The turf caused major problems for both teams in Super Bowl 2023. Now the NFL responded with a rather tight-lipped statement.

Super Bowl 2023: What was the turf problem?

The turf in the Super Bowl caused major problems for the players because it was – obvious to any observer – extremely slippery. Especially on the Super Bowl logos that were applied to the field, the players of the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles slipped on almost every play.

Super Bowl 2023 – Turf problem: How did the NFL stars react?

Several NFL stars voiced harsh criticism of the turf. “The field was just terrible,” Kansas City defensive lineman Frank Clark said. According to Haason Reddick of the Philadelphia Eagles, it was even “the worst field I’ve ever played on”. In doing so, he directly blamed the NFL: “It’s very disappointing. This is the NFL. You’d think the turf would be better so we could play a better game.”

Ex-players also offered sharp criticism. Three-time Super Bowl winner Mark Schlereth called the field “absolute rubbish” on Twitter, writing that the NFL should be “absolutely embarrassed” by it. Eagles tackle Mailata referred to it as a “water park” instead of a football field.

Super Bowl 2023: Have players made adjustments to footwear?

Yes. Quarterback Jalen Hurts and tight end Dallas Goedert of the Philadelphia Eagles were among the players who changed shoes to get more stability. “I changed my cleats and wore the other ones just before the second half,” Goedert revealed.

Super Bowl turf criticism: how does the NFL respond?

An NFL spokesperson told “CNN”, “The field surface at State Farm Stadium met the required standards for natural surface maintenance per NFL policy. The natural turf surface was tested throughout Super Bowl week and met all mandatory NFL practices. “

Super Bowl turf disaster: who’s responsible?

The groundskeeper is 94-year-old George Toma, who said before the Super Bowl: “I’m here to give the players the best possible conditions so they can play on a safe field.” The fact that he failed to do so is unlikely to have any consequences for him. He announced before the game that the Super Bowl would probably be his last.

NFL: Have there been problems with the turf at State Farm Stadium before?

Yes, it’s not the first time there have been problems on that turf surface. The Kansas City Chiefs already knew about this problem because they played the opening game of the 2022 NFL season in the same stadium. “We’ve had this problem before,” Clark complained.

In the slightly more distant past, college football stars also had problems in this arena. Several players complained about the field conditions during the BCS National Championship between Oregon and Auburn in 2010, and the same was true for the playoff game between Alabama and Clemson in 2015.

NFL: How can such a disaster be avoided?

The only way that will probably be possible is to play only on artificial turf. However, most NFL players prefer natural grass because of the lower risk of injury. It is therefore doubtful that the NFL will make such a radical change.

Because the turf issue has been a frequent topic at State Farm Stadium, NFL decision-makers might at least consider not holding another Super Bowl there for the time being, after 2008, 2015 and now 2023, to avoid possible mishaps on the big stage.

However, the first finals did not see such a frequent accumulation of slip-ups. Besides, the stadium is still home to the Arizona Cardinals. So football will continue to be played there. Whether it will be enough for another Super Bowl, however, may now be doubted.

NFL: What individual times are known for the turf surface?

According to “ESPN”, the field at State Farm Stadium is made of a special blend of Bermuda grasses and ryegrass called Tahoma 31, the same turf used at many golf courses around the world.

According to the stadium’s website, it is one of the first retractable natural grass playing surfaces in North America. This is on a rollable sub-surface that is 71 metres wide and 122 metres long. The field rolls on 546 steel wheels that rest on 13 railway-like tracks. It takes about 70 minutes to roll out the turf.

With the Super Bowl in mind, no expense was spared. The turf was laid a fortnight ago and came from a farm in Phoenix. According to sports business expert Joe Pompliano, more than $800,000 was invested in it. In the two weeks leading up to the Super Bowl, the turf was moved out every morning so the grass could get the sun.

NFL: What would be the perfect football turf?

This is where opinions may differ. Generally, most players prefer to play on a natural grass than an artificial turf because the risk of injury is considered to be lower on a natural surface.

However, there are special techniques even with natural grass surfaces, as the example at State Farm Stadium shows. Clark doesn’t think much of it: “A lot of stadiums are trying to apply new techniques to turf, they’re trying to do new things. I’ve been playing football since I was seven years old. And the best grass is the grass that just grew there. “