Why a Synthetic Hockey pitch?

The artificial surfaces of a synthetic hockey pitch give the players additional handle of the ball. Coupled with enhanced ball speed, hockey has turn into a extra swiftly and additional thrilling game.

Far extra information on Field Hockey pitch and creating 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 these days it is predominantly played on an artificial turf. The transition onto artificial pitches came for the duration of the 1970s and was designed mandatory for substantial 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 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 extra than the 23-metre (25-yard) line has occurred in the 23-metre place. A ball have to certainly cross a boundary line to be out of play, and a ball have to wholly cross the target line prior to a target is scored.

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

Field of play on a hockey pitch

Colored pitches are produced 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 referred to as the side line, the opposing shorter edges are referred as the back line and the portion of this in in between the target posts is recognized as the target line. The side line have to measure 91.40 m and the back line genuinely should really measure 55.00 m. There have to be a minimum run-off of two m at the sidelines and 3 m at the backlines which could possibly be a exclusive surface for the final meter. All line markings have to be white and 75 millimeters wide. In every single and just about every corner of the pitch, a corner flag of no additional 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Historically, the pitch dimensions had been imperial and had been replaced by metric equivalents in 1998.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 recommendations represented what London clubs had been producing 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 “a single 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 current width of 60 yards was written into the recommendations.34

On artificial surfaces, the field of play genuinely should really 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, just simply because blue turf aids television 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 prevalent for knowledgeable field hockey tournaments.

Aim

A hockey target at the 1960 Summer time season 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 by a horizontal crossbar. The inner edges of the posts have to be 3.66 metres apart, and the minimize edge of the crossbar have to be two.14 metres (7 ft) above the ground. The goalposts and crossbar have to be white and rectangular in shape with width 50 millimetres and a depth of 50 to 75 millimeters (.

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

The 1st hockey ambitions 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 1st hit at target genuinely 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 (powerful line), the broken circle 5 m from it, and the penalty spot.

A target is scored when the ball passes certainly extra than the target line but only if the ball was played by an offensive player in the penalty circle. On prime of that, the circle marks the place a goalkeeper could possibly play the ball with any element of his physique and the place precisely exactly where an infringement by a defender final outcomes in a penalty corner. The terminology circle (or D) is broadly produced use of although the place is genuinely 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 additional 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 totally free of charge-hit inside 5 m of the circle has slightly exclusive recommendations from other people with regards 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 target and produced 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 (7.3 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 possibly stand.

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

Every single and just about every half of the pitch is then divided as soon as extra by a line, referred to as the 23 metre line or 25 yard line, positioned 22.90 m11 from every single and just about every back line. Historically, this was 1st produced use of to resume play following the ball passed extra 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 produced use of for the offside rule in in between 1987 till the rule was abolished in 1996.3 Presently, there are detailed recommendations relating to fouls and totally free of charge-hits in the 23 metre region of the pitch.12 Due to the reality 2015, the 23 metre line has also been produced use of for the attacking group to resume play when it has gone extra 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 every single and just about every target post. These are relevant at a penalty corner the former is the mark from which the attacking group demands the penalty corner and the latter is the closest position which a defender could possibly 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 equivalent 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 top 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 simpler ball handle and this in itself aids to reduce down the quantity of infringements of the rules—which implies considerably significantly less whistle and fewer stoppages. The game as a outcome becomes a lot simpler to adhere to, as effectively as obtaining a extra swiftly spectacle and a fantastic deal additional fascinating from a spectator point of view.”

Historically, the game was designed on organic grass turf. Nonetheless, in 1976, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) designed artificial pitches mandatory at all substantial competitions.17 The 1976 Summer time season Olympics in Montreal was the 1st of these nonetheless at this time couple 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 have to be played on an artificial surface.19 Elite-level competitions, such as the Olympic Games and Globe Cup, contact for a water-mostly primarily based playing surface. Nonetheless, due to water conservation efforts, this is not noticed as a lengthy-term sustainable option and choice elite surfaces that do not contact for water are obtaining researched.20

There are three significant types of artificial hockey pitch surface:

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

    • Dressed or sand-dressed – artificial fibers can be considerably 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 considerably significantly 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 down friction and boost the speed at which the game can be played. Nonetheless, these pitches contact for watering prior to, for the duration of and following the game and upkeep expenditures are significant.

Sand-dressed pitches price tag additional 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 proper for sports such as association football and tennis is ordinarily important and hockey could possibly not be the predominant sport. There are a lot of exclusive specifications and categorizations for artificial turf such as 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 turn into properly identified, particularly for football, but these do not ordinarily meet the FIH’s test criteria they are ordinarily as properly 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 talked about the surface had “enormous positive aspects”.1516 Steve Ruskin, of Sports Illustrated, talked about that “A slow, analytical game gave way to a single of nonstop, appropriate-hop action.”28 Nonetheless, it has been stated that the selection to make artificial surfaces mandatory tremendously favored additional affluent Western nations who could afford these new pitches.29 Prior to the switch to an artificial surface the Indian men’s hockey group had been dominant, winning seven of the eight Olympic gold medals in in between 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, talked about that “hockey players in India play on astroturf [sic] for the 1st time at the age of 19 or 20 and uncover it difficult to adapt.”29 Nonetheless, the Pakistan hockey group have performed effectively following the alter of surface in spite of the nation obtaining worse off economically and acquiring fewer artificial pitches.16 When describing the alter of surface, Ruskin talked about that “for India it was like starting extra than, with all nations even in field hockey