A smooth and striking green surface. It is what all lawn enthusiasts dream of, but it is not only a question of beauty. Those who prepare football pitches cannot neglect even one square centimeter of that surface which is an essential component in a successful match. The pitch is every team's 12th man, it must be “prepared”.

To celebrate the work of those who look after football turf day by day and to keep raising the quality level, since 2013 in France there has been an original and very unusual contest, the BKT Football Pitch Championship (Championnat des Pelouses BKT), where it is the pitches themselves from the Ligue 1 Uber Eats and Ligue 2 BKT championships that battle it out.

It is no coincidence that the sponsor is BKT, which is already Title Sponsor of Ligue 2 BKT (from the 2020/21 season up to 2023/24). BKT not only loves challenges, but knows what it means to maintain the turf, where the approach adopted and above all specialist instruments make the difference. BKT is an Indian multinational which is one of the leading manufacturers in the world of specialized Off-Highway tires, including those for lawns. Its Lawn & Garden tire range was in fact developed after careful study of turf, a “live” material that must be handled extremely carefully.

And the winner of the “green challenge” in the 2020-21 season of Ligue 1 Uber Eats was the pitch of Montpellier Hérault SC. The best Ligue 2 BKT football pitch was instead EA Guingamp, which was on the podium for the second year running.

BKT, not only as sponsor, but also as a turf expert, wishes to congratulate the winners for the excellent result.

How is the BKT Football Pitch Championship organized? In each game the home team's pitch is assessed by the coaches of the two clubs which are playing, by the match referee and by TV broadcaster of Ligue 1, all of whom must judge on the basis of some assessment criteria, such as the durability of the grass, its look or the ball trajectory.

The judgement criteria also depend on other factors, for example how the pitch is mown; the League has established the regulation height for the blades of grass at between 24 and 28 millimeters, a measurement which is checked by the match official before kick-off.

Other assessment criteria can also be seen by the spectators, such as the lines on the pitch, i.e. the long green and white lines which are spread out over the playing surface. Or, if the players slip, that is often a problem. On the other hand, if the pitch is still in good condition at the end of the match, usually that is thanks to the teams responsible for taking care of the pitch maintaining a high level of quality.

Maintaining any turf means working on it without damaging it, even more so when the stakes are so high.

It is therefore essential that the tires are delicate on the terrain so as not to compromise the growth of the grass and not to affect its look. For this reason – and to be able to work on Lawn & Garden applications – agility, strength and precision are needed so that small tractors and lawnmowers give their best “in the field”.

There are numerous models in the BKT Lawn & Garden range which are specific for gardening and municipal care/maintenance: LG SMOOTH, LG RIB, LG 306, LG 307 and LG 408.

And then there is the AT series, perfect both for gardening and ATV applications, including the AT 109, AT 110 and AT 316 solutions.

Other models suitable for turf are SMOOTH, developed for machinery used on lawns, as well as TRAC MASTER, excellent for small tractors and farm machinery.

Finally, the lines in the TR (Traction) range TR 313, TR 315, TR 319 and TR 360, which offer combined solutions for both gardening and for working the land and which can move easily even on muddy terrain.

These tires of course share a delicate approach, a long life cycle, excellent maneuverability and high resistance to punctures thanks to the “aramid belted” version available on various models, for all those uses which - owing to particularly difficult ground - require greater resistance.