Soccer-specific stadium (French: stade spécifique au football)[1] is a term used mainly in the United States and Canada[2] to refer to a sports stadium either purpose-built or fundamentally redesigned for soccer and whose primary function is to host soccer matches, as opposed to a multi-purpose stadium which is for a variety of sports. A soccer-specific stadium may host other sporting events (such as lacrosse, American football and rugby) and concerts, but the design and purpose of a soccer-specific stadium is primarily for soccer. Some facilities (for example SeatGeek Stadium, Toyota Stadium and Historic Crew Stadium) have a permanent stage at one end of the stadium used for staging concerts.
A soccer-specific stadium typically has amenities, dimensions and scale suitable for soccer in North America, including a scoreboard, video screen, luxury suites and possibly a roof. The field dimensions are within the range found optimal by FIFA: 110–120 yards (100–110 m) long by 70–80 yards (64–75 m) wide.[3] These soccer field dimensions are wider than the regulation American football field width of 53+1⁄3 yards (48.8 m), or the 65-yard (59 m) width of a Canadian football field. The playing surface typically consists of grass as opposed to artificial turf, as the latter is generally disfavored for soccer matches since players are more susceptible to injuries.[4] However, some soccer specific stadiums, such as Portland's Providence Park and Creighton University's Morrison Stadium, do have artificial turf.
The seating capacity is generally between 18,000 and 30,000 for a Major League Soccer franchise,[5] or smaller for college or minor league soccer teams. This is in comparison to the much larger American football stadiums that mostly range between 60,000 and 80,000 in which the original North American Soccer League teams played and most MLS teams occupied during the league's inception.[6] As opposed to gridiron-style football stadiums, where the front row of seats is elevated several feet above the field of play to allow spectators to see over the heads of substitute players and coaches on the sidelines, soccer-specific venues typically have the front row closer to the level of the pitch.[7][8]
The Columbus Crew Stadium (now Historic Crew Stadium) was the first soccer-specific stadium in MLS
In the 1980s and 1990s, first-division professional soccer leagues in the United States, such as the North American Soccer League and Major League Soccer, primarily used American football fields, many of which were oversized in terms of seating capacity and undersized in terms of the width of the soccer field; they often used artificial turf (none of which, at the time, were approved for international soccer under FIFA rules).[citation needed] Although many of the baseball parks had smaller capacities, natural grass, and a wider field, these parks were generally in use during summer, when North American–based soccer leagues, such as Major League Soccer, also hold their seasons, and the irregular field dimensions and sightlines were often considered undesirable.
The term "soccer-specific stadium" was coined by Lamar Hunt, who financed the construction of the Columbus Crew Stadium, the first soccer-specific stadium constructed specifically for Major League Soccer.[9] In the 2000s, other Major League Soccer teams in the United States began constructing their own stadiums. Canada's first soccer-specific stadium was BMO Field in Toronto, home to Toronto FC. This stadium was renovated to accommodate Canadian football for the 2016 and subsequent seasons.[11] The distinction is less prominent in Canada, where MLS's attendance figures are comparable to those of the domestic Canadian Football League, and the CFL's wider field means fewer compromises must be made to accommodate both; Tim Hortons Field was built purposely to both soccer specifications and CFL regulations. Of the three Canadian cities that host both MLS and CFL teams, only one (Montreal) has separate stadiums for each.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC had planned to construct a soccer-specific waterfront stadium as part of their MLS expansion in 2011, but later announced that they would commit to playing at BC Place Stadium, which it shares with other teams and events.[12]
All USL Championship teams and USL League One teams will be required to play in self-owned, soccer-specific stadiums by the 2022 season. The following is a list of current USL stadiums that are soccer-specific stadiums:
The term "football-specific stadium" is sometimes used in countries where the sport is known as football rather than soccer,[citation needed] although the term is not common in countries where football is the dominant sport and thus football-specific stadiums are quite common. The term tends to have a slightly different meaning in these countries, usually referring to a stadium without an athleticstrack surrounding the field.[citation needed] Some soccer stadiums in Europe are also used for other sports, including rugby, American football, and field hockey. The problem with oversized stadiums designed for another sport is particularly visible in European American football leagues and conflicts between teams sharing the stadium (a notable example are Eintracht Braunschweig and the Braunschweig Lions which share a stadium) and (often municipal) owners of the stadiums sometimes arise, leading to attempts at single sport-specific venues.
