Why a Synthetic Hockey pitch?

The artificial surfaces of a synthetic hockey pitch give the players a lot much more deal with of the ball. Coupled with enhanced ball speed, hockey has turn into a much more quickly and a lot much more fascinating game.

A great deal much more information on Field Hockey pitch and developing there of.

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

All line markings on the pitch variety portion of the area 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 much more than the 23-metre (25-yard) line has occurred in the 23-metre area. A ball need to have to definitely cross a boundary line to be out of play, and a ball need to have to wholly cross the target line ahead of a target is scored.

Due to the original formulation of the recommendations in England, the common dimensions of a hockey pitch had been initially expressed in imperial units. The recommendations are now expressed explicitly in metric dimensions (due to the truth 1998), even although the use of the imperial terms remains frequent in some nations

Field of play on a hockey pitch

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

The hockey pitch is rectangular in shape. The longer perimeter edges are named the side line, the opposing shorter edges are referred as the back line and the portion of this in among the target posts is recognized as the target line. The side line need to have to measure 91.40 m and the back line truly should really measure 55.00 m. There need to have to be a minimum run-off of two m at the sidelines and 3 m at the backlines which could be a different surface for the final meter. All line markings need to have to be white and 75 millimeters wide. In every single corner of the pitch, a corner flag of no a lot 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 initially recorded recommendations represented what London clubs had been creating use of at the time. Surbiton Hockey Club’s minutes from 1876 stated that pitches had been to be “100–150 yards (91–137 m) lengthy and 50–80 yards (46–73 m) wide”. Recommendations by the Hockey Association of England in 1886 specified “one particular hundred yards lengthy by 55 to 60 yards (50 to 55 m) wide”.34 In 1905, the International Recommendations Board permitted the width of the pitch to be “up to 66 yards (60 m)” but this selection was reversed in 1909.5 In 1975, the present width of 60 yards was written into the recommendations.34

On artificial surfaces, the field of play truly should really be coloured green, ultramarine blue or signal blue. It is permitted for the run-off portion of the pitch to be an selection colour. The London 2012 Olympics started a new trend for blue hockey pitches, given that blue turf assists television viewers to clearly see the ball and markings on the hockey pitch in the course of gameplay. Not all hockey pitches have to be blue, but a yellow ball on blue turf is now the common for specialist field hockey tournaments.

Aim

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

Ambitions consist of two upright posts placed equidistant from the center of the backline, joined at the prime by a horizontal crossbar. The inner edges of the posts need to have to be 3.66 metres apart, and the decrease edge of the crossbar need to have to be two.14 metres (7 ft) above the ground. The goalposts and crossbar need to have to be white and rectangular in shape with width 50 millimetres and a depth of 50 to 75 millimeters (.

The target need to have to be at least 1.20 m deep at ground level and at least .90 m deep at crossbar level. The target area need to have 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 different dimensions primarily based on how deep at ground level and at crossbar level the target is. Regular dimensions for a common field hockey net are about 3.7m (W) x two.1m (H) x 1.2m (D).7

The initially hockey ambitions had been “7 feet (two.1 m) tall posts placed six yards (5.5 m) apart” but had been decreased to 4 yards (3.7 m) apart in the 1886 recommendations. In 1987, a rule was introduced so that at penalty corners “the initially hit at target truly should really not cross the target-line higher than 18 inches (460 mm)”. This saw the introduction of a sideboard and backboard to the ambitions which are now mandatory.34

Circle

A view of the penalty circle (sturdy line), the broken circle 5 m from it, and the penalty spot.

A target is scored when the ball passes definitely much 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 area a goalkeeper could play the ball with any portion of his physique and the area precisely exactly where an infringement by a defender outcomes in a penalty corner. The terminology circle (or D) is broadly utilised even although the area is truly formed by a 3.66-metre (4 yd) straight line, parallel to the target line, connected to two 14.63-metre (16 yd) quadrant arcs.910

The 1876 recommendations stated that “no ambitions shall be permitted if the ball be hit from a distance of a lot 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 enhanced to 16 yards (15 m) in 1951 for men’s hockey and 1968 for women’s hockey.5 Any no price-hit inside 5 m of the circle has slightly different recommendations from other persons concerning other players’ distance a broken circle 5 m from the penalty circle denotes this spot.ten

A penalty spot is centrally positioned straight in front of the target and utilised 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 certain goal3 they had been initially taken eight yards (7.3 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.4 m) from target the following year.5

Other markings

Simon Gougnard prepares to take a penalty corner from the ten m mark. The 5 m line above demarcates the closest position a defender could stand.

