Stitched Hybrid Turf: Everything You Need to Know

Stitched Hybrid Turf: what is it?

Stitched Hybrid Turf refers to a system that combines natural turf with an artificial reinforcement of synthetic fibres, vertically stitched into the ground.

It is the most efficient hybrid system currently on the market, chosen by top international competitions, such as the UEFA Euro 2020 final and the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League final.

Guaranteed performance

Stitched Hybrid Turf — known in technical terms as "Stitched Turf" — is used by most of the world's top clubs because, thanks to the support of synthetic fibres injected into the ground, it is far more resistant to the wear caused by intensive, prolonged use of the pitch by teams.

Indeed, the number of domestic and international fixtures has steadily grown over the years: for a mid-to-upper table club, the annual average typically falls between 45 and 55 matches.

Many clubs also choose Stitched Hybrid Turf for their training pitches, which must withstand extremely high-intensity daily work. The areas most prone to wear over time are the centre of the pitch and the penalty area, particularly the six-yard box, constantly under stress from goalkeepers' movements.

Stitching a pitch: how it's done

Stitching a pitch is carried out with a dedicated machine fitted with a needle system that, alternating as the machine advances, injects synthetic fibres into the ground. The machine carries reels of green polypropylene yarn, fed to the needles to enable stitching.

In the Stitched Hybrid Turf system, stitching is carried out at a very high density: fibres are spaced roughly 2 cm apart, with thousands of reinforcement points per square metre and a total of around 20 million points per pitch, providing outstanding support to the playing surface.

Because of this, completing the stitching across the entire pitch — 8,000 square metres in total — takes the machine around seven days, with the option to run 24 hours straight, non-stop.

The synthetic fibres are integrated vertically into the ground, reaching a depth of 180 mm or 90 mm, with 20 mm of fibre exposed above the surface to ensure stability and resistance. Leaving 20 mm exposed is no accident: the ideal mowing height on a professional football pitch is generally 22 mm.

Once stitching is complete, the turf is cleaned — a quick, manual procedure to remove excess green polypropylene filaments visible to the naked eye.

The best system on the market

Stitched Hybrid Turf is the best solution for a high-performance playing surface.
Given their packed fixture schedules, the world's top clubs demand a flawless, durable pitch that guarantees maximum efficiency over time.

Discover our Vertix Stitched Hybrid System and request a tailored quote.