For most New Jersey school and municipal fields, the shock pad decision comes down to how long you want it to last and how well your base drains. Brock PowerBase YSR (1-inch expanded polypropylene panels) is the long-life option with the broadest published warranty here. Brock lists a typical water permeability of 720 in/hr, a 25-year structural warranty and a Gmax below 120 for the life of the field. REGUPOL abzorb is a rolled pad made from 92% post-consumer tire rubber, with a 16-year warranty and published system Gmax of under 104 to under 112 depending on thickness. Schmitz Foam ProPlay Sport and Trocellen ProGame are closed-cell polyethylene foam pads. ProPlay Sport23 lists field Gmax of 80 to 110. Specify a Gmax target and drainage rate in the bid, and require test results on your turf and infill. Disclosure: DreamFields USA inspects, maintains, repairs and installs turf in the NJ/NY/CT area. We don't sell a shock pad brand, and no manufacturer paid for placement.
On a turf field without a pad, the infill does most of the cushioning. Infill migrates, compacts and gets kicked out of goal mouths and sidelines, so impact attenuation drifts over the life of the field. That is why our Gmax testing guide treats 200 as the widely cited maximum and around 165 as the practical action level. A shock pad adds a consistent elastic layer under the turf, so the system depends less on infill depth from week to week. Several manufacturers also design their pads to outlast the turf and be reused at the next replacement, which changes the math on a 20-year facility plan.
This page compares actual pad products. If your field already has a pad and it's testing hard, start with our shock pad replacement guide, which covers signs of pad failure and how replacement works. That page deliberately doesn't name brands. This one does.
| Pad | Material / format | Thickness | Impact data (as published) | Drainage (as published) | Warranty / reuse |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brock PowerBase YSR | Expanded polypropylene (EPP), interlocking molded panels, 73.5" x 49" | 1.00 in (25 mm) | Pad sheet: Gmax 79 (spec <90), critical fall height 1.2 m, shock absorption 70%. Brock guarantees Gmax <120 for the life of the field | 720 in/hr typical vertical (spec >500); lateral channels to the perimeter | 25-year structural warranty; designed to stay in place through turf replacements |
| REGUPOL abzorb | Prefabricated recycled tire rubber (92% post-consumer), 48" wide rolls | 8, 10 or 12 mm (custom on request) | System (2" turf, 70/30 sand/rubber): Gmax <112 / <110 / <104; force reduction 65–66%; critical fall height 1.08–1.23 m | >100 in/hr vertical; lateral transmissivity 0.65–0.69 gal/hr/ft | 16-year warranty; up to 3 turf fields over the pad, per REGUPOL |
| Schmitz Foam ProPlay Sport (Sport16, 20, 20H, 23; D versions for lateral drainage) | Thermal-bonded closed-cell cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) foam, puzzle-cut sheets | 16, 20 or 23 mm (Sport23 = 0.91 in) | Sport23: field Gmax 80–110 (varies by system). Sport20: 56% force reduction, 0.68 m critical fall height | 72,000 mm/h infiltration (Sport line); D versions add in-plane channels | Data sheet shows a 25-year guarantee mark; get the written warranty terms |
| Trocellen ProGame XC / XC Plus | Closed-cell, chemically cross-linked PE foam laminated to PET nonwoven, 2 m rolls | 6–14 mm (densities 30–90 kg/m³) | Maker says systems can reach FIFA Quality and Quality Pro with short-pile turf; rugby systems reach 1.3 m critical fall height with 60 mm turf | Punched for drainage; Plus version adds lateral drainage (10/12 mm) | Ask for US warranty terms in writing |
Not a ranking. Pad-only numbers and full-system numbers aren't directly comparable, and every result depends on the turf, infill and base above and below the pad. No prices: every field is quoted after a site visit.
Brock describes PowerBase YSR as molded from 100% expanded polypropylene and installed as interlocking panels under the turf. Its typical-properties sheet lists a nominal 1-inch (25 mm) panel, 73.5 by 49 inches, covering 24.15 square feet and weighing 5.2 pounds. On that sheet the pad alone shows a Gmax of 79 against a specification of under 90, a 1.2 m critical fall height (HIC 1,000, ASTM F3146), 70% shock absorption and 9.7 mm vertical deformation. Brock notes the data are typical properties only.
