Will players' push for grass move the needle?

TL;DR

The NFL Players Association emphasizes player preference for high-quality grass fields, with 92% of polled players favoring grass over turf. Executive director JC Tretter discusses the importance of quality surfaces in a recent podcast appearance.

Key points

NFL Players Association supports high-quality grass fields
92% of players prefer grass over turf
JC Tretter emphasizes the need for quality surfaces
FIFA mandates grass fields for compliance
Debate exists over player preferences for field types

Mentioned in this story

NFL Players AssociationJC TretterCam Heyward

The NFL Players Association's recent tweet regarding the effort to comply with FIFA's mandate for high-quality grass fields included a link to a recent appearance by NFLPA executive director JC Tretter on the Not Just Football podcast with Cam Heyward.

Tretter elaborated on the real-vs.-fake debate. Which really shouldn't be a debate, because the vast majority of all players prefer grass.

"What we want is good grass fields," Tretter said, via Jordan Raanan of ESPN. "Good, solid fields. You don't just want to pull out the [municipal] golf course grass. On every field, you want high-quality surfaces. I think one thing is understanding what our players care about. And there is something there that the data hasn't been able to spit back out at us. Which if you ask every player that we polled, 1,700 players, 92 percent say they want grass over turf."

It's surprising that eight percent disagree. It could be the kickers and punters. Or, as Chris Simms said on Wednesday's PFT Live, it could be young players who prefer maximum speed while they still have full tread on the tires. (That's temporary, once they experience enough NFL-caliber wear and tear.)

"There is something about the feeling of being on grass, the body feels different," Tretter said. "I think if you ask the coaches, just standing on grass vs. standing on turf for three hours feels different. There is something there that impacts the body."

The NFL's statistical fallback is that the injury rate is the same on both surfaces. But the general aches and pains that come from playing on fake grass don't count as injuries. And, for all anyone knows, the accumulated pounding from having the forces players create ricochet back into their bodies can set the stage for injuries on either surface.

Q&A

What percentage of NFL players prefer grass fields over turf?

92% of NFL players polled prefer grass fields over turf.

Who is JC Tretter and what did he say about grass fields?

JC Tretter is the NFLPA executive director who stated that players want high-quality grass fields for better playing conditions.

Why are NFL players advocating for grass fields?

NFL players advocate for grass fields due to concerns about safety and performance, as they believe grass provides better playing conditions.

What is FIFA's mandate regarding football fields?

FIFA mandates the installation of high-quality grass fields to ensure optimal playing conditions for football matches.