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Are All Football Pitches The Same Size?

August 18, 2016

Pitch Size
We’ve all been there. Watching our team in an away game on a Saturday afternoon and aware of the fact that the players seem to be absolutely knackered.

We’ve probably called them lazy and used some other choice language to make our feelings about them known.

But did you know that not all pitches are the same size?

It could be that these players who think are being lazy are actually just not used to having to cover so much ground because the playing surface they’re on now is significantly different in its dimensions from the one in the team’s home ground.

Here we’ll explain how it is that pitches can be so different and what, if any, difference it makes to the match you’re watching.

Premier League Pitch Sizes

Stadium Length (m) Width (m) Area (m2)
The City Ground
Nottingham Forest
105 71 7,455
Falmer Stadium
Brighton & Hove Albion
105 69 7,245
Community Stadium
Brentford
105 68 7,140
Turf Moor
Burnley FC
105 68 7,140
London Stadium
West Ham United
105 68 7,140
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Tottenham Hotspur
105 68 7,140
Old Trafford
Manchester United FC
105 68 7,140
Vitality Stadium
AFC Bournemouth
105 68 7,140
The Etihad
Manchester City FC
105 68 7,140
St James' Park
Newcastle United FC
105 68 7,140
Villa Park
Aston Villa FC
105 68 7,140
The Emirates
Arsenal FC
105 68 7,140
Stamford Bridge
Chelsea FC
103 67 6,901
Anfield
Liverpool FC
101 68 6,868
Goodison Park
Everton FC
100 68 6,800
Selhurst Park
Crystal Palace FC
100 67 6,700
Bramall Lane
Sheffield United
100 66 6,600
Kenilworth Road
Luton Town
100 65 6,500
Craven Cottage
Fulham
100 65 6,500
Molineux
Wolverhampton Wanderers
100 64 6,400

Pitch Sizes For Other UK Leagues

Championship

Stadium Length (m) Width (m) Area (m2)
Portman Road
Ipswich Town
102 75 7,650
Home Park
Plymouth Argyle
105 72 7,560
Hillsborough
Sheffield Wednesday
106 69 7,314
John Smiths Stadium
Huddersfield Town
105 69 7,245
Ewood Park
Blackburn Rovers
105 69 7,245
Riverside Stadium
Middlesbrough FC
105 69 7,245
The Den
Millwall
106 68 7,208
The MKM Stadium
Hull City AFC
105 68 7,140
Elland Road
Leeds United
105 68 7,140
Coventry Building Society Arena
Coventry City
105 68 7,140
Ashton Gate
Bristol City
105 68 7,140
Liberty Stadium
Swansea AFC
105 68 7,140
Vicarage Road
Watford FC
105 68 7,140
The Stadium Of Light
Sunderland AFC
105 68 7,140
The Hawthorns
West Bromwich Albion FC
105 68 7,140
Carrow Road
Norwich City FC
104 68 7,072
Deepdale
Preston North End
101 69 6,969
St Mary’s
Southampton FC
102 68 6,936
King Power Stadium
Leicester City FC
102 67 6,834
Cardiff City Stadium
Cardiff City / Wales
100 68 6,800
New York Stadium
Rotherham United
102 66 6,732
Loftus Road
Queens Park Rangers
102 66 6,732
St Andrew’s
Birmingham City
100 66 6,600
Bet365 Stadium
Stoke City FC
100 64 6,400

