Misogyny and Artificial Turf

[Rob Lister]

Because any excuse to claim discrimination will do, no claim shall go unskeptisized.

Women Soccer Players Call Fake Turf Discriminatory
They threaten legal action demanding grass for next year's tournament

With the Women's World Cup in Canada less than 10 months away, some of the world's top women soccer players are threatening a lawsuit against FIFA over a literal turf war. The women want the tournament played on real grass instead of artificial turf, and they call the decision to use the "inferior" turf for the first time in the tournament "discriminatory" to women. They liken the turf to concrete and say it not only restricts play but can result in more injuries.

http://www.newser.com/story/192764/wome ... atory.html

Working backward, does it result in more injury?

Increased injury rate on artificial turf: A study published in 2011 looking at football, rugby, and soccer injuries showed that there was a higher incidence of ankle injuries on artificial turf. In 2012, another study looking at NCAA football injuries showed an increased risk of ACL injuries on artificial turf. Lastly, a 2013 study looking at amateur soccer players in Portugal showed a greater rate of lower extremity injuries on turf during matches vs. training.

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/spor ... 724cXaG.99

No difference in injury rates: A 2010 study looking at collegiate football injuries showed that FieldTurf may actually be safer than natural grass for injuries in general. This study also found no significant difference in knee injuries between surfaces. Another study in 2013 looked at injury rates between grass and artificial turf in female collegiate soccer players. This study actually showed a significantly lower total injury incidence rate and a lower rate of substantial injuries on FieldTurf. This study also showed no significant difference in knee injury rates between the two surfaces.

So maybe, maybe not. According to the article, the difference seems to be related wholly to traction; turf has a different friction coefficient than grass so they 'play' differently. Seems to me that the underlayment would be a critical factor also, however. I do not know if the studies accounted for that, and perhaps that is why they got conflicting results.

But what about restricting play? The answer is: Probably.

Wearing cleats made specifically for artificial turf, or better yet turf shoes, may help to decrease traction and therefore reduce lower extremity injuries.... Unfortunately, there may be a decrease in performance as shoes with less traction may cause players to slip.

Because traction changes, so must too the cleats you wear. You need cleats designed for turf.

So don’t just choose your cleats for the color, but instead pick the ones that are appropriate for the playing surface.

A cleat's design is coded by color. Maybe that's what they're bitching about. :)

[Anaxagoras]

Canada was the only country to put in a bid to host the Women's World Cup of soccer. This is the thanks they get for their trouble.

[Rob Lister]

Canada was the only country to put in a bid to host the Women's World Cup of soccer. This is the thanks they get for their trouble.

The video at the link is more enlightening. Their argument is ...

http://static.dyp.im/jhEp8yr9TH/e5e3287 ... 686337.JPG

For very small values of enlightenment.

For the the men's world cup, they gave them grass. Hell, they build the stadium just for the cup games.

But they expected a profitable return on that investment. This may be the same sport, but it is a different game. Attendance will be lack-luster. High-dollar sponsorship will be lacking. There is no monetary incentive.

Yet they should pretend otherwise. The law demands it.

[Anaxagoras]

Canada isn't really a soccer country, is it?

But could they not have repurposed stadiums for Canadian football?

I have to look into this. Why do they always insist on building new stadiums for a one time event.

Another idea is, just do it in Brazil. Use the same stadiums they built for the men's tournament.

Or any number of countries with existing soccer infrastructure.

[Doctor X]

So are they saying their turf is . . . slippery when wet?

--J.D.

[Anaxagoras]

Apparently all of the CFL stadiums use artificial turf. Same with the soccer stadiums (many of which double as football stadiums). It just makes more sense for playing football in the winter in Canada.

Basically the decision to have the games in Canada meant that they would be playing in stadiums where the fields are artificial turf. If they wanted grass they should have picked a different country, but since Canada was the only country to actually submit a bid, this is the inevitable result.

The USA has one of the top women's teams, why didn't we put in a bid to host the games?

Anyway, what. ever. I can't be arsed to care about this one way or the other.