Aussies love their soccer, so it’s no wonder that many enthusiastically create their own pitches at home. FIFA recommends that the dimensions of a professional soccer pitch are 105m in length and 68m in width, whilst futsal courts are at a minimum of 25m in length and 16m in width. However, if you can’t realize these dimensions in your backyard, why not follow our directions and install a mini soccer pitch or futsal court for the kids?
Select the area:
Whilst space might be an issue, you also need to consider a few other factors as well. That’s because you want an area that is fairly flat and well-drained to prevent water pooling after a rain shower. A slight slope of 1% to 2% is best as this will aid with drainage, but don’t forget that a sunny spot is also good.
Dimensions of the pitch:
The smallest, full-size soccer pitch should be 14 meters in length by 19 meters in width, much smaller than professional pitches. Obviously, larger is better, but whatever size pitch you build – the kids will love it!
What about goalposts?
Goalposts for kids are usually about 5½ meters tall by 16½ meters wide, but you can only install goalposts that fit the space once again. If you can create a full-size pitch, then opt for regulation-size goal posts, but you can buy posts that are 2m tall by 3m in width, with many variations also available. If your pitch is pretty small, you might opt for just one goal post rather than two.
Fencing/netting:
If you are building your soccer pitch close to buildings, you should consider surrounding it with a fence or a net to prevent wayward balls. Always having to run next door for your soccer ball or paying for broken windows might soon wear a bit thin with your neighbors.
Line marking:
If you want to make your soccer pitch look professional, even if it isn’t regulation size and only has one goal post, you need line marking. You can DIY these line-markings, but it’s easy enough to Google a company that does this for a living. It shouldn’t cost very much to mark out the lines for your backyard pitch, and it will definitely make it look much more professional.
Pitch surface:
If you are on a tight budget, you might decide to stick with the existing grass, and there’s nothing wrong with that approach. However, there are inherent problems with using natural grass for a soccer pitch, and you most probably know some of them already. These problems include hard bare patches that can result in injuries and muddy patches resulting in falls. It would help if you also spent time watering and fertilizing the grass, as well as weeding and edging. Then there’s the problem of mowing such a large expanse of grass, and as you mow – you slowly remove the line markings! The solution is to opt for synthetic turf that’s specifically designed for soccer pitches. APTA is well-known as a leading manufacturer of synthetic soccer fields approved by FIFA and can be cut to your specific size requirements.
So if you want a high-quality, durable and safe surface for your soccer field or futsal court, consider the APTA range of synthetic soccer turf.
