Sports playing surfaces for realistic game play

A filled synthetic sports surface comprising:

• a sub-grade foundation;
• an aggregate sub-base over said sub-grade foundation;
• a resilient pad over said aggregate sub-base;
• a geotextile membrane over said resilient pad;
• and a synthetic turf over said geotextile membrane, said synthetic turf comprising a backing fabric, substantially upstanding synthetic grass-like fibers forming a playing surface and tufted into said backing fabric, the length of said synthetic grass-like fibers being substantially uniform, thatch-like fibers tufted into said composite backing and interspersed among said synthetic grass-like fibers, and a top dressing interspersed among said synthetic grass-like fibers and said thatch-like fibers and on said backing fabric to a substantially uniform depth, said top dressing comprising natural soil.

A filled synthetic sports surface comprising:

• a sub-grade foundation;
• an aggregate sub-base over said sub-grade foundation;
• and a synthetic turf over said aggregate sub-base, said synthetic turf comprising a backing fabric, substantially upstanding grass-like fibers tufted into said backing fabric, the length of said grass-like fibers being substantially uniform, a top dressing interspersed among said grass-like fibers and on said backing fabric to a substantially uniform depth, said top dressing comprising art absorbent material saturated with a water-soluble coloring agent;
• and a network of pipe located below said synthetic turf for irrigating and draining said sports surface.

A method of providing realistic wet weather game play on a filled synthetic sports surface comprising the steps of:

• providing a sub-grade foundation;
• applying an aggregate sub-base over said sub-grade foundation;
• applying a synthetic turf over said aggregate sub-base, said synthetic turf comprising a backing fabric, substantially upstanding grass-like fibers tufted into said backing fabric, the length of said grass-like fibers being substantially uniform, a top dressing interspersed among said grass-like fibers and on said backing fabric to a substantially uniform depth, said top dressing comprising an absorbent material saturated with a water-soluble coloring agent;
• installing a network of pipe located below said synthetic turf for irrigating and draining said synthetic sports surface;
• saturating said synthetic spoils surface with water before game play via said network of pipe thereby releasing said water-soluble coloring agent from said absorbent material;
• and saturating said synthetic sports surface with a water soluble coloring agent after game play via said network of pipe thereby replenishing said absorbent material with said water-soluble coloring agent.