^Almost exclusively as a baseball park for over 60 years. However, since the Rowdies moved to the facility in 2011, it has been reconfigured to better host soccer.
^"MLS - La société française Geodis s'offre le Naming du nouveau stade du Nashville Soccer Club (Geodis Park)". SportBuzzBusiness.fr. March 11, 2022.
^Sakiewicz, Edward Paul (2006). "Chapter I: Introduction". A Comparative Study of Enterprise Risk Management and Decision Making Criteria Used in Developing Soccer-specific Stadiums for Major League Soccer. p. 24. ISBN9780542914812. Retrieved August 1, 2015 – via Google Books.
^(PDF). FIFA. p. 7. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 4, 2010. Retrieved October 9, 2010. Although the official Laws of the Game allow for pitches in adult matches to be 100–130 yards (90–120 m) long by 50–100 yards (45–90 m) wide. The more restrictive range is specified for international matches like the ones used in the FIFA World Cup.
^Fox Sports (September 10, 2014). "USWNT stars not backing down on artificial playing surface stance". FOX Sports. Retrieved October 9, 2014.
^Andrews, Phil (December 31, 2005). "Philadelphia's Field of Dreams: MLS' Newest Home". Bleacher Report. Retrieved August 1, 2015.
^"M.L.S. Continues to Bolster Growing Brand With New Stadium in Houston". The New York Times. Associated Press. May 12, 2012. Retrieved August 1, 2015.
^Schrotenboer, Brent (January 12, 2017). "Chargers plan to play in smallest 'NFL stadium' for next two seasons". USA Today. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
^Hastings, Rob (January 24, 2017). "Spurs are starting a stadium design revolution in Tottenham". iNews. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
^ abArace, Michael (September 10, 2013). "Michael Arace commentary: Aging Crew Stadium still has a big advantage". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved August 1, 2015.
^Granillo, Larry (September 14, 2009). "Football, Baseball, and the Era of the "Superstadium"". Wezen-Ball. Retrieved August 1, 2015.
^"BMO Field". The Stadium Guide. Retrieved August 1, 2015.
^Weber, Mark (May 14, 2012). "Fenway Park and the Waterfront Stadium". The Vancouver Province. Retrieved February 27, 2013.
January 26, 2023
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Soccer specific stadium French stade specifique au football 1 is a term used mainly in the United States and Canada 2 to refer to a sports stadium either purpose built or fundamentally redesigned for soccer and whose primary function is to host soccer matches as opposed to a multi purpose stadium which is for a variety of sports A soccer specific stadium may host other sporting events such as lacrosse American football and rugby and concerts but the design and purpose of a soccer specific stadium is primarily for soccer Some facilities for example SeatGeek Stadium Toyota Stadium and Historic Crew Stadium have a permanent stage at one end of the stadium used for staging concerts America First Field home of Real Salt Lake is a soccer specific stadium A soccer specific stadium typically has amenities dimensions and scale suitable for soccer in North America including a scoreboard video screen luxury suites and possibly a roof The field dimensions are within the range found optimal by FIFA 110 120 yards 100 110 m long by 70 80 yards 64 75 m wide 3 These soccer field dimensions are wider than the regulation American football field width of 53 1 3 yards 48 8 m or the 65 yard 59 m width of a Canadian football field The playing surface typically consists of grass as opposed to artificial turf as the latter is generally disfavored for soccer matches since players are more susceptible to injuries 4 However some soccer specific stadiums such as Portland s Providence Park and Creighton University s Morrison Stadium do have artificial turf The seating capacity is generally between 18 000 and 30 000 for a Major League Soccer franchise 5 or smaller for college or minor league soccer teams This is in comparison to the much larger American football stadiums that mostly range between 