Pitch Markings

[ClaretTony]

I’m watching the game on tv and there are markings (two in each corner) just off the pitch a few yards from the corner flags. I’ve never noticed them before but I’ve just seen a pic from the Turf last season and they are there too.

What are they?

[Spijed]

10 yard markers

[ClaretTony]

10 yard markers

How long have we had them?

[Vegas Claret]

wonder if they are var/offside related for camera calibration ?

[Rowls]

wonder if they are var/offside related for camera calibration ?

10 yard markers as above.

[ClaretTony]

I’ve just been sent a pic from 2015 on the Turf and they were there then.

[Rowls]

They've been around for a long time now but I can't remember when they started cropping up.

[daveisaclaret]

They've been there as long as I can remember. They're to make it easy to keep defenders 10 yards from a corner kick.

[Funkydrummer]

10 yard markers

OR 9.15 metres in foreign !!!

[ClaretTony]

They've been there as long as I can remember. They're to make it easy to keep defenders 10 yards from a corner kick.

I’ve got the Man U home game highlights on my Sky box from the first ever home Premier League game in 2009 and they are there. So at least 15 years.

[RickyBobby]

Looks like we have had them at least since 2000.
I have been going since 2001 and have never seen a pitch without them.

[Stonehouse]

How long have we had them?

Since Adam was a lad .

[Rileybobs]

Wait until you notice that big circle on the halfway line

[groove]

They've been there as long as I can remember. They're to make it easy to keep defenders 10 yards from a corner kick.

I never knew that.

[Clarets4me]

How long have we had them?

They are clearly visible at Wembley on footage from the 1986 FA Cup final, but don't seem to be there for the Everton v Watford final in 1984. They're not there at the 1986 World Cup Final, but are for the 1990 edition.

[Clarets4me]

The semi-circle marking 12 yards from the penalty spot was introduced in 1937, which was the last major change in pitch markings ..

[Awayfromburnley]

They have been there for a good few years.

What does confuse me is why they don't just draw an arc joining the two points, it takes an eager eye to know where they intersect.

[Burnley1989]

Im 35 and can’t remember a time when they weren’t there tbh, it’s one of those things that you’d see all the time once you’ve noticed it. That’s why fans start going mad when opposition players get too close on short corners

[FCBurnley]

USA played Uruguay last night at Arrowhead stadium where Kansas City play the home NFL games. The pitch was very small compared to the average size. I believe it was 5 meters short and 4 meters narrower.
Not sure why this was the case as it was a qualifier for the Americas equivalent of the Euros. US needed to win to get thru to the knock out stage and I assume they thought the smaller pitch would help them stifle Uruguay
It didn’t work as they lost 1-0 and went out below the mighty Panama ! Huge shock for the American fans

[Joe14]

There in 1914 when we won the FA cup.

[Rileybobs]

I think they predate the corner quadrants.

[dsr]

I remember them being introduced, so it's after the mid-seventies. Late eighties as per Clarets4Me is probably right. So far as I know they still aren't compulsory.

They're 11 yards from the co corner flag so as to be 10 yards from the quadrant. If the ball is placed right on the touchline then the defender would be allowed to stand a yard ahead of the marker. Perhaps that's why they don't draw an arc.

[leedsdave]

Someone who sits near me at the Turf suggested putting these marks every 10 yards down the sides of the pitch so that referees can ensure that throw-ins are taken from roughly the right place.

[RammyClaret61]

I seem remember there was an American Football game I think on the Turf. The next game we played you could still see the markings every 10 yards, and the one yard marks. Caused a lot of grumbling from the crowd when obvious things like a wall or throw was in the wrong place.

[Burnleyareback2]

Always remember them being there- never knew why though

[wilks_bfc]

I seem remember there was an American Football game I think on the Turf. The next game we played you could still see the markings every 10 yards, and the one yard marks. Caused a lot of grumbling from the crowd when obvious things like a wall or throw was in the wrong place.

I think I remember seeing a keeper lose his bearings because of the “extra lines” and handled the ball outside the area

Don’t think it was at the Turf though

[Shappie]

Who remembers flags on the half way line?