League One

Stadium Length (m) Width (m) Area (m2)
New Meadow
Shrewsbury Town
110 75 8,250
Brisbane Road
Leyton Orient
105 73 7,665
Vale Park
Port Vale
104 70 7,280
Kassam Stadium
Oxford United
102 71 7,242
DW Stadium
Wigan Athletic
105 68 7,140
Pride Park
Derby County
105 68 7,140
Madjeski Stadium
Reading
105 68 7,140
Adams Park
Wycombe Wanderers
105 68 7,140
Weston Homes London Road
Peterborough United
102 69 7,038
Brunton Park
Carlisle United
104 67 6,968
Fratton Park
Portsmouth
105 66 6,930
Sixfields Stadium
Northampton Town
106 65 6,890
Memorial Stadium
Bristol Rovers
101 68 6,868
The Valley
Charlton Athletic
102 67 6,834
Bloomfield Road
Blackpool
102 67 6,834
Oakwell Stadium
Barnsley
100 68 6,800
Highbury Stadium
Fleetwood Town
105 64 6,720
Abbey Stadium
Cambridge United
100 67 6,700
Sincil Bank
Lincoln City
100 67 6,671
St James Park
Exeter City
104 64 6,656
The University of Bolton Stadium
Bolton Wanderers
100 66 6,600
Whaddon Road
Cheltenham Town
101 65 6,565
Pirelli Stadium
Burton Albion
100 65 6,500
Broadhall Way
Stevenage
100 64 6,400

League Two

Stadium Length (m) Width (m) Area (m2)
Meadow Lane
Notts County
104 69 7,176
Stadium mk
MK Dons
105 68 7,140
Peninsula Stadium (Moor Lane)
Salford City FC
105 68 7,140
Keepmoat Stadium
Doncaster Rovers
105 68 7,140
Gander Green Lane
Sutton United
105 68 7,140
Plough Lane
AFC Wimbledon
105 68 7,140
Priestfield Stadium
Gillingham
104 68 7,072
Racecourse Ground
Wrexham A.F.C
102 68 6,936
Globe Arena
Morecambe
100 69 6,900
Holker Street
Barrow A.F.C
101 68 6,868
Blundell Park
Grimsby Town
101 68 6,868
Alexandra Stadium
Crewe Alexandra
102 67 6,834
Broadfield Stadium
Crawley Town
100 68 6,800
Rodney Parade
Newport County AFC
65 102 6,680
Crown Ground
Accrington Stanley
101 66 6,666
Field Mill One Call Stadium
Mansfield Town
104 64 6,656
Prenton Park
Tranmere Rovers
102 65 6,630
EnviroVent Stadium (Wetherby Road)
Harrogate Town
100 66 6,600
Banks’s Stadium
Walsall
100 66 6,600
Valley Parade
Bradford City
103 64 6,592
Edgeley Park
Stockport County
101 65 6,565
The New Lawn Stadium
Forest Green Rovers
101 64 6,464
Community Stadium
Colchester United
101 64 6,464
The County Ground
Swindon Town
100 64 6,400

Scottish Premiership

Stadium Length (m) Width (m) Area (m2)
Celtic Park
Celtic
105 68 7,140
Easter Road
Hibernian
105 68 7,140
McDiarmid Park
St Johnstone
105 68 7,140
St Mirren Park
St Mirren
105 68 7,140
Ibrox
Rangers
105 68 7,140
Rugby Park
Kilmarnock
102 68 6,936
Victoria Park
Ross County
101 68 6,868
Fir Park
Motherwell
100 68 6,800
Almondvale Stadium
Livingston
98 69 6,762
Pittodrie Stadium
Aberdeen
100 66 6,600
Dens Park
Dundee
100 64 6,400
Tynecastle
Heart Of Midlothian
100 64 6,400

Scottish League One

Stadium Length (m) Width (m) Area (m2)
New Douglas Park
Hamilton Academical
105 68 7,140

Football Pitch Dimension Rules

Pitch Size
The twelve chairs, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Here’s a really interesting quirk of the game. Football pitches not only don’t have to be the same size but, in fact, can cary wildly from each other because the rules state minimum and maximum widths and lengths rather than specific measurements that must be adhered to.

When it comes to the length of a pitch it must be between a minimum of 100 yards, or 90 metres, and a maximum of 130 yards, or 120 metres. The width is similarly vague in its specifications. A pitch can be a minimum of 50 yards, or 45 metres, in width and a maximum of 100 yards, or 90 metres.

