Overview
- Beginning with the 2026 season, any team replacing its field must select from a league–union approved library, with all non‑approved surfaces replaced by the end of 2027 and full compliance required in 2028.
- The NFL and NFLPA will run joint pass‑fail evaluations of submitted surfaces, mirroring the helmet program’s phase‑out model for underperforming products.
- New metrics include a traction ceiling to cap excessive grip, with BEAST measuring player‑like traction movements and STRIKE gauging firmness and energy return.
- The NFLPA welcomed the consistency push yet restated players’ preference for high‑quality natural grass, while the league’s chief medical officer reported no statistically significant gap in recent non‑contact lower‑extremity injury rates between grass and turf.
- A league source told Front Office Sports the mandates will extend to international venues, as many stadiums face natural replacement cycles and World Cup‑related field work ahead of the 2028 deadline.