The markings
on a modern football pitch are one of the most familiar
images of the modern era, as instantly recognisable as the
twin arches of McDonald's or the curve of a Coke bottle.
The markings evolved in Britain between 1863 and 1902.
1863 Field Markings
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When the English Football Association formed, pitch markings
were not specified. Instead, flags marked the corners. The
pitch could measure up to 200 yards long (180 metres) and up
to 100 yards wide (90 metres). The goal posts were set 8
yards apart (7.32 metres), a measurement which has remained
the same ever since.
1891 Field Markings
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The revised rules required goal lines and touch lines to be
marked, plus a centre circle, the goalkeepers' areas, and a
12 yard line from the goal. A penalty kick could be taken
from anywhere along that 12 yard line. An optional 18 yard
line across the full width of the pitch was also introduced,
to denote the penalty area. The penalty kick was an idea
suggested by the Irish Football Association in 1890. Little
did the Irish know then what agonies and ecstasies they were
to unleash upon the sporting public!
1902 Field Markings
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The modern pitch markings finally came into being in 1902,
with an added halfway line, goal areas, penalty areas and a
penalty spot as we know it today. There would be only one
further change. The penalty arc was added in 1937 after
suggestions from various European Football Associations. It
is, therefore, the only part of the football pitch markings
not 'Made in Britain.'
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