Of course one of the other things about a football pitch is that it must maintain its aspect ratio, so to speak, meaning that you’ll never see a pitch that is 90 metres by 90 metres. This may fit in with the minimum and maximum sizes but it wouldn’t keep the ratio correct so it wouldn’t be allowed.

There is also a different size range depending on the age group the pitch is being used by. Under 8s, for example, can play on a pitch ranging from 27.45 metres to 45.75 metres in length and from 18.30 metres to 27.45 metres in width. The Under 13 – Under14 age group, meanwhile have a range of 72.80 metres to 91 metres in length and 45.50 metres to 56 metres in width.

Whilst there is no exact specification of dimensions that pitches have to adhere to, there is a suggested pitch size for clubs to work with. For senior teams that is 64.01 metres in width by a length of 100.58 metres.

Just for added confusion, FIFA have set different minimum and maximum dimensions for international competitions. These are a minimum of 64 metres to a maximum of 75 metres in width alongside a minimum of 100 metres to a maximum of 110 metres in length.

The Premier League is not against adding further complications into the mix, either. In 2012 they attempted to standardise the pitch dimensions for teams in their division by adding rule K21 to their manifesto. It declared that “Unless otherwise permitted by the board, in league matches the length of the pitch shall be 105 metres and its breadth 68 metres”. All fine and dandy, but rule K22 then stated that clubs would be exempt from rule K21 “if it is impossible to comply with rule K21 due to the nature of the construction of the ground”. Clear as muck, as they say.

Does the Size of a Football Pitch Matter?

Are All Football Pitches the Same Size

It is a question that men have been asking themselves for years, but does size really matter? the answer is: To some extent.

The importance of the size of a team’s pitch depends on a number of factors but it would be a lie to suggest that it is completely irrelevant. The biggest contributing factor is the style of football that the team likes to play, with the pitch’s dimensions either helping or hindering that fact.

As an example you can look at Tony Pulis. The man who seems to have a baseball cap surgically attached to his head is known for playing a long-ball style of football. During his time as manager of Stoke City Pulis demanded that the pitch meet the minimum possible dimensions. This allowed his long-ball style to be played more effectively and it created an opportunity for the club’s long-throw specialist Rory Delap to more accurately find his targets.

Another famous example of a pitch’s dimensions being used to the home team’s advantage came in 1987 when Graeme Souness was the manager of Rangers. His scouting of the club’s European Cup opponents Dynamo Kiev had revealed that the Ukrainian team played with very dangerous wingers who liked to hug the touchline. On the eve of the game Souness gave his groundskeepers an instruction that they should change the pitch around:

“The pitch didn’t have to be a fixed width as long as it was above a certain minimum, so I thought: ‘Right, I’ll make it the absolute minimum’. On the Tuesday afternoon the Kiev players trained on the pitch when it was the normal size. On Wednesday night they came out for the match and must have been shocked to discover that, after 15 paces, they were on the touchline … it wasn’t purist stuff, but it was within the rules”.

Teams that choose to defend with a ‘low block’ benefit from being on a pitch with smaller dimensions. The smaller the pitch is the less chance the attacking side has to move the ball around and pull the defending team out of position. Tottenham’s manager Mauricio Pochettino certainly believed as much when he blamed the size of the White Hart Lane pitch on his side’s loss to Newcastle in 2014. He said, “Our style means we need a bigger space to play because we play a positional game. It’s true that White Hart Lane is a little bit tight and it’s better for the opponent when they play deep”.

In reality most Premier League pitches are roughly the same size, with only a metre or two difference in play between them. Pitch sizes can also vary from season to season depending on the preference of the manager and the work of the ground staff. The main thing to take away from this, then, is that if you’re looking at Old Trafford and thinking that the pitch looks bigger than the one at Anfield then the chances are that you’re absolutely correct.

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