The grounds team at the Gillette Stadium near Boston is currently working overtime now their synthetic turf surface has been ruled non-compliant for hosting American Football games.
The new surface that was installed immediately after FIFA had returned the venue to stadium management following the 2026 FIFA World Cup, satisfied both tenants but failed to comply with the standards the NFL stipulates.
Coming season the Gillette stadium will host the home games of the New England Patriots American Football club and the New England Revolution soccer club.
Where synthetic turf soccer surfaces do not necessarily have to have an impact attenuation layer, new NFL regulations stipulate that synthetic turf American Football surfaces should be installed on an e-layer.
NBC Sports reports that contractor Hellas Construction made an executive decision to install their product without this e-layer. The current subbase at the Gillette Stadium now only consists of a stone-dust base.
“We are confident the field would have passed if they had tested it in March without a pad, even over concrete,” stadium COO Jim Nolan told broadcaster ESPN.
Nevertheless, a source at the club claimed that local stadium officials chose not to use the e-layer, as this would have had conspicuously negative impacts on the bounce of the ball, and thus the integrity of the (soccer) game.
The Boston Globe reports that Kraft Sports Group (which operates both the Patriots and the Revolution) asked the NFL to do an updated test, but was told that it was not possible until the next procedural window in early 2027.
The only option Gillette Stadium now has left is to install a new synthetic turf top-layer within days to ensure the venue will be ready to host a preseason opener on Thursday. This time the field will be installed by FieldTurf, a company that has installed the synthetic turf surfaces at most other NFL-venues.
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