Line Markings
The laws on line markings are few. Lines should be...
Safe
White
No more than 12cm in width
The goal lines must be the same width as the goal posts
In practice some latitude is allowed with the colour. Commonly used are black lines, which oddly enough are actually easier to see at night on poorly lit fields than white lines. However black paint seems to retard or eventually kill the grass, albeit not as fast or completely as poison, resulting eventually in ruts forming along the lines. The occasionally seen practice of using blue or red lines are not ideal as a percentage of the population is blue-green and/or red-green colour blind, who might find it hard to distinguish such lines from the grass.
The practice of using plant poison or substances which kill grass along the lines should be discouraged. This practice usually leads to ruts forming on the field. Such ruts can cause players to trip or twist their ankles and have been known to cause injuries, sometimes severe. The practice comes about as it reduces the need to remark the lines continually and therefore presumably saves time, effort and expense. However these are not valid reasons to use a method that increases the likelihood of injuries. Please don't kill grass as a form of line marking.
All Fields Markings
Field marking lines should never be wider than 12cm ( 51/2 ").
Goal lines should be at least as wide as the goal posts, usually about 90mm to 100mm on senior fields, with the outside edge of the line lining up with the outside edge of the goal posts.
Narrow lines should be avoided, even on junior fields. Probably around 75mm is the very narrowest lines should ever be.
All lines are part of the area they bound. I.e. The lines themselves are marked within the area they indicate. Therefore all measurements are taken from the outside edge of lines.
Rooball Field Markings
The above isn't exactly as described in the QCSA By-Laws but it seems to be what's evolved over time as the current common usage.
Using segmented spectator lines saves on expensive paint, and also avoids confusing players about which line is the real side line.
Senior Field Markings
Using segmented spectator lines saves on expensive paint, and also avoids confusing players about which line is the real side line.
Don't us 'X's for penalty marks. Technically players have the right to place the ball anywhere on the penalty mark they wish, including the nearest point of an 'X' to the goal line. Please use a 9in diameter (23cm) spot, or a 24in ( 61cm ) line parallel with the goal line.
As 68m has now been set as the official width of international A-Level fields, there's no play-based reason for making any field wider than that. However alternating between, say, 68m and 70m width from time to time, say alternate years, can rest the area where Assistant Referees constantly run and may help to avoid a groove developing in the field, as is a common problem.
Goals
The Laws require that goal posts and crossbars must be ...
safe
white in colour
of the same shape and dimensions as each other
in cross section either square, circular, rectangular, or elliptical
be no more than 12cm ( 5 1/2 inch ) in width or depth.
securely anchored to the ground
Portable goals may only be used if they satisfy the " securely anchored to the ground " requirement.
Non-fixed or 'moveable or 'portable' gaols must be secured so that it is impossible for them to move or fall over while in use.
It makes no difference what the gaols are made from. Heavy gauge steel or light weight plastic. They must be positively secured so they can't move or fall over while in use. A player can be just as readily and servery injured if a light weight goal falls on them, and then another player or players fall on the goal while its across the bottom player.
Note that Referees are REQUIRED to refuse to officiate or to continue to officiate a game if portable gaols are being used and they are not securely anchored to the ground. E.g. If the security of potable goals' anchoring method appears to be, or to become, insufficient at any stage of a game, the Referee is correct to stop the game until its corrected. If it can't be corrected to the Referee's satisfaction then they would be correct, and are in fact required, to abandon the match.
Throughout Australian football over the years, and throughout the world also, there have been numerous serious injuries and even deaths due to football goals not being properly anchored. It is imperative that if you use any form of portable goals then they MUST be anchored securely and are safe.
Even if portable goals are made of lightweight materials, it in no way exempts them from this requirement. E.g. If a lightweight goal falls over and its crossbar falls across a player's neck, another player or players can still then stumble on the crossbar and fall onto it, adding their weight to the force placed on the first player's neck. The strict rule is... If its not firmly anchored to the ground then the game can not proceed.
Goal Nets
Nets are not compulsory field equipment. However if used then the Laws requires them to be attached to the goal posts and crossbar and the ground behind the goal, provided they're properly supported and don't interfere with the goalkeeper.
