The Dutch FA and testing institute Sports Labs have extended their partnership until 2025. This will see Sports Labs remaining an Innovation Partner of the Dutch and housing its offices and laboratory at the national football campus of the KNVB.

Sports Labs has been a partner of the KNVB for a number of years already. The testing institute has the exclusive rights to validate the surfaces in the highest Dutch football league, a validation that can see clubs being rewarded with up to EUR 350,000 when their stadium turf passes at least two out of three tests. The whole story can be read here.

The testing institute also supervises the surfaces at the national football campus in Zeist.

Developing surfaces

In return, Sports Labs contributes to the improvement of Dutch football surfaces by sharing its knowledge and doing research. At present, the testing institute simulates the response by the surface to the techniques and movements exercised by the players.

The knowledge obtained helps draw a picture of the roughness of a surface and the impact this has on ankles and knees.