Field Hockey pitch Viljoenskroon

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 turn into a faster and added fascinating 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 all-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 developed mandatory for most important competitions in 1976. All the lines, markings and objective specifications are outlined by the International Hockey Federation in “The Recommendations of Hockey”.

All line markings on the pitch form element 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 extra than the 23-metre (25-yard) line has occurred in the 23-metre area. A ball need to have to completely cross a boundary line to be out of play, and a ball need to have to wholly cross the objective line just ahead of a objective is scored.

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

Field of play on a hockey pitch

Colored pitches are employed 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 involving the objective posts is recognized as the objective line. The side line need to have to measure 91.40 m and the back line ought to 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 may well be a distinctive surface for the final meter. All line markings need to have to be white and 75 millimeters wide. In just about every 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 quite very first 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) extended and 50–80 yards (46–73 m) wide”. Recommendations by the Hockey Association of England in 1886 specified “one particular hundred yards extended 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 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 ought to be coloured green, ultramarine blue or signal blue. It is permitted for the run-off portion of the pitch to be an solution colour. The London 2012 Olympics started a new trend for blue hockey pitches, mostly mainly because blue turf assists 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 regular for skilled field hockey tournaments.

Target

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 need to have to be 3.66 metres apart, and the lower 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 objective need to have to be at least 1.20 m deep at ground level and at least .90 m deep at crossbar level. The objective area need to 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 distinctive dimensions primarily based on how deep at ground level and at crossbar level the objective is. Normal dimensions for a regular field hockey net are about 3.7m (W) x two.1m (H) x 1.2m (D).7

The quite very first hockey objectives 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 quite very first hit at objective ought to not cross the objective-line bigger 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 (powerful line), the broken circle 5 m from it, and the penalty spot.

A objective is scored when the ball passes completely extra than the objective line but only if the ball was played by an offensive player in the penalty circle. Additionally, the circle marks the area a goalkeeper may well play the ball with any element of his physique and the area precisely exactly where an infringement by a defender final final results in a penalty corner. The terminology circle (or D) is broadly employed even even though the area is truly 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 objectives 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 expense-free of charge-hit inside 5 m of the circle has slightly distinctive recommendations from other people relating to other players’ distance a broken circle 5 m from the penalty circle denotes this location.ten

A penalty spot is centrally positioned straight in front of the objective and employed 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 particular 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 stand.

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

Each and every half of the pitch is then divided after extra by a line, referred to as the 23 metre line or 25 yard line, positioned 22.90 m11 from just about every back line. Historically, this was quite very first employed 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 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 employed for the offside rule involving 1987 till the rule was abolished in 1996.3 At the moment, there are detailed recommendations regarding fouls and expense-free of charge-hits in the 23 metre location of the pitch.12 Offered that 2015, the 23 metre line has also been employed for the attacking group to resume play when it has gone extra than the back line (this replaced extended corners).13

There are additional markings 300 mm extended and perpendicular to the back line that denote distances of ten m and 5 m from just about every 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 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 associated mark 5 m from along the side line (from precisely exactly where extended 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 extended markings precisely exactly where the objective posts are situated.14

Artificial playing surface

“artificial grass permits significantly less challenging ball deal with and this in itself assists to decrease the quantity of infringements of the rules—which indicates substantially significantly less whistle and fewer stoppages. The game therefore becomes significantly less challenging to comply with, as nicely as becoming a faster spectacle and substantially added thrilling from a spectator point of view.”

Historically, the game was developed on all-organic grass turf. Nonetheless, in 1976, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) developed artificial pitches mandatory at all most important competitions.17 The 1976 Summer season time Olympics in Montreal was the quite very first 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 all-organic 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, contact for a water-mostly primarily based playing surface. Nonetheless, due to water conservation efforts, this is not noticed as a extended-term sustainable option and solution elite surfaces that do not contact for water are becoming 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 substantially 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 substantially significantly less densely packed and sand supports the fibers for one particular hundred% of the pile depth

On water-mostly primarily based pitches, shorter fibers and wetted turf decrease friction and enhance the speed at which the game can be played. Nonetheless, these pitches contact for watering just ahead of, for the duration of and following the game and upkeep charges are considerable.

Sand-dressed pitches cost added than sand-filled pitches but are preferable for hockey as there is an absence of sand close to the playing surface. Nonetheless, a multi-target surface proper for sports such as association football and tennis is commonly necessary and hockey may well not be the predominant sport. There are several distinctive specifications and categorizations for artificial turf such as shock absorption, surface rebound, friction, and strength outlined by the International Hockey Federation.26 Not also lengthy ago, longer-pile third-generation or 3G pitches have turn into preferred, particularly for football, but these do not generally meet the FIH’s test criteria they are commonly as effectively inconsistent and slow.27

Criticism

The Globe Hockey magazine reported on the quite very first hockey tournament played on an artificial pitch in 1975—a trial occasion in Montreal prior to the Olympics—and stated the surface had “enormous good elements”.1516 Steve Ruskin, of Sports Illustrated, stated that “A slow, analytical game gave way to 1 of nonstop, precise-hop action.”28 Nonetheless, 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 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 involving 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, stated that “hockey players in India play on astroturf [sic] for the quite very first time at the age of 19 or 20 and receive it truly difficult to adapt.”29 Nonetheless, the Pakistan hockey group have performed nicely following the transform of surface regardless of the nation becoming worse off economically and getting fewer artificial pitches.16 When describing the transform of surface, Ruskin stated that “for India it was like starting extra than, with all nations even in field hockey