The layering of a next-generation football pitch

Building a football pitch is a bit like being a pastry chef: it's all about working in layers.

Have you ever wondered what lies beneath the turf of a professional football pitch? To achieve high standards of quality, durability and performance, it is essential to ensure correct pitch layering, preparing the sub-base to receive the turf surface.

Here are the various "layers" that make up a football pitch:

• Compacted sub-base: the structural foundation of the pitch
• First drainage layer: gravel (typically 10/15 cm). This layer allows water from the upper layers to flow quickly away towards the drainage lines
• Second drainage layer: sand (typically 20 cm). Finer grain size than the gravel, combining drainage capacity with greater surface uniformity
• Third layer: topsoil (typically 10 cm). Its function is not only drainage-related, it must also supply air, water, nutrients and space for root development. For this reason, the topsoil is produced using a mix engineered according to the agronomic characteristics required by the project.

Each layer must be carefully levelled before moving on to the next. In addition, during the construction of each layer, provisions are made for the irrigation system and the heating system.

For natural or hybrid turf pitches, the FIGC (Italian Football Federation) requires a pitch heating system, or an equivalent anti-frost solution, to keep the pitch playable throughout the season (mandatory from Bologna northwards).

The layering of a professional football pitch must therefore ensure a balance between all these elements. A high-quality turf surface, without a correctly designed and built stratigraphy, is unlikely to guarantee the required performance over time.

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