How Long Is A Football Pitch – 7 Interesting Facts About Pitches

You play the beautiful game, you watch the beautiful game, you bet on the beautiful game, but do you know the ins and outs of the pitch of the beautiful game? Listen, there’s no shame in not knowing. We spent many years, none the wiser to the specifics and quirky facts surrounding the playing surface of football. We are here to give you 7 interesting facts about pitches and find out burning questions like just how long is a football pitch?

Fact 1 – How long is a football pitch?

Let’s start off with something more people should know but something a lot of people do not. The dimensions of the pitch. FIFA allows different sizes with touchlines to be within 90-120m long and goal lines to be within 45-90m wide. The different size can be used by teams to play varying styles of the game and is an interesting tactical advantage for some teams, something to consider when you are sticking a wager on Betfair’s latest offer.

Fact 2 – You don’t have to play on grass

Whilst traditionally football is played on grass, a lot of lower level teams are now adopting the use of highly technological artificial grass to save the groundskeeper bill. Artificial grass is also used in climates where it can be really hard to maintain grass. The things that are necessary are for the grass, real or artificial, to be green and to comply with the FIFA Quality Concept for Football Turf.

Fact 3 – Penalty box ‘D’

Whilst many know that the penalty box in football is for the designated area of where a goalkeeper can handle the ball and where if a foul occurs, the team gets a penalty, but what is the ‘D’ attached to the box for? This addition to the box is actually an extension to the exclusion zone of opposition players when one team is taking a penalty kick.

4- Goal dimensions – ideal for next time you are utilising some BTTS betting tips

Whilst the pitch sizes can differ from arena to arena, the goal dimensions must be the same wherever you go. This means the goal posts must be 8 yards apart and the crossbar must be 8ft from the ground. This standardised size is necessary but a net at the back of the goal is not.

Fact 5 – There hasn’t always been crossbars

Since the start of the game and from its humble roots, there has always been goalposts to signify where the goals were. But it wasn’t until 1875 that crossbars were added to the game. Before this a string was tied between the goalposts!

6- Field or pitch?

We are talking about football pitches. Sometimes, they can get referred to as fields (Americans, raise your hands). This is plainly wrong and when it comes to football the playing arenas are almost always known as pitches.

7- Sandygate

The oldest known actual football pitch and ground is found in Northern England in Sheffield. Built and opened in 1806, the Sandygate hosted the world’s first inter-club match inj 1860 between Hallam Fc and Sheffield FC. An unsuspecting home of football, admittedly.