People are living longer, work shorter hours, retire earlier, and have more free time and more disposable income. The obvious result is that increasingly they have more time and money to spend on leisure activities. The expansion of the sports and leisure industry has been nothing but good news for the polymer industry. This has not simply been because of the volume increase in sports goods but because of the inroads polymers have made in replacing traditional materials in this sector. In this report, the author reviews the huge range of sports-related products from playing surfaces to footwear and clothing, and notes how changing performance, usually for the better, and the need to supplement the rules of the game to ensure consistency when a variety of materials and designs may be in use has led to an increase in testing and specification.

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