Set about 2/3 yards off the touchline. I can’t remember when they were last used.

[RammyClaret61]

This is the Northbank end at Highbury 1985. The line is there between the corner, and the penalty box. I think back in those days the Ball boys brought the corned flags out. Or it’s after the final whistle, going off the litter around.

IMG_9183.jpeg (275.57 KiB) Viewed 1613 times

[Clarets4me]

Who remembers flags on the half way line ? Set about 2/3 yards off the touchline. I can’t remember when they were last used.

They are present at the Arsenal v Man United final in 1979, but missing in 1980. That's not definitive, there may have been a Wembley ground-staff member in later years who said ....

" Stuff 'em Fred, I'm a traditionalist ... let's stick 'em out and see if the Ref notices ! "

[Shappie]

They are present at the Arsenal v Man United final in 1979, but missing in 1980. That's not definitive, there may have been a Wembley ground-staff member in later years who said ....

" Stuff 'em Fred, I'm a traditionalist ... let's stick 'em out and see if the Ref notices ! "

I’m sure they were still around late 80’s but could well be wrong

[Clarets4me]

Taken from " Law's of the game 2023/24 " ...

Rule 1 Section 8 .... "Flag posts may be placed at each end of the halfway line, at least 1 m (1 yd) outside the touchline "

https://dt5602vnjxv0c.cloudfront.net/po ... _small.pdf

[Clarets4me]

Taken from " Laws of the game 2023/24 " ...

Rule 1 Section 2 .... Marks may be made off the field of play 9.15 m (10 yds) from the corner arc at right angles to the goal lines and the touchlines.

Rule 1 Section 8 .... "Flag posts may be placed at each end of the halfway line, at least 1 m (1 yd) outside the touchline "

https://dt5602vnjxv0c.cloudfront.net/po ... _small.pdf

So both flags and the markings are now optional, although individual competitions may have their own rules ... for example, the laws state that posts & crossbars can be square, but all major competitions stopped this decades ago ...

[Hipper]

There is a rule that says that the goal line had to be marked the same width as the goal posts (I thought there was no such rule for the rest of the pitch markings. I suppose it depends how you read it but it seems to mean they lines must all be the same width). For example if the posts were 4" diameter the line had to be 4":

All lines must be of the same width, which must not be more than 12cm (5ins). The goal lines must be of the same width as the goalposts and the crossbar.

At a school in Hornsey one of these 'I'll show you I'm in charge' referees wouldn't allow a match at the school to be played because this rule wasn't followed. At school and park football level where I've worked I'd never heard of such a thing, before or since. Never the less the PE teacher in charge had to insist that we mark the goal line the correct size. It meant using a different sized marker wheel, effectively a different marker, just for this (these days if using a spray marker it would be easy to just adjust the width of the spray.

[jos]

What about these markings!

https://trainingground.guru/articles/re ... h-markings

[atlantalad]

Have a similar question wrt to pitch markings in the modern game. In the past no player could enter a penalty area while a goal kick was being taken and, if I recall correctly, could only enter the area once the ball had crossed the penalty area marking line. The goal pick was taken from the corner intersection of the six yard box.

Nowadays two players of a defending team can be inside the penalty area to receive a ball from a goal kick, but goalies rarely kick from the six yard box corners. Question is- what is the purpose of the six yard box marking? Is it needed anymore?

[dsr]

Have a similar question wrt to pitch markings in the modern game. In the past no player could enter a penalty area while a goal kick was being taken and, if I recall correctly, could only enter the area once the ball had crossed the penalty area marking line. The goal pick was taken from the corner intersection of the six yard box.

Nowadays two players of a defending team can be inside the penalty area to receive a ball from a goal kick, but goalies rarely kick from the six yard box corners. Question is- what is the purpose of the six yard box marking? Is it needed anymore?

For one, the goal kick still has to be taken from inside that box. For two, if the attacking side gets an indirect free kick inside the penalty area, it can't be taken from inside the 6 yard box.

So it's still needed, but only rarely for anything vital.

I suppose they could eliminate the centre circle and the goal area and the corner quadrants without making much difference to the game. The pitch markings wouldn't look as pretty, though.