A contractor opens a non-infill bid with one question that decides the rest: what goes on the acceptance sheet. We build artificial grass rolls on our own line, so the numbers below are the ones our inspectors actually measure. The choice between infill vs non-infill turf is only useful once those numbers are written down and checked.
Most rejected non-infill jobs fail on a copied spec, not on the grass. When the sheet lists infill depth instead of stitch rate, the fibres flatten and the first inspection sends the roll back. The comparison treats infill vs non-infill turf as a specification problem: which parameters are verifiable, and which test proves them at handover.
What Non-Infill Turf Means on the Spec Sheet
Non-infill turf carries no sand or rubber between the blades. It stays upright through engineered blade shape, a higher stitch rate and a layered backing, not through granular ballast. Vendor explainers describe C-shaped, W-shaped or diamond fibre profiles doing the job that infill does on a filled system.
The trade has a plain rule: non-infill systems use narrower gauges and a high stitch rate, with a straight fibre plus a fibrillated thatch yarn that helps the blade recover. On most artificial turf installations the difference shows first at the edge, where a filled system holds its shape with weight and a non-infill system holds it with density. The choice between infill vs non-infill turf is decided by the spec, not the catalogue.
Write the support mechanism into the spec as three lines: fibre shape, stitch rate per square metre, and backing type. A non-infill bid that leaves those three out is really an infill bid with the infill line deleted, and it will not survive acceptance.
Market Reference Specs Across Supplier Datasheets
The table below is a market reference, not a single standard. Each row is one supplier’s published non-infill datasheet, so every number traces to a named source rather than to a band we invented. This spread is exactly why infill vs non-infill turf is judged on numbers, not on a product photo.
| Supplier datasheet | Pile height | Density (tufts/m2) | Dtex | Gauge | Surface weight | Backing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| gzvitagrass VT-BMXSS30-22 | 30 mm | 23,100 | 16,000 | 3/8 in | 3.5-3.8 kg/m2 | 2PP or Net+SBR+Glue |
| suoxian non-infill football | 25-30 mm | 21,000 | 9,000-16,000 | not stated | not stated | grid or EL backing |
| hisoa no-infill football | 30 mm | 16,800 | 14,000 | 3/8 in | face 990 g/m2 / total 2,740 g/m2 | double PP+net |
| tradevv non-infill | 25 mm | 18,900-23,100 | 8,800+4,400 etc | 3/8 in | not stated | double PP+grid |
| jieyuanda non-filling football | 35 mm (20-65 avail) | 16,800 (14,700-33,600) | 8,000-14,000 | 3/8 in | 2.25 kg/m2 | PP+SBR+net |
Read the spread as a range of offers, not as tolerance. The lowest density row and the highest density row are both real products aimed at different traffic loads. A contractor should pick the row that matches the hours the field will carry. Lock it on the acceptance sheet, then compare it with our sports artificial grass systems built to a stated pile and density.
Pile Height to Write for Non-Infill Sports
Observed non-infill sports pile sits around 25-40 mm across supplier datasheets, with 30 mm the most common single value. Install guidance for no-infill work points to a shorter pile of about 1.0-1.25 inches, or 25-32 mm, because shorter blades recover without ballast.
For most artificial turf installations the pile band names the sport before the millimetre. The acceptance inspector measures the cut pile, so the sheet must state the tolerance the roll is tufted to. Where a project mixes training and match play, the higher end of the band serves match days and the lower end serves daily training.
Indoor and rooftop non-infill work runs shorter still, because traffic is light and recovery matters more than ball pace. Write the pile height line with the sport first, so the factory tunes the blade to the use rather than to a round number.
Stitch Rate and Surface Density You Can Verify
Non-infill turf lives or dies on density. Observed supplier datasheets run from about 16,800 up to 33,600 tufts per square metre, almost all on a 3/8 inch gauge. The higher the density, the less the blade depends on infill to stand, which is exactly why a non-infill spec must state stitch rate and forbid a low number.
Stitch rate and gauge are the two lines a contractor can verify on the roll itself. Count stitches per metre across the backing and check the row spacing. If the datasheet says 3/8 inch gauge and the roll reads wider, the density is not what was quoted. On artificial turf installations this single check catches most mismatched bids before the roll is laid.
Surface density, or face weight, is the mass of yarn per square metre and is the number that proves the density claim in grams. Write both stitch rate and face weight on the sheet so the inspector can confirm them with one cut sample.
Face Weight and What the Inspector Checks
Face weight is the easiest non-infill parameter to verify and the one most often left off the bid. A published no-infill datasheet lists a face weight of 990 grams per square metre and a total roll weight of 2,740 grams per square metre. Another lists 2.25 kg/m2, and a third lists 3.5-3.8 kg/m2.
