Okuzeka
Football (Soccer) vocabulary · Stadium, Pitch & Fans

Pitch

Meaning in football (soccer), with examples

/pɪtʃ/nounCore term

In football (soccer), pitch means: The rectangular grass or artificial surface on which football is played, marked with lines for the halfway line, penalty areas and goal areas.

In Turkish: saha, çim saha

How it is used

British English uses pitch; American English prefers field. Players go out onto the pitch, a fan may run onto the pitch, and a heavy or bumpy pitch can affect the game. Groundstaff prepare the playing surface before kick-off.

Example sentences

  1. The pitch was waterlogged, so the referee called the game off.

  2. Their artificial pitch is much faster than ours.

Common collocations

  • on the pitch
  • artificial pitch
  • pitch invasion
  • pitch inspection
  • training pitch
  • penalty areaThe large marked box in front of each goal, 16.5 metres (18 yards) deep, where a defender's direct free-kick offence leads to a penalty and the goalkeeper may handle the ball.
  • stadiumThe venue where matches are played, made up of the pitch and the stands around it for spectators.
  • dugoutThe covered shelter at the side of the pitch where the manager, coaching staff and substitutes sit during a match.
  • kick-offThe kick from the centre spot that starts each half and restarts play after a goal; also the time a match is due to start.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Stadium, Pitch & Fans

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: