Athletics Testing

"The leading cause of death in sports is brain injuries (Johns Hopkins Med., 2022)"

The most common source of head injuries in many sports is head/surface impact.

The ONLY recognized way to know if your surfaces are safe for players, compliant with federal guidelines, and provide optimal performance conditions, is through independent, 3rd party,surface testing (GMax Testing, Head Injury Criterion or HIC Testing) .

TESTING IS ONLY USEFUL WHEN PART OF A LARGER, COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM OF SAFETY, INSPECTIONS, AND MAINTENANCE

The Most common tests

GMax Testing, Impact Safety, Turf Testing, Athletic Project Consulting, Infill Testing

GMax: Measurement of the force attenuation of a surface

GMax Testing provides a quantitative measure of how well a surface absorbs an impact (turf fields, wrestling mats, jump pits, tracks, etc.)

The most commonly utilized tests to assess the force attenuation of a surface
Involves dropping a cylindrical probe from 24" onto a surface to measure deceleration upon impact, measured in units "g" ... Lower values = reduced force of impact
Correlates to ability of surface to reduce potential for impact related injuries
Does not correlate to any specific kind of impact/injury
Often used to assess safety guideline compliance (ASTM f355-A, ASTM f1936, and many other safety standards)

H.I.C. Testing, Head Injury Criterion, Artificial Turf Testing, GMax, Impact Safety, Athletic Safety

HIC (Head Injury Criterion): Measurement of the impact of a simulated head with a surface

Head Injury Criterion (HIC Testing) provides a quantitative measure of head injury risk

The most useful test for assessing head injury potential during surface impact
Measures the force of a simulated human head impacting a surface... Lower HIC value = Reduced risk of Tramautic Brain Injury
Involves dropping hemispherical probe from a series of increasing heights calculate the maximum safe fall height for any surface
Considered to be the gold standard for assessing likelihood of a serious head injury and the suitability of a surface for its intended athletic use

Critical Fall Height (CFH) Testing, Athletic Project Consulting, Turf Testing, Infill Testing, HIC

CFH (Critical Fall Height): Measurement of the maximum height above which the risk of severe head ex

Critical Fall Height (CFH) Testing uses HIC (or H.I.C.) testing to test a successive series of heights to establish a maximum safe fall height for any surface.

One of the most useful tests for assessing how well suited a surface is for its intended use.
Involves dropping a hemispherical probe from a series of various heights to quantifiably assess head injury risk accross an array of heights
excellent for assessing how a surface degrades over time.

what surfaces should be tested for impact safety?

Wrestling Mat, Impact Safety, GMax, Critical Fall Height, ASTM F1081

Any surface designed to absorb impact should be tested for safety guideline compliance and optimal p

Below is just a small sample of some of the more common athletic surfaces we test for Federal Guideline compliance and safety.

Artificial Turf [ANY sport] (ASTM F355)
Natural Turf [ANY sport] (ASTM F1936)
Wall / Feature Padding (ASTM F2440)
Pole Vault Landing Systems (ASTM F1162)
Pole Vault Box Collars (ASTM F2949)
Outdoor Fitness Equipment (ASTM F3101)
Climbing Crash Pads (UIAA 161)
Rugby Turf Fields (ASTM F3146,World Rugby Regulation 22)

This list is by no means comprehensive. The fact is, unless a surface is designed to be hard (e.g. concrete)), it is required to meet multiple safety guidelines, even dirt, clay, and sand are regulated.

Contact us anytime to learn more.

Benefits of a comprehensive program

IMPROVED SAFETY

Whether at play in athletics or recreation, national and international safety guidelines must be met. When they're not met the risk of injury is greatly increased and the facility owner is at risk for litigation every time an injury occurs. We help you protect your athletes/children from injury and protect your organization from litigation.

INCREASED PERFORMANCE

Numerous studies have shown that when surfaces are conditioned properly for safety, performance conditions are optimized, allowing athletes to perform at their best. Wear and tear on muscles and joints is diminished, stamina is increased, and player speed is increased, in addition to the obvious benefits of reducing risk of injury.

IMPROVED SURFACE LONGEVITY

Athletic fields, aritificial turf, padding, tracks, jump pits, wrestling mats, etc. all represent a large investment, the value of which is improved dramatically when proper conditions are maintained, wear and tear is reduced, cost of maintenance is reduced, and the surface needs replaced less frequently.

Many organizations replace surfaces before it is needed. Replacement should always be done based on conditions. Adding years, or even a single year, to the life time of your investment carries obvious cost benefits.

LITIGATION PROTECTION

One lawsuit can decimate your organizations resources

On the playground and in athletics, international safety guidelines must be met at all times. When not met the risk of injury is greatly increased thus placing facility owners at risk of litigation every time an injury occurs. We help you protect your athletes, children, etc. from injury while your organization is protected from litigation. Keeping your community safe, and proving that you are doing so, are vital components in protecting your organization.

REDUCED OVERALL COST

Optimizing limited resources to where they are truly needed is key to decreasing the overall cost of owning/managing any facility. Informed maintenance reduced cost of maintenance, simultaneously optimizing safety and peformance. Eliminating wasteful materials and efforts creates huge savings for organizations, but is only possible when armed with comprehensive data, training, and tools.

We provide the data, training, and knowledge you need!

We specialize in comprehensive programs that increase safety, improve performance, and reduce overall costs.

Contact us to learn how we can help you better serve your community and protect your limited resources.

ATHLETICS TESTING

"The leading cause of death in sports is brain injuries (Johns Hopkins Med., 2022)"

The Most common tests

GMax: Measurement of the force attenuation of a surface

HIC (Head Injury Criterion): Measurement of the impact of a simulated head with a surface

CFH (Critical Fall Height): Measurement of the maximum height above which the risk of severe head ex

Infill Depth and Compaction

what surfaces should be tested for impact safety?

Any surface designed to absorb impact should be tested for safety guideline compliance and optimal p

Benefits of a comprehensive program

IMPROVED SAFETY

INCREASED PERFORMANCE

IMPROVED SURFACE LONGEVITY

LITIGATION PROTECTION

REDUCED OVERALL COST

We provide the data, training, and knowledge you need!

Comprehensive protection: the home field advantage Program

ATHLETICS TESTING

"The leading cause of death in sports is brain injuries (Johns Hopkins Med., 2022)"

The Most common tests

GMax: Measurement of the force attenuation of a surface

HIC (Head Injury Criterion): Measurement of the impact of a simulated head with a surface

CFH (Critical Fall Height): Measurement of the maximum height above which the risk of severe head ex

Infill Depth and Compaction

what surfaces should be tested for impact safety?

Any surface designed to absorb impact should be tested for safety guideline compliance and optimal p

Benefits of a comprehensive program

IMPROVED SAFETY

INCREASED PERFORMANCE

IMPROVED SURFACE LONGEVITY

LITIGATION PROTECTION

REDUCED OVERALL COST

We provide the data, training, and knowledge you need!

Comprehensive protection: the home field advantage Program

This website uses cookies.