On artificial turf installations the inspector checks face weight by cutting a known area and weighing the yarn, then comparing it to the declared value within the stated tolerance. If the sheet carries no face weight line, there is nothing to compare against and the roll passes on look alone. That is the gap most rejected non-infill jobs fall through.
State face weight in grams per square metre, not as a vague “heavy” or “dense”. A number the inspector can weigh is a number the factory must hit, and that is the whole point of writing it down.
Backing System Written Into the Acceptance Sheet
The backing holds the tuft, so it belongs on the acceptance sheet as a named system. Our line builds rolls on PP+Net and on PU backing, and a supplier datasheet lists a pull-out force of 40-55 newtons for the yarn from the backing. Write the backing type and the pull-out value as two separate lines, or review the custom pile heights and densities we tuft to a stated brief.
PU backing lies flat and resists moisture from below; PP+Net adds a stabilising grid that limits expansion. For outdoor non-infill work the backing choice decides how the seam behaves through a summer of heat. The sheet should name it, rather than leave it to the roll the factory happens to load.
Pull-out force is the line that proves the backing was specified, not guessed. A contractor who writes 40 newtons minimum gives the inspector a pass-or-fail test that needs no special lab, only a pull gauge and the declared value.
Drainage and UV Stability as Acceptance Criteria
Drainage on non-infill turf comes from the perforated backing over an open-graded base, not from infill voids. The sheet should state that the backing is perforated and that the base is graded to fall. A non-infill system with a flat base ponds just like any other surface.
UV stability is the line most often skipped, and it is the one that fails a field two seasons in. Synthetic turf is tested for resistance to artificial weathering that keeps colour fastness and tensile strength after sun exposure. The standard test methods are the xenon-arc weatherability procedures: ISO 4892-2 for plastics, ASTM G155 for non-metallic materials, and ISO 105-B02 for yarn colour fastness.
Write UV as a test requirement, not as a word. A sheet that says “UV stable” proves nothing; a sheet that says “xenon-arc weathered, colour fastness per ISO 105-B02” gives the inspector a method and a pass mark. For artificial turf installations exposed to full sun, that line is not an upgrade, it is the floor.
Rebound and Uprightness Tests for Non-Infill Systems
Ball rebound on non-infill turf is measured the same way as on any system. On artificial turf installations the rebound band is the number that settles the spec. The European standard EN 15330-1 sets the football vertical ball rebound, tested per EN 12235, at 0.60-1.0 metre under dry and wet conditions. Write that band on the sheet and the field can be checked after install against the number it was sold at.
Uprightness on non-infill turf is not a single lab number but a built-in property. The S-shaped or C-shaped fibre and the fibrillated thatch yarn hold the blade up and help it recover after load. State the fibre shape and the thatch presence on the sheet, because those are the uprightness mechanism and the inspector can confirm them by eye and by hand.
The EN 15330-1 acceptance tests give the contractor a full checklist of verifiable thresholds. The table below lists the ones most often written into a non-infill bid.
| Acceptance test (EN 15330-1) | Method | Non-infill threshold to write |
|---|---|---|
| Vertical ball rebound | EN 12235 | 0.60-1.0 m (football) |
| Shock absorption | EN 14808 | 55-70 percent (football) |
| Vertical deformation | EN 14809 | 4-10 mm (football) |
| Abrasion resistance (non-filled) | EN 13672 | mass loss 2 percent or less after 2000 cycles |
| Water permeability | EN 12616 | 150 mm/h or more |
| Rotational resistance | EN 15301-1 | 25-50 Nm |
Common Spec Writing Mistakes Contractors Make
Most non-infill failures trace to a small set of spec errors. The infill vs non-infill turf decision is lost on the sheet, not on the grass. Each error below is a separate line a contractor can add or remove from the bid.
Mistake 1: Copying an Infill Spec for Non-Infill
The fastest way to fail acceptance is to lift last year’s infilled sheet and delete the infill line. Non-infill needs the density, fibre shape and backing written instead, because those are what now carry the load. A copied sheet simply removes the support without replacing it.
Mistake 2: Leaving Density Out of the Bid
A bid that says dense non-infill, with no stitch rate or face weight, fails acceptance on the first cut. Density is the core non-infill parameter, so it must appear as two numbers, not as an adjective.
Mistake 3: Skipping the UV and Drainage Lines
UV and drainage are the lines that fail a field after handover, not at opening. A sheet without a xenon-arc weathering requirement and a perforated-backing statement passes inspection and then fades and ponds two seasons later, which is the costly failure nobody logged at sign-off.
