When it comes to sports, especially the performance giving equipment and the playing surfaces the quality must be optimum with safety paramount. Superior sporting bodies such as FIFA-Fédération Internationale de Football Association, FIBA-Fédération Internationale de Basketball, as well as the FIH-International Hockey Federation work hard to establish these standards. Some serve minimize equipment and surfaces designated for use in competitions to reach specific performance and safety standards which affects fairness of competition among athletes and safety of these athletes. Here is how these major sports associations approve such programs:

1. FIFA: Standards Applying to Football Attire and Ground

Football Equipment: Policies that help in the selection of equipment in football range from safety measures, durability and performance to meet FIFA standards.

Key aspects include:

• Football: Be it as per weight, circumference, roundness, bounciness, or its capability to absorb water the ball needs to meet certain criteria.

The FIFA Quality Programme divides balls into two categories- FIFA Quality and FIFA Quality Pro on the basis of their performances.

• • Weight: The ball should be in the range of 410-450 grams that is 14-16 ounces.
  • Circumference: It has to measure 68-70cm (27-28 inches) in circumference.
  • Water Absorption: The ball should not be allowed to swell more than 10% of its weight in water so as to enable it perform in all weathers.
  • Rebound: The testing of the ball entails dropping it from a height of 2 meters (78. 7 inches) and catching the ball from a concrete surface with the ball’s bounce falling within a given range.
• Goalposts and Nets: They also need to be made from material that is strong yet somewhere elastic and have to be of the correct dimensions. The nets should be firmly placed on the posts and the nets should be able to bear some force.
  • Dimensions: Based on the FIFA code, the standard goal post size is 8 feet in height and 24 feet in width.  The goal net must be positioned 2 meters (or 6. 5 feet) from the ground and from the goal line in the back, in such a manner that the ball can fit in to the net without interference.
  • Net Stability: The nets should be firmly attached to the posts and should be made of material that can stand impact force to prevent the nets from bursting.
• Protective Gear: The requirements for the shin guards and goalkeeping gloves are present in the aspect of protection and comfort.

1. • Shin Guards: Should be made from materials such as rubber, plastic or any other that will offer proper cushioning to impacts.
   • Goalkeeping Gloves: SHOULD improve control at the end of the paddle, along with the hands of the participants, without compromising on flexibility of use and convenience.
     

Playing Surfaces: Playing surfaces are other requirements that FIFA have put in place and these in the following ways;

• Natural Grass: The court must be in good condition it should have proper drainage system and the playing surface should not be affected by water at all.

1. • Grass Height: FIFA suggested that for well punching ball with good bouncing and short headedness and safety point of view the grass length should be of 20-30mm ( 0. 8-1. 2 inch).
   • Drainage: Because of this the field must have good drainage momentum in order not to flood with water whenever there is rain.
     

• Artificial Turf: Another program from FIFA is the Quality Programme for artificial turf and some of the tests includes shock absorption, traction and abrasion. 

1. • Shock Absorption: Shock attenuation for the free foam surface for desired soccer-turf systems should be in the range of 55 to 70 percent to minimize its effect on the players.
   • Traction: The surface should be capable of affording the required friction to prevent slipping while at the same time be able to afford easy change of directions.
   • Abrasion: The turf should also be durable so as to withstand constant use for a long period of time depending on the amount of usage.

Turf systems are classified into two which include the FIFA Quality and FIFA Quality Pro.

2. FIBA: Some of the aspects that the standards cover include Basketball equipment and Courts.

• Basketball: The following Criteria had been set:

The basketballs must meet the holding strength of FIBA playing specifications. The ball has many restrictions which are the size, the weight and performance level of it.

