In Soccer, Why is the Field Called a “Pitch”?

Soccer inherited the term from the sporting vocabulary that developed in Britain during the nineteenth century.

The term “pitch” for a soccer field is one of those words that seems puzzling unless you know a little about the history of British sports. To most Americans, a soccer game is played on a field, while baseball is played on a diamond and football is played on a field or gridiron. In Britain, however, the word “pitch” has long been used for the prepared playing area of several sports, especially cricket, rugby, and association football (soccer).

Continue reading “In Soccer, Why is the Field Called a “Pitch”?”

Why Are They Called Downs In Football?

It looks like they are gonna go for it on 4th down!

Have you ever wondered why there are 4 downs in American football? And just what is a down? The definition is that it’s the system by which possession is determined. The offense has four attempts (or downs) in which to make 10 yds (or more), and if they do so they keep possession.

Continue reading “Why Are They Called Downs In Football?”