Amsterdam boasts first waterless hockey field in the world

It turns out that even artificial turfs require watering, but not this one

In a category of firsts, the City of Amsterdam announced that it now hosts the world’s first field hockey pitch that doesn’t need water. The new artificial grass field is the property of the local club MHC Weesp and it was unveiled on Tuesday, 13 June with a game played by former members of the national field hockey team.

The new pitch is designed to be perfectly sustainable and to contribute enormously to water savings. It will also serve as a test field for the city to decide whether to invest in installing such pitches in other districts.

It may come as a surprise to many that artificial turf needs to be watered at all. After all, it contains no organic grass that needs moisture. However, it turns out that even artificial green sports fields need to be sprayed with water for at least two reasons.

On one hand, when the weather is hot, spraying water cools down the pitch. On the other hand, it actually makes playing field hockey easier.

New innovative design

Reportedly, with classic artificial turfs when the fibres are dry, they become stiff and the ball does not roll properly. On the new, waterless field, the fibres are looped, and the players play on the side of the loops. The loops make water unnecessary because the ball rolls over them just as well without moisture. The quality of the field, therefore, remains good, even without water.

The new artificial turf field meets all the requirements of the international hockey association (FIH). The body wants to get rid of the constant watering of hockey fields. The new field is thus set to become the standard for the international hockey world. 

In 2026, the Hockey World Cup will be played in the Netherlands and Belgium. The FIH is already thinking of using this type of new artificial turf pitch.