Drainage is the headline. The sheet lists 720 inches per hour of water permeability against a spec of over 500, and channels on the underside of each panel run continuously from panel to panel so water moves sideways to the perimeter collectors. Brock also sells PowerBase YSRXD, a higher-capacity drainage version it positions for turf replacements where the original stone base no longer drains well, so the base doesn't have to be torn out. Crush ribs on each panel let it handle a 130°F temperature swing.
Brock's warranty claim is unusual: a 25-year structural warranty paired with a guarantee that Gmax stays below 120 for the life of the field. It says the pad stays in place when the turf above it is replaced, and cites Boise State reusing Brock pads installed in 2008 when its turf was replaced in 2019. Brock also says PowerBase YSR is Cradle to Cradle Certified and contains no intentionally added PFAS. Read the warranty itself, including what testing and maintenance it requires of the owner.
REGUPOL America, based in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, makes abzorb from 92% post-consumer tire rubber. It arrives in 48-inch rolls cut to the field's layout, in 8, 10 or 12 mm standard thicknesses (other thicknesses on request), weighing 1.04 to 1.56 pounds per square foot. REGUPOL's published system tests used 2-inch turf with a 70/30 sand-and-rubber infill at 40 mm depth. They show Gmax (ASTM F355A) of under 112 at 8 mm, under 110 at 10 mm and under 104 at 12 mm, force reduction of 65 to 66%, and critical fall heights of 1.08 to 1.23 m. A 23 mm version reaches 1.40 m.
Vertical permeability is listed at over 100 inches per hour, with lateral transmissivity of 0.65 to 0.69 gallons per hour per foot. REGUPOL offers a 16-year standard warranty and says the average abzorb pad lasts under up to three turf fields. It also offers a takeback program for end-of-life pads. Its regional references include Spring Grove Area High School and Ephrata's War Memorial Field, both in Pennsylvania. If your district cares about recycled content or LEED documentation, REGUPOL publishes HPDs and a third-party EPD.
Schmitz Foam Products, whose US office is in Coldwater, Michigan, makes ProPlay Sport from thermal-bonded, closed-cell cross-linked polyethylene foam made from production remnants. The traditional-field line includes Sport16/165 (16 mm, 50% force reduction), Sport20 (20 mm, 56%), Sport20H (20 mm, 60%) and Sport23 (23 mm). All list a water infiltration rate of 72,000 mm per hour. The US data sheet for Sport23 lists 0.91 inches thick, 0.90 pounds per square foot, and an in-field Gmax of 80 to 110 under ASTM F1936/F355-A, noting results vary with system and base. "D" versions add in-plane drainage channels for fields on an impermeable base.
The installation notes are worth reading before you choose. Schmitz says the base should be flat within 3/8 inch under a 10-foot straightedge, and that D variants need at least a 0.5% slope (1% is better). The foam expands and shrinks with temperature, so the turf must not be glued to the pad, and the installation manual has to be followed exactly. It also recommends stabilizing the turf with at least 3.1 pounds of sand per square foot or using a fiberglass-reinforced backing. The pad textile shouldn't sit in daylight for more than a month, so the turf should go down within a week. Equipment tire loads are capped at 40 psi while driving and 20 psi when parked. None of this is a problem for an experienced installer, but it belongs in the spec.
Trocellen's ProGame XC and XC Plus pads are closed-cell, chemically cross-linked polyethylene foam laminated to a PET nonwoven, delivered in 2-meter-wide rolls cut to length. They come in 6 to 14 mm thicknesses and densities of 30 to 90 kg/m³, with Plus versions offering lateral drainage at 10 and 12 mm. Trocellen markets specific products by sport: football (soccer), rugby, hockey, baseball, cricket and golf. It says ProGame systems with short-pile turf and reduced infill can reach FIFA Quality and Quality Pro, and that its rugby pads with 60 mm turf reach a 1.3 m critical fall height. Most of Trocellen's documentation references European standards, so ask a US distributor for ASTM system test results and the US warranty before you put it in a New Jersey spec.
