

The THATCH ZONE fibers offer a high degree of stability to the rubber filling in AstroPlay®. Our concept has always been to provide a rubber fill because, simply put, rubber does not compact like sand. The lighter specific gravity of rubber requires additional THATCH ZONE fibers to act as a net or mesh to keep the rubber from moving laterally or displacing during play or bad weather. The THATCH ZONE was the key design breakthrough allowing us to offer a rubber filled system.

Function 2

The nylon 6.6 fibers used in the THATCH ZONE are extremely resilient with a high degree of memory. As a result, the THATCH ZONE fibers add a significant degree of resilience and shock to the system. Comparative shock tests confirm this.

Function 3

The nylon 6.6 fibers are hydrophilic meaning they absorb and store moisture. This increases drainage, cooling and stability of the system. AstroPlay® has been tested thoroughly and data shows just how superior it is for soccer. The exacting Norwegian Institute for Sports tests for soccer and the English Football League tests for natural turf soccer fields are the standards by which only the best systems can be measured. AstroPlay® passes both tests.