It’s often the simple things we overlook
Although the world of Football can be a complicated place, the sport itself is simple enough, revolving around a 20 foot in diameter circle in the middle of the pitch.
However, when fans are asked what purpose does the centre circle serve, they might just find themselves at a mental roadblock.
For all that football fans claim to know when it comes to showing off our footballing knowledge, it is often the simplest of trivia which alludes even the most fanatic of football fans.
Well if you have found yourself wondering why, then you’re in the right place.
Everyone knows that kick-offs are taken from the middle of the centre circle exactly equidistant from the two goals at each end.
From here players can surround the two semi-circles than make up the centre circle either way of the halfway line.
The distance at any point from the kick-off spot to the circle perimeter is exactly 10 yards, the minimum distance a player must be from the ball at kick-off.
This rule abides with The International Football Association Board’s (IFAB) laws of the game.
It states in law 8.1: “All players, except the player taking the kick-off, must be in their own half of the field of play. The opponents of the team taking the kick-off must be at least 9.15 m (10 yds) from the ball until it is in play.”
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The centre circle was introduced in 1891 after a major overhaul in rules to the games with pitch markings becoming a new addition.
Many have credited Robert J Smith with its invention with it being suggested that the marking was even referred to as the ‘Smith circle’ for a period who had taken part in a meeting to set up the Derby County Football Association in 1883.
Eight years later a meeting between IFAB in 1891 saw a review of rules that led to the establishment of the centre circle in international football law.
The rule regarding the 10 yard distance from the ball at kick-off had been in place since the original FA rules in 1863, however the centre circle created a physical barrier to deter encroachment.
The same meeting was also responsible for introducing the penalty kick and abolishing umpires and replacing them with linesmen.
Outside of kick-off phases the centre circle has no use, other than as descriptor in an audacious effort to lob the keeper from just inside the centre circle, for example.
So there you have it, a cracking bit of pub quiz trivia explaining one of football’s most overlooked, but also most longstanding features.
