Apart from the word “soccer” itself, one of the most other used words in soccer is “Pitch”. And the reason for this is that the soccer pitch is one of the most important parts of soccer. Without a soccer pitch, the game cannot be played with all of its beauty at the professional level.
Meanwhile, “what is a soccer”, and “why is it called a soccer pitch?”. These and many more questions regarding the soccer pitch are what we will be addressing here.
What Is A Soccer Pitch?
According to Wikipedia, a football or soccer pitch is the playing surface for the game of association football or soccer. Its dimensions and markings are defined by Law 1 of the Laws of the Game, “The Field of Play”. And according to the Collins dictionary, “a soccer pitch is the field of play used in soccer”.
READ: Soccer Field vs Football Field – A Comparison Guide
Why Is It Called A Soccer Pitch?
The football pitch, also known as “the soccer pitch” is called “pitch” due to its history and this is due to the fact that when the sport was founded in the year 1863, there was no stadium or facility for the games to be played.
Also, considering the fact that cricket, which was the most popular sport then, had a large space that served as the playing area, the soccer players then had to borrow the fields for these cricket players to host their own game, soccer.
Also, the reason why it is called “pitch” is that the cricket players prior to playing the game had to “pitch the stumps”, also known as the “playing area”, and this, of course, got shortened into “pitch”.
Size Of A Soccer Pitch
As compared to the Cricket field, known today as “Turf cricket pitch”, the soccer pitch has a definite size and this is due to the legalized and standardized rules made by the world football governing body, Fédération Internationale de Football Association known in English as International Federation of Association Football (FIFA).
READ: Why Are Soccer Fields Striped?
The size of a soccer pitch is 105 by 68 meters and with an area of about 7,140 square meters. Although the soccer pitch can be smaller than this, depending on the number of players that are actually playing the game.
Terms Related To A Soccer Pitch
There are a few words related to the soccer pitch. Below are a few of the soccer pitch-related words that you should know –
1. Touchline –
The touchline is the vertical and horizontal sides of the football pitch. There is usually just the line demarcating the soccer pitch.
2. Goal Line –
The goal line is the boundary line that differentiates the field of play from the goalpost. When the ball passes the goal line, it is considered a “goal”.
3. Goal Keeper Area –
The goalkeeper area is the line just before the goal line where the goalkeeper can restart play if there is a goal kick.
4. Corner Arc –
The corner arc is the diameter drawn around the edges of the soccer pitch. Corners are taken at the corner arc.
5. Center Circle –
The center circle is in the middle of the soccer pitch. It shows the minimum distance that the opposition players have to keep at kick-off.
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6. Semi-circle –
Close to the goal area, the semi-circle is the circle that is 10 yards from the penalty spot. The penalty taker has to be at least 10 years from the penalty spot.
7. Penalty area –
The penalty area is the rectangular area in front of the goal. It includes the goal area.
Is Soccer Pitch the Same As A Football Pitch?
Yes, the soccer pitch is the same as a football pitch. Americans mostly refer to it as ” soccer pitch”, with native English speakers calling it “pitch” or “football pitch”. Regardless, it should be known that the USA also have a sport known as American Football and prefer to refer to it as football and the round leather game as soccer instead.
Can A Soccer Pitch Have Artificial Grass?
Yes, a soccer pitch can also have artificial grass. A few stadiums with artificial pitches are Young Boys, Stade de Suisse and New England Revolutions, and Gillette Stadium.
READ: When Was Soccer Invented?
Final Words
In soccer, a pitch is where the action takes place and comprises the elements that make the game fun such as the goalposts, center circle, corner arc, and the like that give the game its unique characteristics. At the professional level, the size of a soccer pitch is based on recommendations and standards from FIFA.
Kenneth is a an avid soccer follower, fan and writer. He is a consistent follower of the sport and is a fan of Chelsea FC.