The NFL and NFL Players Association have agreed to a new model for selecting playing surfaces in stadiums, one that will require teams to choose from an approved set of metrics and styles for both natural and synthetic fields.
The policy will apply to any teams that plan to replace their surfaces for the 2026 season. By the 2028 season, all stadiums will be required to have approved fields.
Nick Pappas, the NFL's field director, described the model as similar to the NFL/NFLPA helmet policy, where players must choose from a list of accredited helmet models.
"We want to make sure that we're supporting our clubs and we're supporting our athletes," Pappas said, "and ensuring that every field that enters our league is meeting the requirements that we believe are, obviously, ever evolving but the right ones."
The policy isn't likely to change the timing of most stadium field replacements. According to Pappas, most artificial playing surfaces are replaced every two or three years and natural fields can be replaced multiple times per season.
The policy change, part of a larger set of updated mandatory practices the NFL and NFLPA recently distributed to teams, is focused more on ensuring minimum quality standards.
In a statement, the NFLPA said: "While our player members have been clear about their overwhelming preference for high-quality, natural grass surfaces, we're encouraged that their demands for more consistent and safer fields across the board are taking a step in the right direction. We look forward to continuing this work with the NFL on behalf of our player members."
