MFMA PUR Standards

Since 1897, members of MFMA have been dedicated to producing the highest quality northern hard maple flooring and sports flooring systems in the world. Through consistent enforcement of strict manufacturing, grading, packaging, shipping and installation, MFMA has become synonymous with quality.

Within the last 20 years, there has been a movement within the industry to quantify performance characteristics that best define “a good sports floor.” As a result, our industry has hundreds of different sports flooring systems, each with varying levels of performance. Within this range of system options, there are some common performance characteristics the industry has recognized as being most desired and important.

MFMA’s PUR Standards focus on shock absorption, vertical deflection, area of deflection, ball bounce and surface friction. These standards have been designed, utilizing exacting testing methodologies, to ensure that customers receive a reliable, wellperforming, competitive sports surface.

No one knows more about how a floor should perform and how it should be installed than MFMA members. As an organization representing the worldwide sports flooring industry, our goal is to balance technical standards with practical flooring system design to create uniform standards of performance for competition sports floors.

When a specific flooring system is a MFMA PUR Compliant floor, it is tested on a strict pass/fail evaluation. MFMA will only allow the use of the term “compliant” as it pertains to PUR testing; either a floor is compliant and passes the standards or it does not.

For additional information on MFMA testing procedures, contact MFMA Headquarters or any of the MFMA Mill Manufacturing members on their system(s) that have been tested in accordance with the MFMA PUR Standards.

Individual Performance Characteristics

MFMA’s PUR Standards focus on shock absorption, vertical deflection, area of deflection, ball bounce, and surface friction. These standards have been designed, utilizing exacting testing methodologies, to ensure that customers receive a reliable, well performing, competitive sports surface. No one knows more about how a good floor should perform and how it should be installed than the MFMA members. As an organization representing the worldwide sports flooring industry, our goal is to balance technical standards with practical flooring system design in order to create uniform standards of performance for competition sports floors.

Performance Requirements

Why Is Performance Important ?

The MFMA Mill Manufacturing Members have been designing sports floor systems for generations. With the evolution of the understanding of the scientific relationship between the athlete and the sports surface, MFMA Mill Manufacturing Members have engineered flooring systems to meet the demands of today’s athletes. These standards reflect the competitive nature of today’s athletes and provide them with the tools to succeed.

Different Standards For Different Sports

We want nothing to get in the way of the athletes performing at the pinnacle of their abilities. The PUR Standards identifies the performance standards and their optimal performance levels that matter the most for each activity. Playing basketball on an aerobics floor will affect the performance of the athlete. The increased shock absorption can lead to fatigue much quicker than playing on a floor where the ideal shock absorption is designed for basketball. The opposite is true if you are doing aerobics on a portable floor system. The reduced shock absorption could lead the aerobics instructor to end the class early from soreness in the knees and ankles.

Why Is Uniformity Important ?

Uniformity Requirements

The MFMA, the sports flooring authority for over 100 years, recognizes the importance of a sports surface’s uniformity and consistent game play for a high quality floor. Therefore we have established the following uniformity requirements.

Different Standards For Different Sports

We want nothing to get in the way of the athletes performing at the pinnacle of their abilities. The PUR Standards identifies the performance standards and their optimal performance levels that matter the most for each activity. Playing basketball on an aerobics floor will affect the performance of the athlete. The increased shock absorption can lead to fatigue much quicker than playing on a floor where the ideal shock absorption is designed for basketball. The opposite is true if you are doing aerobics on a portable floor system. The reduced shock absorption could lead the aerobics instructor to end the class early from soreness in the knees and ankles.

ASTM Performance Test Methods

The MFMA PUR Standards utilize ASTM Test Standards when testing the performance and uniformity of a maple sport floor.

For additional information on MFMA testing procedures, contact MFMA Headquarters or any of the MFMA Mill Manufacturing members on their system(s) that have been tested in accordance with the MFMA PUR Standards.

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