The perceptions of professional soccer players on the risk of injury from competition and training on natural grass and 3rd generation artificial turf.

Background: The purpose of this study was to describe professional soccer players' perceptions towards injuries, physical recovery and the effect of surface related factors on injury resulting from soccer participation on 3rd generation artificial turf (FT) compared to natural grass (NG).

Methods: Information was collected through a questionnaire that was completed by 99 professional soccer players from 6 teams competing in Major League Soccer (MLS) during the 2011 season.

Results: The majority (93% and 95%) of the players reported that playing surface type and quality influenced the risk of sustaining an injury.