Football going metric?
Viewers of “Match of the Day” on 9 December had the unusual experience of hearing football commentary in metric. Was this an aberration or a straw in the wind? (asks Robin Paice)
There was an interesting exchange on “Match of the Day”
recently.
Three football pundits (Ray Stubbs, Alan Shearer and Mark Lawrenson) are discussing the “goal of the season” scored by Matthew Taylor for Portsmouth against Everton. Lawrenson is describing the volley, voice over an action replay: “straight as an arrow, like a rocket, dipping - here’s the measurement [screen shows 42 metres]. Similar thing at Sunderland last season, like an arrow, goalkeeper on his six yard box [sic] didn’t stand a chance [screen shows 39 metres], not quite so far but still a very good goal. He won’t score many better than that. 42 metres …
AS: By the way, I work in yards.
ML: [slightly condescending] It’s 42 lots of 39 inches.
AS: [to RS] Carry on then.
ML: It’s about 45 and a half yards, give or take.
RS: Have you just worked it out that quickly?
ML: No, I’ve been practising all day.
[All fall about laughing].
Football tends to be militantly imperial despite the fact that as the sport is relatively unknown in the USA, and despite the prominence of foreign players and managers in English and Scottish football, Britain and Ireland are the only countries in the world which still cling to expressions such as the “eighteen yard box” (meaning the penalty area). So it was encouraging, and perhaps we should thank Mark Lawrenson for introducing the footballing masses to the novelty of metric measurements - albeit it was treated somewhat light-heartedly - as though metres are not real measurements.
I would guess that the explanation for this unexpected foray into the world system was that the software used by the BBC in this instance was probably metric. It was easier to use it than try to amend it.
Anyway, thanks to Mark Lawrenson.
December 25th, 2006 at 22:05
As this is the festive season, I quote verbatim an e-mail sent by a correspondent to UK Metric Association (UKMA) in February 2006 in response to the publication of UKMA’s report ‘Metric signs ahead‘:
“I am six feet tall, weigh fourteen stone and walk a mile to the pub where I drink pints and watch football; the world’s most popular sport. The goals measure 8 feet by 8 yards. The penalty box is 18 yards from the goal line and contains a 6 yard box. The penalty spot is 12 yard (sic) from the goal line, the circle is 10 yards in diameter. Defenders have to retreat 10 yards from the ball at a free kick, which must travel 24 inches before it can be touched by another player.
What are these measurements in your logical metric system? Difficult isn’t it?”
UKMA’s reply to the correspondent noted that the history and traditions of football, and even the measurements found in the rules, are an important part of the enjoyment of the game for many people in Britain, but can not account for its popularity around the world. In the two other principal countries where yards, feet and inches are still in common use, namely the USA and Canada, Association Football is not popular, as noted in Robin’s article. Its status as the world’s most popular sport depends entirely on its success in metric countries.
UKMA’s reply also tactfully did not mention that world football’s governing body, Federation International de Football Association (FIFA) has 207 national affiliated Associations, of which almost 200 are from metric countries, and that FIFA is based in Zurich, Switzerland, which adopted the metric system in 1875.
January 3rd, 2007 at 10:51
For historical reasons, football pitches around the country are of different sizes. However FIFA recommends that a playing field should be 105m x 68m. It makes perfect sense therefore to measure distances around the pitch in metres.
http://www.fifa.com/documents/static/regulations/english.pdf
“8.1 Recommended Dimensions of Grass Area and of Playing Field
Grass area (from perimeter wall to perimeter wall):
Length: 120 m
Width: 80 m
Playing Field:
- for all matches at top professional level, it is recommended that the dimensions of the playing field should be 105 x 68 m
- for all matches in the final competition of the FIFA World Cup and the final competitions of confederation championships throughout the world, only the dimensions of 105 x 68 m are acceptable”
January 20th, 2007 at 03:00
FIFA stipulates that the length of a football pitch be 90m minimum and 120m maximum. So obviously football pitches vary in sizes. Also football commentators should refer the 18 yard box as the Penalty Area, and the 6 yard box as the Goal Area.
Julie from Sydney
April 6th, 2007 at 20:55
I’m from a metric country (France) and I can tell you that football is a soft metric sport.
Check this : http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Foot_field_AG3.svg
May 28th, 2007 at 15:05
Yes, football is soft metric and it high time that it goes hard metric. Maybe FIFA doesn’t do it out of fear for British and even American protests. The USA is also a member of the FIFA. Soft metric is crazy. Football commentators in mainland Europe use only metric units. What is 10 yards on a football field, they call 9 metres.
June 18th, 2007 at 12:25
We are supposed to be teaching our children metric units. All sports should be in metric. Why is horse racing still in furlongs, is a cricket pitch still 22yds?. Afterall athletics have been metric for 30-40 yrs in this country.