Turf Versus Grass Fields and Lower Leg Injuries
Location
Oyate Hall
Event Website
https://2026undergraduateresearchsy.sched.com/event/2Ix9B/turf-versus-grass-fields-and-lower-leg-injuries
Start Date
15-4-2026 6:00 PM
End Date
15-4-2026 8:00 PM
Description
Turf versus Grass fields is a big debate in the sports world right now, especially in the National Football League (NFL) (McCormick). The study looks into the difference in lower-leg injury rates among the two types of Football fields - Grass and Turf. My research expands upon the previous study done by Nikit Venishetty. The methods used in Venishetty’s study are mainly univariate analysis with a categorical response variable corresponding to the number of games missed. The results of Venishetty’s study show that injuries occur more frequently on turf fields than on grass fields. My research attempts to discover if the injury pattern detected by Nikit Venishetty was also present in the 2019 and 2020 season. I am using data collected by a group of researchers from Miami University who are Peter Walsh, Samantha Erne, Brendan Beattie, and Jake Holroyd on the 2019 through 2020 season. I am also using data from jchernak96 on github on NFL injury data by game and player for those seasons. The significance of my study will be to show what the impact of surface type is on injuries and whether all fields should switch to a different surface type. This study is a work in progress and has been a common issue for years in the NFL. My research expands upon the previous study done by Nikit Venishetty titled “Lower Extremity Injury Rates on Artificial Turf Versus Natural Grass Surfaces in the National Football League During the 2021 and 2022 Seasons” (Nikit Venishetty).
Publication Date
2026
Turf Versus Grass Fields and Lower Leg Injuries
Oyate Hall
Turf versus Grass fields is a big debate in the sports world right now, especially in the National Football League (NFL) (McCormick). The study looks into the difference in lower-leg injury rates among the two types of Football fields - Grass and Turf. My research expands upon the previous study done by Nikit Venishetty. The methods used in Venishetty’s study are mainly univariate analysis with a categorical response variable corresponding to the number of games missed. The results of Venishetty’s study show that injuries occur more frequently on turf fields than on grass fields. My research attempts to discover if the injury pattern detected by Nikit Venishetty was also present in the 2019 and 2020 season. I am using data collected by a group of researchers from Miami University who are Peter Walsh, Samantha Erne, Brendan Beattie, and Jake Holroyd on the 2019 through 2020 season. I am also using data from jchernak96 on github on NFL injury data by game and player for those seasons. The significance of my study will be to show what the impact of surface type is on injuries and whether all fields should switch to a different surface type. This study is a work in progress and has been a common issue for years in the NFL. My research expands upon the previous study done by Nikit Venishetty titled “Lower Extremity Injury Rates on Artificial Turf Versus Natural Grass Surfaces in the National Football League During the 2021 and 2022 Seasons” (Nikit Venishetty).
https://digitalcommons.morris.umn.edu/urs_event/2026/posters/1