massum

Hey.
just been asked about the pitch size on my game.
i was just wondering, whats the ramifications of having a short or long pitch.
I know that a narrow or wide pitch will either encourage or discourage width in my team, but i just wanted to know what different length of the pitch will make, if any.

cheers for any help

WeeScotsPaul

I don't know if it is yet written into FM, but, as well as tactical options, pitch size can dictate which competitions can be played at your stadium. The major European trophies and I suspect several top divisions have minimum pitch size requirements, which can force a club to play at an alternative venue if they qualify for any of the relevant tournaments.

Apart from that, I can't think of anything other than the obvious tactical choices given to you on such a pitch, which you have already mentioned.

As i said, though, I'm not sure it's in FM anyway.

deadeyedunc

Doesn't it say that a smaller pitch will create more congestion and force players to comete harder for space? So I guess you would choose a pitch size to suit your playing style.

LFC Lloydy

There are loads of different ways of looking at it IMO, some of which contradict each other.

With a short pitch then you can get into the attacking third quicker which could make it useful if you play counter attacking football and/or long ball.

A long pitch gives players more room just like a wider pitch does although it could mean your strikers becoming too seperated from the rest of the team etc...

That's just a taster of the possibilities, you really have to look at your own style of play and imagine that style being played to work out what is best for you.

P.S. I think this is my first post in a about two months, glad to be back...... I think

Amaroq

Its good to see you back, LFC Lloydy.

I've been thinking of it as: bigger pitch = harder to defend = more scoring.

More scoring is good for you if you think you're better than the teams visiting, and bad for you if you think you're worse than the teams visiting.

In some circumstances, you may think of this in terms of "In the games I care about", for example, as Rangers you might really only care about Celtic and your European opponents, assuming everything else is a win.

Note that that's not the only way to think of it. If I were expecting a ton of fixture congestion (e.g., Championship team in the UEFA Cup), I might try a narrower pitch as I'd expect that to mean less running and more time spent with the ball out of play.

Ranson52

Generally a longer pitch can provide problems for poor teams to maintain balance and shape.
Defenders tend to "lose contact" with the midfield, and of course midfield can be too distant to provide support to strikers.

Of course if you are a good team this can work to your advantage.

Also, a longer or bigger pitch will have an advserse effect on fitness if your players have low or marginal stamina levels.