Mistake 4: Forgetting the Acceptance Test Method
Writing “good rebound” instead of “0.60-1.0 m per EN 12235” leaves the test to chance. The acceptance sheet must name the method and the band, or the roll is accepted on feel and disputed on the first wet match day.
Acceptance Checklist Before You Sign Off
The checklist below turns the parameters above into a sign-off routine. Each item is a separate check the contractor confirms against the roll and the datasheet before the invoice is paid.
Check 1: Confirm Pile Height and Gauge
Measure the cut pile against the declared band and confirm the 3/8 inch gauge on the backing. If the pile reads outside tolerance or the gauge reads wider, the density is not what was quoted and the roll should not be accepted.
Check 2: Verify Stitch Rate on the Datasheet
Count stitches per metre and compare to the stated density. The datasheet line and the physical roll must agree within the declared tolerance, because stitch rate is the non-infill support the whole system relies on.
Check 3: Require the Backing and UV Report
Name the backing (PP+Net or PU) and require the xenon-arc weathering report with colour fastness per ISO 105-B02. Without that report the UV line is a claim, not a verified property of the roll.
Check 4: Lock the Roll Width and Delivery
State the roll width and the area per roll so seams and delivery are fixed before the container loads. Our rolls run 2 m, 4 m and 5 m by 25 m. A 4 m by 25 m roll covers 100 square metres, so the width line also settles the seam count on site. See the roll construction and widths we tuft to order.
Specs Rejected at Acceptance Cost You the Job?
Custom runs start from your drawing, not our stock list. Send the dimensions and the duty cycle, and we quote the yarn, backing and roll width that answer them.
How Non-Infill Compares on a Football Pitch
On a football pitch the infill vs non-infill turf question is settled by the rebound band, not by opinion. EN 15330-1 sets the football vertical ball rebound at 0.60-1.0 metre, and the FIFA Quality Programme grades pitch turf to performance bands rather than to a single product. Those bands are an industry background system, not a certificate any supplier holds by default.
A non-infill pitch reaches the lower part of that rebound band through density and fibre shape, while a filled pitch reaches it with infill mass. For training loads and community play the non-infill band is enough; for elite match pace the filled system is the safer written choice. For artificial turf installations the level of play picks the system before the catalogue does.
The pitch decision also turns on shock absorption, where EN 15330-1 asks for 55-70 percent on football. A non-infill roll meets that through a dense, well-backed construction, so the acceptance sheet can prove it without naming infill at all.
When Non-Infill Beats Infill in the Bid
Non-infill wins the bid where traffic is light, upkeep is the priority, or the site is indoor, rooftop or balconied. Vendor guides put non-infill ahead on simpler, cleaner installs with lower material and labour cost, because there is no infill to spread, top up or clean.
On artificial turf installations the win is in the schedule: no infill step means fewer trades, fewer deliveries and a faster handover. The trade-off is load, so the bid should state the weekly hours the surface will carry and let that number pick the system, not the catalogue photo.
Where a project mixes infill vs non-infill turf, write each zone to its own spec. A non-infill training strip and a filled match pitch can sit on one site. The acceptance sheet must list the rebound and density band for each, not one number for the whole job.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does non-infill turf mean on a spec?
Non-infill turf carries no sand or rubber between blades. It stays upright through fibre shape, a high stitch rate and a layered backing, so the spec must list those three lines instead of an infill depth.
What pile height should non-infill sports turf have?
Observed non-infill sports pile runs about 25-40 mm, with 30 mm the common value and install guidance near 25-32 mm. Write it as a band with tolerance matched to the sport and the weekly hours.
How dense should non-infill turf be specified?
Supplier datasheets run from about 16,800 to 33,600 tufts per square metre on a 3/8 inch gauge. State the stitch rate and face weight as two numbers so the inspector can verify density on one cut sample.
Does non-infill turf need UV stability testing?
Yes. Synthetic turf is weathered to keep colour fastness and tensile strength, using xenon-arc methods ISO 4892-2, ASTM G155 and ISO 105-B02. Write the test method on the sheet, not just the words UV stable.
How is ball rebound tested on non-infill turf?
Vertical ball rebound is measured per EN 12235 under EN 15330-1, set at 0.60-1.0 m for football. Write that band on the acceptance sheet so the laid field is checked against the quoted value.
Can non-infill turf be used on a football pitch?
Yes for training and community play, where the EN 15330-1 rebound band of 0.60-1.0 m is met by density and fibre shape. Elite match pace usually favours a filled system, so name the level of play first.
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