A half-way line, parallel to the back line, divides the pitch in two. The commence of every single period of play and resumption of play following a target starts with all players in the half they are defending. The line was also utilised for the obselete offside rule.3

Every and every single half of the pitch is then divided when much more by a line, referred to as the 23 metre line or 25 yard line, positioned 22.90 m11 from every single back line. Historically, this was initially utilised to resume play just soon after the ball passed much more than the back line and marked by flags at the side of the pitch. In 1949, deliberate defensive offenses in this area 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 utilised for the offside rule in among 1987 till the rule was abolished in 1996.3 At present, there are detailed recommendations relating to fouls and no price-hits in the 23 metre region of the pitch.12 Offered that 2015, the 23 metre line has also been utilised for the attacking group to resume play when it has gone much more than the back line (this replaced lengthy corners).13

There are added markings 300 mm lengthy and perpendicular to the back line that denote distances of ten m and 5 m from every single target post. These are relevant at a penalty corner the former is the mark from which the attacking group calls for the penalty corner and the latter is the closest position which a defender could stand. These marks had been 5 and ten yards (4.six and 9.1 m) in earlier versions of the recommendations.3 There is a comparable mark 5 m from along the side line (from precisely exactly where lengthy corners had been formerly taken) and a mark 14.six m along the side line indicating the level of the prime of the penalty circle. There are also 150 mm lengthy markings precisely exactly where the target posts are situated.14

Artificial playing surface

“artificial grass permits a lot a lot easier ball deal with and this in itself assists to reduce down the quantity of infringements of the rules—which signifies substantially significantly less whistle and fewer stoppages. The game hence becomes a lot a lot easier to comply with, as nicely as acquiring a much more quickly spectacle and a excellent deal a lot much more fascinating from a spectator point of view.”

Historically, the game was produced on all-all-natural grass turf. Nonetheless, in 1976, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) produced artificial pitches mandatory at all important competitions.17 The 1976 Summer season time Olympics in Montreal was the initially of these even so at this time handful of players had noticed or played on synthetic pitches.18 Even though it is nonetheless permissible to play on all-all-natural turf all national competitions and international matches need to have to be played on an artificial surface.19 Elite-level competitions, such as the Olympic Games and Globe Cup, demand a water-mainly primarily based playing surface. Nonetheless, due to water conservation efforts, this is not noticed as a lengthy-term sustainable answer and selection elite surfaces that do not demand water are acquiring researched.20

There are three most crucial sorts of artificial hockey pitch surface:

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

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

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

On water-mainly primarily based pitches, shorter fibers and wetted turf reduce down friction and enhance the speed at which the game can be played. Nonetheless, these pitches demand watering ahead of, in the course of and just soon after the game and upkeep charges are crucial.

Sand-dressed pitches value a lot much more than sand-filled pitches but are preferable for hockey as there is an absence of sand close to the playing surface. Nonetheless, a multi-objective surface suitable for sports which consists of association football and tennis is generally necessary and hockey could not be the predominant sport. There are rather a couple of different specifications and categorizations for artificial turf which consists of shock absorption, surface rebound, friction, and strength outlined by the International Hockey Federation.26 Lately, longer-pile third-generation or 3G pitches have turn into popular, specially for football, but these do not frequently meet the FIH’s test criteria they are generally as nicely inconsistent and slow.27

Criticism

The Globe Hockey magazine reported on the initially hockey tournament played on an artificial pitch in 1975—a trial occasion in Montreal prior to the Olympics—and talked about the surface had “huge good elements”.1516 Steve Ruskin, of Sports Illustrated, talked about that “A slow, analytical game gave way to a single of nonstop, precise-hop action.”28 Nonetheless, it has been stated that the selection to make artificial surfaces mandatory significantly favored a lot 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 among 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, talked about that “hockey players in India play on astroturf [sic] for the initially time at the age of 19 or 20 and acquire it truly tough to adapt.”29 Nonetheless, the Pakistan hockey group have performed nicely following the modify of surface regardless of the nation acquiring worse off economically and possessing fewer artificial pitches.16 When describing the modify of surface, Ruskin talked about that “for India it was like starting much more than, with all nations even in field hockey