The FIFA certification process is conducted by an accredited laboratory and includes measurements to gauge shock absorption, foot stability, rotational resistance, linear friction and ball-to-surface interaction, among other items.Â
RENTON, Wash.- The Seahawks and Sounders FC announced today the new FieldTurf Revolution surface installed in February at CenturyLink Field has received a FIFA 2-Star rating.
"The new field has met all our expectations," said Seahawks, Sounders FC and FGI president Peter McLoughlin. "The FIFA 2-Star rating validates the overall quality of the playing surface."
The FIFA certification process is conducted by an accredited laboratory and includes measurements to gauge shock absorption, foot stability, rotational resistance, linear friction and ball-to-surface interaction, among other items. Â
"The new turf field is a big plus for us from the standpoint that it's going to play much truer to grass. It slows the ball down at times, which is important for a team like us that likes to keep possession," said Sounders FC head coach Sigi Schmid.   "There's more bounce to it and more give. It's a spongier surface so it plays a lot better than it did last year."
The FieldTurf Revolution system is built with the FieldTurf Revolution fiber and is the result of innovative science, engineering and technology that will provide a playing surface that features a soft and strong monofilament fiber. A proprietary fiber polymer formulation resists splitting and degradation and includes an industry leading ultraviolet inhibitor technology. A state-of-the-art extrusion process provides intricate concave and ridged construction to eliminate breaking points in each fiber blade.
Specially sized cryogenic rubber particles and washed silica sand granules are layered, in a patented installation process, surrounding the FieldTurf Revolution fibers. This provides player safety and outstanding durability and longevity. The FieldTurf system is the only turf product in the world with independent long-term and real-life safety data backing up its claims.
 "We are pleased that the CenturyLink FieldTurf Revolution field has received FIFA 2-Star status and we are extremely happy that the Sounders, the Seahawks, the administrations, and the fans continue to give the new surface rave reviews," said FieldTurf President Eric Daliere.
The two organizations have a long history with FieldTurf. In 2000, when the Seahawks played at the University of Washington's Husky Stadium, they became the first NFL team to play their home games on FieldTurf. The partnership continued at the Seahawks Stadium, now CenturyLink Field, and at the team training facilities. When the administration saw the FieldTurf Revolution product, it made sense to upgrade to the very best turf technology in the industry.
