Women’s World Cup synthetic turf reportedly reaches 120 F

June 8, 2015  - By

The controversial synthetic turf at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Canada, was reportedly a steep 120 degrees Fahrenheit at the start of the first Women’s World Cup game on June 6, although the temperature outside only reached 75 degrees.

Julie Stewart-Binks, the official Women’s World Cup sideline reporter for Fox Sports, tweeted about the hot turf temperatures. (images below)

According to the Washington Post, a study cited by the Las Vegas Sun in 2009 found that artificial turf above 122 degrees is considered unsafe for sustained athletic use and that, depending on the air temperature, turf can get as hot as 180 degrees.

The high temperatures does not necessarily mean that players will burn themselves on the turf, but it could take a toll on the players’ endurance or vigor.

The recent controversy between FIFA and 2015 Women’s World Cup players has been an ongoing battle.

FIFA announced the Women’s World Cup’s nine stadiums will feature synthetic turf surfaces, despite more than 60 international soccer players filing a gender discrimination lawsuit that was eventually dropped. The athletes have expressed concerns over safety, declaring that unlike natural grass, synthetic turf leads to injuries and changes the game altogether.

Abby Wambach recently revealed to ESPN that FIFA turned down the opportunity to have all six fields transitioned into natural grass at no cost.

This article is tagged with , and posted in Football/Soccer, News, Top Stories
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About the Author:

Harms is the Digital Media Content Producer for North Coast Media. She completed her undergraduate degree at Ohio University, earning a Bachelor of Science in Journalism and Creative Writing Specialization from the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. Harms specifically creates content for NCM’s Golfdom, GPS World, Geospatial Solutions and Athletic Turf digital properties including eNewsletters, social media and websites. She can be reached at jharms@northcoastmedia.net.

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