• • Size and Weight: Related to this, to be standard, balls have to meet certain dimensions, a factor complemented by a recommended weight.
    In the case of the men competitions the ball should have a circumference of 74/ 72. In case of women’s competition, the circumference should be 72. 4-73. 7 cm (28. 5-29 inches) with the approximate weight between 510 to 567 grams (18-20 ounces).
  • Grip and Bounce: Units are checked as to grip, bounce, and strength with a view to ascertaining if the balls would perform better under similar environments. The balls must have the grip that enables players to grasp as well as sustain the control, and it must ricochet with stability, up to slightly more than 1. Sizes: 4 meters (55 inches) when dropped from 1. 8 meters (71 inches).

Basketball Courts: The FIBA-approved courts also should meet such requirements:

• Surface Quality: Tournaments cannot be held at a venue with a stage that does not have a non-slip surface which is safe for the players.
• Dimensions: Floor space must also abide to specific length and width requirements and markings have to be done correctly. The court should be of the size 28m (91. 9 ft) length, away from the net and 15m (49. 2 ft) width.
• Markings: Measurements for all lines must be 5 cm or 2 inches and the lines should be easily visible and painted in different colour to that of the ground.

Basket and Backboard: Some specifications that must be met include:

• Rim Height: Specifically, the rim has to be 3. 05 meters (10feet) above the playing surface.
• Backboard Size: The backboard used in basketball should measure 1.8 meters (6 feet) in width and 1.05 meters (3.5 feet) in height.

3. FIH: Measures concerning Field Hockey Equipment and Surfaces.

Field Hockey Equipment: There are several approval criteria that FIH has come up with concerning hockey equipment and they are as follows;

• Sticks: The material used for preparation of sticks must be authorised and sticks must possess a certain length, weight and flexibility

• • Length: Sticks should be of a maximum size that should not measure or pass 105 CM (41 INCHES) in length.
  • Weight: The maximum weight allowed is of up to 737 grams or 26 usable ounces.
  • Safety: The material of the sticks has to be selected in a manner that does not pose a potential threat at hurting anybody, especially during accidents, a stick should not have any raised edges or part of it that can splinter.

• Protective Gear: Uniforms of all players especially the goalkeepers need to be protective but this should not impend on the players’ movements.

• • Goalkeeper Gear: Which consists of special helmets, a chest protector, special gloves, and special leg guards to help guard against high speeds accidents.
    

Playing Surfaces: Some of the standard that are set by FIH includes:

• Turf Surfaces: It is expected to give the ball favourable bounciness and good grip for the players.

• • Shock Absorption: Turf must be of such standard, that it has a shock absorption rate of between 45 and 60 percent in order to protect players in the event of an accident or fall.
  • Vertical Deformation: The surface should be soft or slightly compressive when external pressure is applied to give the kids a safe area of play of about 4 – 6 mm (0. 16 – 0.
  • Horizontal Friction: The surface must have enough friction so that there will be no slipping but at the same time there will be smooth ball movement.

• Field Markings: It also has to be noted that all the markings have to be accurate as well as visible which will help players to do it right.

• • Line Width: They should be 75mm (3 inches) wide and painted with a colour that is different from that of the turf.

Universal factors are those considerations that cut across all the Sports Associations.
While specific criteria may vary, common themes include:

• Safety: This means that any equipment that is to be used by athletes should not be deadly or have tendencies of causing harm to any athlete in any way since it hinders on reducing on the instances of accidents.
• Performance: It also requires that all products must have performance tests so that all the competitors can be equal on the balance of probability.
• Durability: Products which can be used for transportation equipment should have the ability to maintain surface characteristics even with heavy usage and other factors in the external environment.

Conclusion:
These approval standards established by FIFA, FIBA, and FIH are useful for defending the purity of sports and the wellbeing of athletes. Thus, such standards give a guarantee that the sports events are fair and the equipment and surfaces adhered to during the kind of events are worthy of quality and most importantly, safety. These rubrics apply whether it’s a football, a basketball or a hockey stick – and these are important with regard to the fact that the standards of an international sport have to be upheld.

To manufacturers and sports facilities it is crucial to familiarize and adhere to those standards in order to obtain the approval and ensure that an athlete has the appropriate environment to perform at the optimum level.