A recent NCAA men’s lacrosse weekend on another company’s turf put the spotlight on something players feel immediately and coaches notice just as fast: when the field is not stable, the game changes. In this weekend’s NCAA division 1 quarter final, players from Notre Dame, Johns Hopkins, Syracuse, and North Carolina were “slipping all over the field” on a recently installed non-infilled turf system, with Notre Dame head coach Kevin Corrigan saying, “This field is terrible. It is what it is. Both teams are dealing with it.”
That does not mean every non-infilled field is automatically unsafe, and it would be irresponsible to make that claim in one weekend. But it does reinforce a principle that matters at the highest level of lacrosse and all sports: surface consistency is not optional. Elite lacrosse depends on planting, cutting, decelerating, changing direction, and scooping ground balls at full speed. If players do not trust the footing, everything changes timing, confidence, ball handling, shot creation, and the ability to defend in space. When athletes are slipping or adjusting every step, the field is affecting the game in a way it should not. That is why for elite athletes a non-infilled field is not what is needed.
At AstroTurf we continue to believe in well-engineered infilled systems with our RootZone® technology for lacrosse. Our RootZone 3D systems are built around a texturized fiber layer that encapsulates the infill and holds it in place. The RootZone is a net-like matrix that reduces infill splash and migration, improves shock absorbency, and creates more consistent footing and enhanced cleat release. In lacrosse, minimizing infill spray matters because the ball should stay the focus of the scoop – not loose particles coming up into the play.
That combination matters because the best lacrosse field should not feel loose, unstable, or overreactive. It should feel natural but still deliver the durability modern programs need. Our closer stitch gauge and RootZone construction are designed to help create that balance. More fiber and controlled infill work together to produce a field that stays cleaner on scoops, more stable on cuts, and more predictable on plants and release. We believe optimal cleat interaction is not about locking an athlete into the ground. It is about creating enough traction to stay confident through a move, while still allowing the foot to release the way it needs to when the play demands it. That is one reason we continue to engineer these systems around infill stability, consistent footing, and long-term playability instead of chasing one-dimensional narratives about what a turf field should look like.
The lesson from Hofstra is not that one technology category is automatically right or wrong. The lesson is that the details of non-infilled systems, footing, and field behavior matter, especially in championship environments. At the highest level of lacrosse, the surface should support the athlete, not become part of the problem. When programs are selecting a field for high-level competition, the standard must be higher than trends or theory. Non-infilled systems remain a concern for performance sports installations due to their inability to gain approval by most professional certification programs. The negative sentiment told by coaches and players across multiple levels of sport demonstrates how surface choice matters, and how high performance fields need an infill system to maintain playability.
AstroTurf® Corporation’s portfolio includes leading brands across every major sports and recreational surfacing category. AstroTurf® created the synthetic turf category and today continues to lead the market as the Official Synthetic Turf of Major League Baseball, with field certifications from FIH, FIFA, & the NFL . The brand will also provide Poligras field hockey turf for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. Rekortan® has the most certified tracks in the world and has featured at four Olympic Games. Laykold®, the Official Surface of the US Open, is the world’s premier tennis court surface. SYNLawn® is the industry leader in residential and commercial landscaping solutions. As the original brands in their respective categories, these products have been trusted for more than 50 years and continue to set the standard for quality, performance, and innovation in sports and recreational surfacing.