The entire reason goal nets exits is to eliminate mistakes when deciding whether a ball went through the goal mouth or not - and therefore whether a goal has been scored or not. This of course is a rather crucial thing. Goal nets are not there just to catch balls to make retrieving them easier.
As goal posts and crossbars must be coloured white under the Laws of the Game, and most balls tend to be predominantly white also, mistakes about which side of a goal post a ball passed are certainly possible - especially from distance and/or on poorly lit fields at night and/or in wet weather and/or when there's no Assistant Referees.
The essential concept of the goal net is that it should be impossible for a ball to get inside the net except by entering via the goal mouth - and it should be impossible for a ball to escape from the inside of the net except via the goal month. If these things are true then goal call errors should be reduced to a minimum.
Remember that Referees are obliged NOT to award a goal unless they're confidant it was a goal. E.g. If a ball entered the net through the goal mouth and was a valid goal, but the Referee didn't see it, ( maybe players were in his line-of-sight at that moment ), but then the ball escaped through a gap in the net near a post, the Referee would be correct if they decided NOT to award a goal.
Goal nets must be ...
safe
fixed to the posts and crossbar so there's no gaps through which a ball could pass.
fixed to the ground so there's no gaps through which a ball could pass.
in good condition without any hole through which a ball could pass.
fixed in a way and be of a design and condition so as not to interfere with the goal keeper.
If a ball can enter or escape the goal net other than via the goal mouth then it completely defeats the entire purpose of the net being there.
Frankly, the set-up of net shown on the left here, sadly too often seen, is simply ridiculous. The net may as well not be there. Balls can obviously enter or escape from near the post, which is exactly where its most difficult to see if a ball went through the goal mouth or not.
You're not obliged to have nets under FIFA rules, but if you do have nets, then its required they're attached properly to the posts, crossbar, and ground.
Corner Flag-posts
Corner flag-posts are compulsory items of field equipment for all QCSA matches. According to FIFA's Laws of the Game, a game is not permitted to proceed if proper corner flag-posts are not present.
The entire reason corner flag-posts exits is to assist Referees to correctly judge if a ball leaves the field via the touch-line or the goal-line. The implications of a mistaken call may have an absolute affect on the result of a close game.
To judge a close call from distance about which side of the corner flag-post a fast moving ball passes can be greatly assisted, or hindered, by the corner flag-post itself. E.g. Using very narrow diameter flag-posts painted white where a white ball is used increases the likelihood of incorrect decisions. And all the more so at night on poorly lit fields and/or in wet weather and/or when the Referee doesn't have Assistant Referees. Alternatively, using large diameter posts painted a contrasting colour, say orange, can reduce the likelihood of incorrect calls. It's to every club's benefit to equip their fields with good quality functional corner flag-posts.
Corner flag-posts must be ...
safe
at least 1.5 meters ( 5 ft ) high.
non-pointed at their top.
equipped with a flag.
If your corner flag-posts are dull, need painting, regularly fall down, are unsafe, whatever, please repair or replace them as required.
Note that Referees are REQUIRED to refuse to officiate or to continue to officiate a game if there aren't suitable corner flag-posts in place throughout the game. E.g. If a corner flag-post falls over during a game the Referee is correct to stop the game until it is put right. If it can't be put right to the Referee's satisfaction then they would be correct, and are in fact required, to abandon the match.
Ground Condition
The surface of the field must be in a safe and usable condition. If there's any holes or significant depressions, ruts or gouges please fill them in with suitable soil filler before any games take place.
If the penalty spot isn't level with its surrounding surface please fill it in with a suitable soil filler. Penalty spots are notorious for becoming depressions during a season. Under the Laws of the Game, penalties must be taken from the exact penalty spot and players are not allowed to move the ball even slightly off the spot to a better more level surface.
If fields are too wet to safely play on please advise the appropriate league authorities as soon as you can. If you can reasonably give this advice 24 hours or more before the game please do so. E.g. Teams who may travel two hours to get to your field wont appreciate it if the game is cancelled when they get there, especially if its obvious they could have been advised much sooner. Sometimes fields may be marginal and of course you may decide to leave it to the referee to decide before kick-off. But if there's large pools of standing water the day before, and you know your field doesn't drain well, then you'd do everyone a big favour to give early advice of field closures.
