Why a Synthetic Hockey pitch?

The artificial surfaces of a synthetic hockey pitch give the players a lot a lot more handle of the ball. Coupled with enhanced ball speed, hockey has turn out to be a a lot more swiftly and a lot a lot more fascinating game.

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 at the moment it is predominantly played on an artificial turf. The transition onto artificial pitches came by means of the 1970s and was designed mandatory for major 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 sort portion 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 a lot more than the 23-metre (25-yard) line has occurred in the 23-metre place. A ball have to totally cross a boundary line to be out of play, and a ball have to wholly cross the objective line ahead of 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 (thinking of that 1998), even though the use of the imperial terms remains well known in some nations

Field of play on a hockey pitch

Colored pitches are utilized 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 recognized 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 have to measure 91.40 m and the back line have to 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 properly be a different surface for the final meter. All line markings have to be white and 75 millimeters wide. In each single corner of the pitch, a corner flag of no a lot a lot 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Historically, the pitch dimensions had been imperial and had been replaced by metric equivalents in 1998.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 extremely initially recorded recommendations represented what London clubs had been operating 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”. 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 choice 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 have to 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, primarily mainly because blue turf aids television viewers to clearly see the ball and markings on the hockey pitch by means of gameplay. Not all hockey pitches have to be blue, but a yellow ball on blue turf is now the popular for skilled field hockey tournaments.

Objective

A hockey objective at the 1960 Summer time time Olympics. The objective 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 very best by a horizontal crossbar. The inner edges of the posts have to be 3.66 metres apart, and the lower 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 objective have to be at least 1.20 m deep at ground level and at least .90 m deep at crossbar level. The objective place 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 different dimensions primarily based on how deep at ground level and at crossbar level the objective is. Regular dimensions for a popular field hockey net are about 3.7m (W) x two.1m (H) x 1.2m (D).7

The extremely 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 extremely initially hit at objective have to not cross the objective-line bigger 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 objective is scored when the ball passes totally a lot more than the objective line but only if the ball was played by an offensive player in the penalty circle. In addition, the circle marks the place a goalkeeper could properly play the ball with any portion of his physique and the place specifically exactly where an infringement by a defender outcomes in a penalty corner. The terminology circle (or D) is broadly utilized even though the place is in truth 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 ambitions shall be permitted if the ball be hit from a distance of a lot a lot 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 totally free of charge-hit inside 5 m of the circle has slightly different recommendations from other persons with regards 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 utilized 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 could properly stand.

A half-way line, parallel to the back line, divides the pitch in two. The get started out of each 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 utilized for the obselete offside rule.3

Just about every half of the pitch is then divided when once again by a line, referred to as the 23 metre line or 25 yard line, positioned 22.90 m11 from each single back line. Historically, this was extremely initially utilized to resume play ideal immediately after the ball passed a lot 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 utilized for the offside rule involving 1987 till the rule was abolished in 1996.3 Presently, there are detailed recommendations with regards to fouls and totally free of charge-hits in the 23 metre region of the pitch.12 Contemplating that 2015, the 23 metre line has also been utilized for the attacking group to resume play when it has gone a lot 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 each 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 could properly 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 specifically exactly where lengthy corners had been formerly taken) and a mark 14.six m along the side line indicating the level of the very best of the penalty circle. There are also 150 mm lengthy markings specifically exactly where the objective posts are situated.14

Artificial playing surface

“artificial grass permits a lot less difficult ball handle and this in itself aids to reduce the quantity of infringements of the rules—which signifies considerably much less whistle and fewer stoppages. The game therefore becomes a lot less difficult to stick to, as appropriately as becoming a a lot more swiftly spectacle and drastically a lot a lot more intriguing from a spectator point of view.”

Historically, the game was designed on all-all-natural grass turf. Nonetheless, in 1976, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) designed artificial pitches mandatory at all major competitions.17 The 1976 Summer time time Olympics in Montreal was the extremely initially of these on the other hand at this time handful of players had noticed or played on synthetic pitches.18 Even even though it is nonetheless permissible to play on all-all-natural 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 Planet Cup, want a water-mainly primarily based playing surface. Nonetheless, due to water conservation efforts, this is not noticed as a lengthy-term sustainable choice and selection elite surfaces that do not want water are becoming researched.20

There are three principal sorts of artificial hockey pitch surface:

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

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

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

On water-mainly primarily based pitches, shorter fibers and wetted turf reduce friction and improve the speed at which the game can be played. Nonetheless, these pitches want watering ahead of, by means of and ideal immediately after the game and upkeep expenditures are considerable.

Sand-dressed pitches value a lot a lot 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 acceptable for sports like association football and tennis is regularly vital and hockey could properly not be the predominant sport. There are a lot of different specifications and categorizations for artificial turf like shock absorption, surface rebound, friction, and strength outlined by the International Hockey Federation.26 Not as well extended ago, longer-pile third-generation or 3G pitches have turn out to be preferred, specially for football, but these do not commonly meet the FIH’s test criteria they are regularly as properly inconsistent and slow.27

Criticism

The Planet Hockey magazine reported on the extremely initially hockey tournament played on an artificial pitch in 1975—a trial occasion in Montreal prior to the Olympics—and pointed out the surface had “massive constructive elements”.1516 Steve Ruskin, of Sports Illustrated, pointed out that “A slow, analytical game gave way to 1 of nonstop, correct-hop action.”28 Nonetheless, it has been stated that the choice to make artificial surfaces mandatory tremendously favored a lot a lot more 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 regardless of its size ” can afford only 12 or so Artificial Turf fields”.Sardara Singh, captain of the Indian men’s hockey group, pointed out that “hockey players in India play on astroturf [sic] for the extremely initially time at the age of 19 or 20 and acquire it difficult to adapt.”29 Nonetheless, the Pakistan hockey group have performed appropriately 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 pointed out that “for India it was like starting a lot more than, with all nations even in field hockey