Part I of this two part study reviews the development and characteristics of artificial grass, and the influence of this surface on the American football player.

Artificial grass was initially developed to provide city children with increased play space and thus enable them to maintain a fitness level equal to their peers in more rural locales. Today, artificial grass fields allow for increased use when field availability is limited, or for a grass substitute where grass will not grow. However, epidemiologic studies suggest that there is an in- creased risk of lower extremity injury to the football athlete playing on an artificial grass field. By reviewing available studies, a knowledge base can be formed that can serve to direct future investigations concerning the influence of artificial grass surfaces and injury and, ultimately, how that influence can be affected.