Yeah basically. Watch the video of Rodgers Achilles snapping, if you can stomach it. Now imagine that same play on a natural field.
There would be A LOT more give into the ground, and more often the grass sliding and giving way, which could take a lot of force away from that tendon.
Instead, his foot could not move or find a better position so that his own body could distribute the force, and the ground never gave any leeway, so all the force of him running, trying to break a tackle and a 300+lb elite athlete tackling him was transferred into his static Achilles tendon.
This could have been a sprained ankle, or maybe nothing on a grass field.
So, is it basically better traction? But like with anything safety related, there’s supposed to be a level of give so it gives way before you do?
Yeah basically. Watch the video of Rodgers Achilles snapping, if you can stomach it. Now imagine that same play on a natural field.
There would be A LOT more give into the ground, and more often the grass sliding and giving way, which could take a lot of force away from that tendon.
Instead, his foot could not move or find a better position so that his own body could distribute the force, and the ground never gave any leeway, so all the force of him running, trying to break a tackle and a 300+lb elite athlete tackling him was transferred into his static Achilles tendon.
This could have been a sprained ankle, or maybe nothing on a grass field.