Why a Synthetic Hockey pitch?

The artificial surfaces of a synthetic hockey pitch give the players much more manage of the ball. Coupled with elevated ball speed, hockey has come to be a more quickly and much more thrilling game.

A lot more details on Field Hockey pitch and building there of.

A hockey pitch is the playing surface for the game of field hockey. Historically, the game was played on organic turf (grass) but currently it is predominantly played on an artificial turf. The transition onto artificial pitches came for the duration of the 1970s and was produced mandatory for big competitions in 1976. All the lines, markings and target specifications are outlined by the International Hockey Federation in “The Guidelines of Hockey”.

All line markings on the pitch type element of the region which they define. For instance, a ball on the side line is nonetheless in the field of play a ball on the line of the penalty circle is in the penalty circle a foul committed more than the 23-metre (25-yard) line has occurred in the 23-metre region. A ball need to entirely cross a boundary line to be out of play, and a ball need to wholly cross the target line just before a target is scored.

Due to the original formulation of the guidelines in England, the regular dimensions of a hockey pitch had been initially expressed in imperial units. The guidelines are now expressed explicitly in metric dimensions (given that 1998), even though the use of the imperial terms remains typical in some nations

Field of play on a hockey pitch

Colored pitches are made use of to distinguish the field of play (green or blue) from the run-off (red/blue/yellow/orange/and so forth).

The hockey pitch is rectangular in shape. The longer perimeter edges are known as the side line, the opposing shorter edges are referred as the back line and the portion of this in between the target posts is recognized as the target line. The side line need to measure 91.40 m and the back line should really measure 55.00 m. There need to be a minimum run-off of two m at the sidelines and three m at the backlines which may well be a various surface for the final meter. All line markings need to be white and 75 millimeters wide. In every corner of the pitch, a corner flag of no much more than 300 mm square is attached to a post of height 1.20–1.50 m.

Historically, the pitch dimensions had been imperial and had been replaced by metric equivalents in 1998. The 1st recorded guidelines represented what London clubs had been working with at the time. Surbiton Hockey Club’s minutes from 1876 stated that pitches had been to be “100–150 yards (91–137 m) extended and 50–80 yards (46–73 m) wide”. Guidelines by the Hockey Association of England in 1886 specified “one hundred yards extended by 55 to 60 yards (50 to 55 m) wide”.34 In 1905, the International Guidelines Board permitted the width of the pitch to be “up to 66 yards (60 m)” but this selection was reversed in 1909.five In 1975, the present width of 60 yards was written into the guidelines.34

On artificial surfaces, the field of play should really be coloured green, ultramarine blue or signal blue. It is permitted for the run-off portion of the pitch to be an option colour. The London 2012 Olympics began a new trend for blue hockey pitches, due to the fact blue turf assists tv viewers to clearly see the ball and markings on the hockey pitch for the duration of gameplay. Not all hockey pitches have to be blue, but a yellow ball on blue turf is now the regular for expert field hockey tournaments.

Purpose

A hockey target at the 1960 Summer time Olympics. The target is deeper at ground level with side and backboards about the base.

Targets consist of two upright posts placed equidistant from the center of the backline, joined at the top rated by a horizontal crossbar. The inner edges of the posts need to be three.66 metres apart, and the reduce edge of the crossbar need to be two.14 metres (7 ft) above the ground. The goalposts and crossbar need to be white and rectangular in shape with width 50 millimetres and a depth of 50 to 75 millimeters (.

The target need to be at least 1.20 m deep at ground level and at least .90 m deep at crossbar level. The target region need to be delimited at ground level by a target backboard and two sideboards of height 460 millimetres (18 in). Affixed to these boards, the posts and crossbar is a net to quit the ball.eight

Hockey nets can come in various dimensions based on how deep at ground level and at crossbar level the target is. Standard dimensions for a regular field hockey net are about three.7m (W) x two.1m (H) x 1.2m (D).7

The 1st hockey objectives had been “7 feet (two.1 m) tall posts placed six yards (five.five m) apart” but had been decreased to four yards (three.7 m) apart in the 1886 guidelines. In 1987, a rule was introduced so that at penalty corners “the 1st hit at target should really not cross the target-line larger than 18 inches (460 mm)”. This saw the introduction of a sideboard and backboard to the objectives which are now mandatory.34

Circle

A view of the penalty circle (strong line), the broken circle five m from it, and the penalty spot.

A target is scored when the ball passes entirely more than the target line but only if the ball was played by an offensive player in the penalty circle. In addition, the circle marks the region a goalkeeper may well play the ball with any element of his physique and the region exactly where an infringement by a defender outcomes in a penalty corner. The terminology circle (or D) is broadly made use of even though the region is really formed by a three.66-metre (four yd) straight line, parallel to the target line, connected to two 14.63-metre (16 yd) quadrant arcs.910

The 1876 guidelines stated that “no objectives shall be permitted if the ball be hit from a distance of much more than 15 yards (14 m) from the nearest goalpost”. A visible “striking circle” with “radius of 15 yards” was codified in 1886.34 The radius of the circle was elevated to 16 yards (15 m) in 1951 for men’s hockey and 1968 for women’s hockey.five Any absolutely free-hit inside five m of the circle has slightly various guidelines from other folks regarding other players’ distance a broken circle five m from the penalty circle denotes this place.ten

A penalty spot is centrally positioned straight in front of the target and made use of for a penalty stroke. The spot is 150 mm in diameter and its centre is six.475 m from the outdoors of the target line.ten Penalty strokes had been introduced in 1963 for deliberately stopping a particular goal3 they had been initially taken eight yards (7.three m) from target. In 1973, a stroke could also be awarded for a deliberate foul in the circle and the spot was moved to 7 yards (six.four m) from target the following year.five

Other markings

Simon Gougnard prepares to take a penalty corner from the ten m mark. The five m line above demarcates the closest position a defender may well stand.

