Names for different sports fields
I love the English language because there’s so many difference between similarly named items, especially when you look at sports. Whether around the world or not. Sports fields are one of those things.
It’s not always easy to remember the different names of places sports are played. It always makes me laugh when N was small and would get the word wrong. Anyone want to play on a tennis pitch or rugby field? Why a sports field or pitch wasn’t named the same for more sports I don’t know. But here’s the different names for the different types of sports field.
Different types of sports field
Courts
Badminton court – similar to tennis, but with a shuttlecock, and played indoors.
Basketball court – rectangular, with the 3×3 version of the game played on a half court.
Handball court – rectangular (or field if played outdoors)
Netball court – rectangular
Padel court – enclosed court 25% smaller than a tennis court, the ball is hit over the net
Pickleball court – similar shape to a tennis court.
Squash court – an indoors enclosed court with the front wall having the serve line (‘net’), and the ball being hit against the front wall. The back wall can be glass.
Tennis court – rectangular court, slightly wider for doubles compared with a singles court, played from end to end with the ball hit over the net. There are four different court surfaces – hard, grass and clay.
Volleyball court – rectangular, can be played in or outdoors (e.g beach volleyball).
Sports pitch
Cricket pitch – the middle strip between the wickets that the batsmen run between, set on the cricket field.
Football pitch – rectangular pitch, size varies depending on the age and number of players taking part (5 a side, 11 a side etc)
Hockey pitch – rectangular pitch, generally played on astro at a competitive level, but could be on grass.
Rugby pitch – rectangular pitch with the goal posts forward of the end of the field.
Sports field
American Football field – rectangular
Baseball field (diamond), players run around the diamond.
Polo field – large rectangular field, the size of 9 football fields.
Softball field or diamond – similar to baseball
Ultimate frisbee field
Sports track
Athletics track – oval track within an athletics arena or stadiumCycling track in a velodrome – velodromes tend to have steeply banked oval tracks, consisting of two 180-degree circular bends connected by two straights.
Ring
Boxing ring – raised square ‘ring’ enclosed with rope edging
Karate ring – mats create a 8x8m square ring
Sumo ring or dohyo – raised ring.
Taekwondo ring – octagonal shape mat creates the ring
Wrestling ring – the type of ring depends on the style of wrestling, whether it’s like a raised square boxing ring or a ring on the ground like in greco-roman wrestling
Rink
Curling sheet within a curling rink – the sheet is the ice playing surface.
Ice hockey rink – played on the same ice rink as skating.
Ice skating rink – rounded rectangular shape.
Course
Golf course – each course varies in shape and style depending on the area it’s in. Competition courses have 18 holes.
Horse racing course – flat or with jumps
Other sports ground types
Diving pool – diving pools have to be at leave 5 metres deep.
Dressage arena – rectangular, slightly smaller than a show jumping arena
Fencing piste or strip
Gymnastics gymnasium with apparatus including floor, rings, pommel horse, vault, bars, beam.
Lawn bowls green – rectangular rink
Swimming pool – rectangular, competition pools are 50 metres by 8 lanes wide.
Table tennis table – rectangular table with a net.
Where you’re from, do you call any of these different names?
Here’s other sports themed posts to check out: