Sports Then and Now

Line Marking

Football is one of the most internationally popular sports, being played in over 200 countries. It is one of the oldest sports with a rich history dating all the way back to 1863, where its official beginning is believed to be. Throughout history there are various citations of a sport similar to modern day football, from Italy to France; many European countries claim to have played a form of football, but its most noted birthplace is of course England.

Dimensions

Football’s iconic pitch is renowned all over the world, but it didn’t always have the same universal look, some pitches were almost 200m in length! The rectangular pitch is now 90-120m long and 45-90m wide. Originally line markings were much more speculative than format, too. Pitches now have pristine white lines marked onto the ground to show the full boundaries of the game, along with netted goals as opposed to what their predecessor had, which was two bushes placed to mark the goal line. Matching line markings, goal posts must be white and made of wood, metal or other approved materials, but the goal posts didn’t develop the classic ‘crossbar’ until 1875.

Area markings have also changed shape over the years with the goal and penalty areas marked as half circles until 1902. With the boom of football’s adoration, the demand for accurate and pristine pitches has grown. Lines are painted with expert line marking equipment, as the turf itself is kept to exceptional standards under the watchful eyes of qualified groundskeepers. Read the rest of this entry →