A half-way line, parallel to the back line, divides the pitch in two. The get started of every period of play and resumption of play following a target begins with all players in the half they are defending. The line was also made use of for the obselete offside rule.three

Every single half of the pitch is then divided once again by a line, referred to as the 23 metre line or 25 yard line, positioned 22.90 m11 from every back line. Historically, this was 1st made use of to resume play right after the ball passed more than the back line and marked by flags at the side of the pitch. In 1949, deliberate defensive offenses in this region resulted in a penalty corner. From 1961, players on the defensive group who had been not involved at the penalty corner stood behind this line (this was then moved to the half-way line two years later). The line was also made use of for the offside rule in between 1987 till the rule was abolished in 1996.three Currently, there are detailed guidelines concerning fouls and absolutely free-hits in the 23 metre area of the pitch.12 Considering that 2015, the 23 metre line has also been made use of for the attacking group to resume play when it has gone more than the back line (this replaced extended corners).13

There are further markings 300 mm extended and perpendicular to the back line that denote distances of ten m and five m from every target post. These are relevant at a penalty corner the former is the mark from which the attacking group requires the penalty corner and the latter is the closest position which a defender may well stand. These marks had been five and ten yards (four.six and 9.1 m) in earlier versions of the guidelines.three There is a equivalent mark five m from along the side line (from exactly where extended corners had been formerly taken) and a mark 14.six m along the side line indicating the level of the top rated of the penalty circle. There are also 150 mm extended markings exactly where the target posts are situated.14

Artificial playing surface

“artificial grass permits less complicated ball manage and this in itself assists to minimize the quantity of infringements of the rules—which suggests significantly less whistle and fewer stoppages. The game hence becomes less complicated to stick to, as effectively as becoming a more quickly spectacle and significantly much more exciting from a spectator point of view.”

Historically, the game was created on organic grass turf. Even so, in 1976, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) produced artificial pitches mandatory at all big competitions.17 The 1976 Summer time Olympics in Montreal was the 1st of these nonetheless at this time handful of players had noticed or played on synthetic pitches.18 Despite the fact that it is nonetheless permissible to play on organic turf all national competitions and international matches need to be played on an artificial surface.19 Elite-level competitions, such as the Olympic Games and Globe Cup, need a water-primarily based playing surface. Even so, due to water conservation efforts, this is not noticed as a extended-term sustainable choice and option elite surfaces that do not need water are becoming researched.20

There are 3 principal sorts of artificial hockey pitch surface:

   • Unfilled or water-primarily based – artificial fibers that are densely packed for stabilization, calls for irrigation or watering to steer clear of pitch put on

    • Dressed or sand-dressed – artificial fibers can be significantly less densely packed and sand supports the fibers for element of the pile depth

    • Filled or sand-filled – artificial fibers can be longer and significantly less densely packed and sand supports the fibers for one hundred% of the pile depth

On water-primarily based pitches, shorter fibers and wetted turf minimize friction and improve the speed at which the game can be played. Even so, these pitches need watering just before, for the duration of and right after the game and upkeep fees are important.

Sand-dressed pitches price much more than sand-filled pitches but are preferable for hockey as there is an absence of sand close to the playing surface. Even so, a multi-objective surface appropriate for sports like association football and tennis is normally necessary and hockey may well not be the predominant sport. There are quite a few various specifications and categorizations for artificial turf like shock absorption, surface rebound, friction, and strength outlined by the International Hockey Federation.26 Lately, longer-pile third-generation or 3G pitches have come to be well known, specifically for football, but these do not commonly meet the FIH’s test criteria they are normally as well inconsistent and slow.27

Criticism

The Globe Hockey magazine reported on the 1st hockey tournament played on an artificial pitch in 1975—a trial occasion in Montreal prior to the Olympics—and mentioned the surface had “huge positive aspects”.1516 Steve Ruskin, of Sports Illustrated, mentioned that “A slow, analytical game gave way to one particular of nonstop, correct-hop action.”28 Even so, it has been stated that the selection to make artificial surfaces mandatory drastically favored much more affluent Western nations who could afford these new pitches.29 Ahead of the switch to an artificial surface the Indian men’s hockey group had been dominant, winning seven of the eight Olympic gold medals in between 1928 and 1964.28 In 1996, Indian hockey player Ajit Pal Singh stated that regardless of its size ” can afford only 12 or so Artificial Turf fields”.Sardara Singh, captain of the Indian men’s hockey group, mentioned that “hockey players in India play on astroturf [sic] for the 1st time at the age of 19 or 20 and come across it challenging to adapt.”29 Even so, the Pakistan hockey group have performed effectively following the alter of surface regardless of the nation becoming worse off economically and possessing fewer artificial pitches.16 When describing the alter of surface, Ruskin mentioned that “for India it was like beginning more than, with all nations even in field hockey