FIFA Women's World Cup on fake turf draws legal threat

A group of elite international women's soccer players is threatening legal action against FIFA, soccers international governing body,for gender discrimination.

The female athletes are upset that next years Women's World Cup tournament, hosted by Canada, will be played on artificial turf something they say would never happen in a mens tournament.

Theres no doubt that the men would not be asked to play on a second-class surface.HamptonDellinger, lawyer representing players

We just saw the World Cup in Brazil. We just know theres absolutely no way the men would play on fake grass. It would be a scandal, said Carrie Serwetnyk, a former national player who founded the non-profit organization Equal Play.

So to think its OK for the Womens World Cup to be played on artificial turf, what kind of a message does that send?

Serwetnyk said she got involved in the legal campaign to hold FIFA and Canadian soccer authorities accountable.

The lawsuit takes it to another platform. It means the powers that be will have to take responsibility, Serwetnyk said, adding that professional-level soccer competitions should always be played on real grass.

Soccer is all about touch. [Real grass] is a better touch. During the World Cup, we saw players go sliding and landing in all kinds of directions.They have the privilege of landing on grass, which isnt as hard, she said.

'2nd-class surface'

The group of women recently sent a letter to Canadian soccer officials and FIFApresident Sepp Blatter saying artificial turf is a "second-class surface."

We know theres no doubt that the men would not be asked to play on a second-class surface for their world class tournament. They werent this year in Brazil, its already been established that the mens World Cup tournaments in 2018 and 2022 will be on grass. Theres no reason the women should be treated as second-class, said Hampton Dellinger, a lawyer representing the group of players.

The games will be played in six different cities: Montreal, Ottawa, Moncton, N.B., Winnipeg, Edmonton and Vancouver.

In Moncton, the stadiums soccer field had been grass, but the city was ordered by FIFA to convert it to artificial turf for this summers Under-20 Women's World Cup.

• FIFA gives thumbs-up to 2015 Women's World Cup venues
• Moncton stadium installs new $1.5M turf field

"There's certainly a very credible range of evidence that artificial turf poses a greater and unique danger versus grass pitches, particularly at the highest level. Obviously the only place you can have turf burns and these are serious, they can really be incapacitating to a player is on an artificial pitch," Dellinger said.

It cost $1.5M to convert the field to artificial turf. The city paid for one-third of the tab.

Serwetnyk said Canadian officials are not standing up for equality.

Its a signal saying womens soccer doesnt matter so muchCanada has a responsibility to send a message of equality for such an event.

The womens letter to FIFA and to Canadian soccer officials says that beyond the inequality, being forced to play on the turf is a form of gender discrimination that violates Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Canada has made a commitment in its provincial human rights codes, in its national charter, that gender discrimination is prohibited, Dellinger said.