Drainage is usually the hidden problem. A pad with strong lateral drainage, such as Brock PowerBase YSR or YSRXD, or a Schmitz ProPlay D version on a properly sloped base, can carry water off a base that no longer drains well. Have the base evaluated first, and look at our sports field drainage guide.
Think about the second turf, not just the first. A pad designed to stay in place for more than one turf (Brock says it will; REGUPOL says up to three fields) moves part of the next replacement's cost forward into this one. See our guide to public bid vs cooperative purchasing for how NJ entities buy fields.
Choose on documented system results with your infill, and write the target into the contract. Brock's lifetime Gmax-below-120 guarantee and REGUPOL's published system Gmax give you something specific to hold the bidder to.
Thin, dense foam is the norm. Trocellen sells pads specifically for FIH-certified hockey systems. Ask for the exact system certificate, not just the pad.
Is your field testing hard, or due for replacement?
DreamFields tests Gmax, inspects infill and pads, and quotes repairs and replacements across NJ, NY and CT. Tell us the field, the turf age and the last test results.
Request a field inspection quoteThere is no single best pad; the right one depends on your base, your infill and how long you want the pad to last. For a school or municipal field where drainage over an aging stone base is a concern, Brock PowerBase YSR (1-inch expanded polypropylene panels, 720 in/hr typical water permeability on its data sheet, 25-year structural warranty and a lifetime Gmax-below-120 guarantee, per Brock) is a strong fit. REGUPOL abzorb is a rolled rubber pad made from 92 percent post-consumer tire rubber with a 16-year warranty and published system Gmax under 112. Schmitz Foam ProPlay Sport and Trocellen ProGame are closed-cell polyethylene foam pads; ProPlay Sport23 lists field Gmax of 80 to 110. Compare them on the same turf and infill spec, not brochure to brochure.
Yes, that is its main job. A shock pad adds a consistent elastic layer under the turf, so impact attenuation depends less on infill depth, which changes with play and grooming. REGUPOL publishes system Gmax of under 104 to under 112 by thickness, Schmitz lists 80 to 110 in the field for ProPlay Sport23, and Brock guarantees Gmax below 120 for the life of the field. Actual results depend on the turf, infill and base, so specify a Gmax target in the bid and require testing.
Often, and that is a big part of the value. Brock says its pads stay in place through turf replacements and cites Boise State reusing pads installed in 2008 when its turf was replaced in 2019. REGUPOL says abzorb can serve under up to three turf fields. Reuse still depends on condition, so have the pad inspected and tested when the old turf comes off.
There is no general state rule that requires one. Many owners specify a pad because it holds Gmax more steadily over the life of the field and can be reused. Your bid documents, league or governing-body requirements and your own Gmax policy decide whether a pad is required on your project.
Each has trade-offs. Expanded polypropylene panels (Brock) are rigid, molded and drain laterally through channels. Rolled rubber (REGUPOL abzorb) is dense, heavy and made from recycled tires. Closed-cell cross-linked polyethylene foam (Schmitz ProPlay, Trocellen ProGame) is light and is perforated or slotted for drainage; Schmitz notes it expands and contracts with temperature and must be installed to its manual. Ask each supplier for system test results on your turf and infill, not just pad-only numbers.
DreamFields does not publish shock pad prices. The number depends on the product and thickness, field size, base condition and repairs, whether an old pad comes out, and whether the pad is bought through a cooperative contract or a public bid. We scope the field, test the existing surface and quote in writing.
Related: shock pad replacement · Gmax testing · best playground turf systems · infill depth by sport · sports field maintenance
Sources (accessed October 26, 2026): Brock USA PowerBase YSR product page; Brock PowerBase YSR typical properties sheet (PDF, via dealer); REGUPOL abzorb brochure and specifications (PDF); Schmitz Foam ProPlay for traditional 3G fields; ProPlay Sport23 US technical data sheet (PDF); Trocellen ProGame shock pads for sports fields. Specs are manufacturer-published and may change, so confirm them on the quote.