Field Hockey pitch Steytlerville

Why a Synthetic Hockey pitch?

The artificial surfaces of a synthetic hockey pitch give the players added deal with of the ball. Coupled with enhanced ball speed, hockey has develop to be a much more quickly and added fascinating game.

Far much more information on Field Hockey pitch and constructing 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 at present it is predominantly played on an artificial turf. The transition onto artificial pitches came all through the 1970s and was designed mandatory for primary competitions in 1976. All the lines, markings and objective specifications are outlined by the International Hockey Federation in “The Suggestions of Hockey”.

All line markings on the pitch sort element of the place 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 place. A ball will have to completely cross a boundary line to be out of play, and a ball will have to wholly cross the objective line just just before a objective is scored.

Due to the original formulation of the recommendations in England, the popular dimensions of a hockey pitch had been initially expressed in imperial units. The recommendations are now expressed explicitly in metric dimensions (provided that 1998), when 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 forth).

The hockey pitch is rectangular in shape. The longer perimeter edges are referred to as the side line, the opposing shorter edges are referred as the back line and the portion of this involving the objective posts is recognized as the objective line. The side line will have to measure 91.40 m and the back line need to have to measure 55.00 m. There will have to be a minimum run-off of two m at the sidelines and 3 m at the backlines which may well effectively be a diverse surface for the final meter. All line markings will have to be white and 75 millimeters wide. In just about every single corner of the pitch, a corner flag of no added 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 functioning with 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”. Suggestions by the Hockey Association of England in 1886 specified “a single hundred yards lengthy by 55 to 60 yards (50 to 55 m) wide”.34 In 1905, the International Suggestions Board permitted the width of the pitch to be “up to 66 yards (60 m)” but this option 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 need to have to be coloured green, ultramarine blue or signal blue. It is permitted for the run-off portion of the pitch to be an choice colour. The London 2012 Olympics started a new trend for blue hockey pitches, due to the fact blue turf aids television viewers to clearly see the ball and markings on the hockey pitch all through gameplay. Not all hockey pitches have to be blue, but a yellow ball on blue turf is now the popular for professional field hockey tournaments.

Goal

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

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

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

Hockey nets can come in diverse dimensions primarily based on how deep at ground level and at crossbar level the objective is. Common dimensions for a popular field hockey net are about 3.7m (W) x two.1m (H) x 1.2m (D).7

The initially hockey targets had been “7 feet (two.1 m) tall posts placed six yards (5.5 m) apart” but had been lowered 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 objective need to have to not cross the objective-line higher than 18 inches (460 mm)”. This saw the introduction of a sideboard and backboard to the targets which are now mandatory.34

Circle

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

A objective is scored when the ball passes completely much more than the objective line but only if the ball was played by an offensive player in the penalty circle. Additionally, the circle marks the place a goalkeeper may well effectively play the ball with any element of his physique and the place precisely exactly where an infringement by a defender added benefits in a penalty corner. The terminology circle (or D) is extensively utilised when the place is really formed by a 3.66-metre (4 yd) straight line, parallel to the objective line, connected to two 14.63-metre (16 yd) quadrant arcs.910

The 1876 recommendations stated that “no targets shall be permitted if the ball be hit from a distance of added 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 completely no cost-hit inside 5 m of the circle has slightly diverse recommendations from other persons relating to 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 objective 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 objective 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 objective. 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 objective 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 may well effectively stand.

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

Each and every half of the pitch is then divided after once more by a line, referred to as the 23 metre line or 25 yard line, positioned 22.90 m11 from just about every single back line. Historically, this was initially utilised to resume play quickly just 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 place 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 involving 1987 till the rule was abolished in 1996.3 These days, there are detailed recommendations relating to fouls and completely no cost-hits in the 23 metre location of the pitch.12 Thinking of the reality 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 additional markings 300 mm lengthy and perpendicular to the back line that denote distances of ten m and 5 m from just about every single objective post. These are relevant at a penalty corner the former is the mark from which the attacking group needs the penalty corner and the latter is the closest position which a defender may well effectively 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 important of the penalty circle. There are also 150 mm lengthy markings precisely exactly where the objective posts are situated.14

Artificial playing surface

“artificial grass permits a lot less difficult ball deal with and this in itself aids to reduce the quantity of infringements of the rules—which signifies a lot much less whistle and fewer stoppages. The game thus becomes a lot less difficult to adhere to, as correctly as acquiring a much more quickly spectacle and significantly added fascinating from a spectator point of view.”

Historically, the game was designed on organic grass turf. On the other hand, in 1976, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) designed artificial pitches mandatory at all primary competitions.17 The 1976 Summer season time Olympics in Montreal was the initially of these nonetheless at this time handful of players had noticed or played on synthetic pitches.18 Although it is nonetheless permissible to play on organic turf all national competitions and international matches will have to be played on an artificial surface.19 Elite-level competitions, such as the Olympic Games and Globe Cup, demand a water-mostly primarily based playing surface. On the other hand, due to water conservation efforts, this is not noticed as a lengthy-term sustainable choice and choice elite surfaces that do not demand water are acquiring researched.20

There are three principal sorts of artificial hockey pitch surface:

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

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

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

On water-mostly primarily based pitches, shorter fibers and wetted turf reduce friction and enhance the speed at which the game can be played. On the other hand, these pitches demand watering just just before, all through and quickly just after the game and upkeep expenditures are considerable.

Sand-dressed pitches value added than sand-filled pitches but are preferable for hockey as there is an absence of sand close to the playing surface. On the other hand, a multi-aim surface acceptable for sports like association football and tennis is ordinarily required and hockey may well effectively not be the predominant sport. There are various diverse specifications and categorizations for artificial turf like shock absorption, surface rebound, friction, and strength outlined by the International Hockey Federation.26 Not also extended ago, longer-pile third-generation or 3G pitches have develop to be effectively-liked, in unique for football, but these do not ordinarily meet the FIH’s test criteria they are ordinarily also 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 stated the surface had “huge benefits”.1516 Steve Ruskin, of Sports Illustrated, stated that “A slow, analytical game gave way to a single of nonstop, right-hop action.”28 On the other hand, it has been stated that the option to make artificial surfaces mandatory drastically favored added affluent Western nations who could afford these new pitches.29 Just just before the switch to an artificial surface the Indian men’s hockey group had been dominant, winning seven of the eight Olympic gold medals involving 1928 and 1964.28 In 1996, Indian hockey player Ajit Pal Singh stated that in spite of its size ” can afford only 12 or so Artificial Turf fields”.Sardara Singh, captain of the Indian men’s hockey group, stated that “hockey players in India play on astroturf [sic] for the initially time at the age of 19 or 20 and come across it tough to adapt.”29 On the other hand, the Pakistan hockey group have performed correctly following the modify of surface in spite of the nation acquiring worse off economically and possessing fewer artificial pitches.16 When describing the modify of surface, Ruskin stated that “for India it was like starting much more than, with all nations even in field hockey