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High Intensity Colors On Artificial Turf

See uniform colors on natural grass

Ever wonder why Barcelona and Chelsea have introduced bright high intensity colored uniforms. While one reason may be to try to catch Real Madrid's annual 1,400,000 sales of replica jerseys, the research shows player performance in games and practices is impacted by uniform color.

The colors in the artificial turf image above are high intensity bright colors in columns 2, 4 and 6. The colors in columns 1, 3 and 5 are the official 2016 uniform colors sold by one of the two largest uniform manufacturers in the world. To see uniform colors under different lighting conditions tilt your screen away from you or move to the side to view the image.

A Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science research study found players find and pass to teammates in high intensity bright colors much faster and with greater accuracy. Bibliography: Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 2013, October, 23: 5: 627-34

Game Day Uniform

High intensity color uniforms improve a teams ability to find teammates under match pressure and to accurately pass to them.

The same studies show broad vertical or horizontal stripes with at least one high intensity color help players find teammates under match pressure. Other designs with high intensity color(s) also work well.

If you club or school has an official uniform that does not include a high intensity color adding a high intensity color to your game day kit can help improve team performance. For example high intensity uniform numbers might be used or all players might wear:

• A brightly colored head band,
• Brightly colored socks if your club or school permits, or
• For girls teams, brightly colored pre-wrap in their hair.

Scrimmage Vests

In practices players learn to and find their teammates much faster when they wear very high intensity colors.

Passes are also faster, more accurate and often times to teammates that they would not be seen in a low intensity color.

In practice games four brightly colored scrimmage vests are used to teach players to scan the field faster and to learn to find their teammates faster.

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