The Ref Stop

4G/Astro

Gabriel

Gabriel

Serial whistler
Level 7 Referee
After noticing this pop up as an issue for me this season, and seeing others hinting at it, I thought I'd finally raise it. Before I started reffing, I'd never badly injured myself. A year and a bit into refereeing, and I've spent at least 3 to 4 months out injured in total. All but 1 of these injuries have come from refereeing on 4G (the one that didn't happened 3 days after a game on 4G, when I was still incredibly sore - that doesn't happen to me on grass!). Is this a common thing or is it just an unfortunate coincidence? I wear the same boots on Astro/4G as I do on grass (not sure if this is the norm? It was recommended to me when reffing at the Wolves academy when I spoke to their physio and a few of the coaches). If you experience this, how do you cope with it? Thanks!
 
The Ref Stop
All but 2 of my games have been on Astro/4G the amount of wee rubber bits I find everywhere is a testament to that. I've always been sore after every game but not to the extent of injury. Grass pitches are a luxury these days but have to say I have felt better after a grass pitch game. I think our knees suffer a great deal with continual firm ground.
 
RonnieM said:
All but 2 of my games have been on Astro/4G the amount of wee rubber bits I find everywhere is a testament to that. I've always been sore after every game but not to the extent of injury. Grass pitches are a luxury these days but have to say I have felt better after a grass pitch game. I think our knees suffer a great deal with continual firm ground.
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Bizzarely i find the oppositte!

Grass has a lot of uneven spots and you sometimes nearly trip when you're running and you hit a dip.

Astro i ref on always "feels cushioned".
 
There is also the possibility of old 3G not being as good as more recent 3/4G, as well as some clubs not spending additional funds on shock protection below.
 
I try my best to wear comfortable trail shoes on astro (tiger turf and others don't allow them though).

That massively helps. Much nicer on the shines. I'll even wear them on a firm pitch.

I really started to go man down end of last season because of shin splints and I think running on rock hard astro in moulds messes them up.
 
I do +/- 100 matches a season on a mix of artificial surfaces, just turned 51, and have had zero ankle/knee issues in over ten years of this. Only a few muscle pulls from… not warming up.

For me, uneven grass is a much bigger danger. Switching to wide toe box Hokas (even in rain) from narrow Mundials (that i was over tightening and crushing my toes, and had close to no arch support) also has helped.

For me it’s all about the right warm up. Every time. Especially for knees, ankles, hips, calves, thighs - all that stuff I used to injure when playing without warming up - I don’t injure 25 years later when I do warm up. Coincidence?
 
Yep, definitely a case of right footwear and warm up I think. I'm trying to widen the leather boots of my New Balance 442s naturally, but they are taking an age and I think that has a significant impact on the legs from crushy toes.
 
@santa sangria Do Hoka do a football bolt with moulded studs?
Nearly every 3G/4G venue insist on them in England

The older style astro turf pitches can't be used for competitive games
 
bester said:
@santa sangria Do Hoka do a football bolt with moulded studs?
Nearly every 3G/4G venue insist on them in England

The older style astro turf pitches can't be used for competitive games
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I don’t have that restriction where I am. The artificial pitches here vary a lot. Most have the rubber pellets. Some are still the older carpety -type, some have the visible fake grass blades.
 
santa sangria said:
I don’t have that restriction where I am. The artificial pitches here vary a lot. Most have the rubber pellets. Some are still the older carpety -type, some have the visible fake grass blades.
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Strict rules were brought in for artificial pitches in England a few years ago. They have to be on The FA's pitch register, and have to be tested and signed off every 3 years, or every year at step 6 and above / step 3 and above in the women's game. As a result most have been replaced in recent years, often at significant cost, and therefore the operators can be very precious about what footwear can be worn, and have signs such as this on the gate.

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RustyRef said:
Strict rules were brought in for artificial pitches in England a few years ago. They have to be on The FA's pitch register, and have to be tested and signed off every 3 years, or every year at step 6 and above / step 3 and above in the women's game. As a result most have been replaced in recent years, often at significant cost, and therefore the operators can be very precious about what footwear can be worn, and have signs such as this on the gate.

View attachment 7758
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I am kinda surprised you have these restrictions and we don’t. Due to the climate here artificial pitches are plentiful and have been standard a long time. It could be (no idea really) that our replacement cycle is much shorter - and that we get far more damage from snow and ice than footwear.

We have a lot of the rubber pellet type pitches that are maintained as ice rinks for 3-4 months of the year. We have the crazy spectacle at the start and end of winter with piles of snow mixed with the rubber pellets - and sometimes the snowpiles last into summer.

I’ll ask someone… quite a few referees moonlight as caretakers here;)
 
I wouldn’t advise wearing moulded boots as a referee on 4G pitches.

I wear Adidas Kaiser 5, hard wearing & never had an issue with sore calf’s/achilles.

These Puma King Astro’s are in a Black Friday deal for £45 plus postage £4.99 in UK.

 
DJIC said:
I wouldn’t advise wearing moulded boots as a referee on 4G pitches.

I wear Adidas Kaiser 5, hard wearing & never had an issue with sore calf’s/achilles.

These Puma King Astro’s are in a Black Friday deal for £45 plus postage £4.99 in UK.

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Surprised by this advice as I thought the small rounded studs on moulded sole boots are best suited to 3G pitches (no such thing as 4g/5g according to most ) Personally I feel more comfortable and surer footed in moulded boots as opposed to Astro boots.
 
Thanks for all the insights! I had a game on Astro this morning and feel fine now. I just made my warm up slightly longer and cooled down more effectively. Feels fine. I wore my moulded boots as it’s mandatory for that particular pitch, but I’ll look around for alternatives as well.
 
RonnieM said:
the amount of wee rubber bits I find everywhere is a testament to that
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This is a fact that is not spoken enough about! Those things can appear in the darkest of places.... 🤣

I also believe those rubber pellets could be the end of my marriage (and possibly many others), initially the missus thought we had mice in the house... now she just has a go at me for bringing them home.
 
Not entirely dead thread yet... hopefully. But just to say I wore my Adidas Kaiser Team at the weekend on Astro instead of my usual Copa Gloro FG. No sore shins the next day and the knees aren't as sore as they have been using the FG. I think there is something in using Astro boots instead of Firm Ground ones.
 
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