60 000 and 80 000 in which the original North American Soccer League teams played and most MLS teams occupied during the league s inception 6 As opposed to gridiron style football stadiums where the front row of seats is elevated several feet above the field of play to allow spectators to see over the heads of substitute players and coaches on the sidelines soccer specific venues typically have the front row closer to the level of the pitch 7 8 Contents 1 History 2 Major League Soccer MLS 2 1 Current MLS soccer specific stadiums 2 2 Under construction 2 3 Other proposals 3 National Women s Soccer League NWSL 3 1 Current NWSL soccer specific stadiums 4 United Soccer League USL 4 1 Current USLC and USL1 soccer specific stadiums 4 2 Proposed USL soccer specific stadiums 5 NCAA Division I 6 Other soccer specific stadiums 6 1 Past soccer specific stadiums 7 Other countries 8 See also 9 Notes 10 ReferencesHistory Edit The Columbus Crew Stadium now Historic Crew Stadium was the first soccer specific stadium in MLS In the 1980s and 1990s first division professional soccer leagues in the United States such as the North American Soccer League and Major League Soccer primarily used American football fields many of which were oversized in terms of seating capacity and undersized in terms of the width of the soccer field they often used artificial turf none of which at the time were approved for international soccer under FIFA rules citation needed Although many of the baseball parks had smaller capacities natural grass and a wider field these parks were generally in use during summer when North American based soccer leagues such as Major League Soccer also hold their seasons and the irregular field dimensions and sightlines were often considered undesirable Soccer specific stadiums first came into use in the 1990s after the multi purpose stadium era 9 10 The term soccer specific stadium was coined by Lamar Hunt who financed the construction of the Columbus Crew Stadium the first soccer specific stadium constructed specifically for Major League Soccer 9 In the 2000s other Major League Soccer teams in the United States began constructing their own stadiums Canada s first soccer specific stadium was BMO Field in Toronto home to Toronto FC This stadium was renovated to accommodate Canadian football for the 2016 and subsequent seasons 11 The distinction is less prominent in Canada where MLS s attendance figures are comparable to those of the domestic Canadian Football League and the CFL s wider field means fewer compromises must be made to accommodate both Tim Hortons Field was built purposely to both soccer specifications and CFL regulations Of the three Canadian cities that host both MLS and CFL teams only one Montreal has separate stadiums for each Major League Soccer MLS EditSee also List of Major League Soccer stadiums Current MLS soccer specific stadiums Edit Stadium Club s City Capacity OpenedAllianz Field Minnesota United FC Saint Paul Minnesota 19 400 2019America First Field Real Salt Lake Sandy Utah 20 213 2008Audi Field D C United Washington D C 20 000 2018BMO Field Toronto FC Toronto Ontario 28 351 2007BMO Stadium Los Angeles FC Los Angeles California 22 000 2018Children s Mercy Park Sporting Kansas City Kansas City Kansas 18 467 2011Dick s Sporting Goods Park Colorado Rapids Commerce City Colorado 18 061 2007Dignity Health Sports Park LA Galaxy Carson California 27 000 2003DRV PNK Stadium Inter Miami CF Fort Lauderdale Florida 18 000 2019Exploria Stadium Orlando City SC Orlando Florida 25 500 2017Geodis Park Nashville SC Nashville Tennessee 30 000 2022Lower com Field Columbus Crew Columbus Ohio 20 371 2021PayPal Park San Jose Earthquakes San Jose California 18 000 2015PNC Stadium Houston Dynamo FC Houston Texas 22 039 2012Providence Park Portland Timbers Portland Oregon 25 218 1926Q2 Stadium Austin FC Austin Texas 20 738 2021Red Bull Arena New York Red Bulls Harrison New Jersey 25 000 2010Saputo Stadium CF Montreal Montreal Quebec 19 619 2008Subaru Park Philadelphia Union Chester Pennsylvania 18 500 2010Toyota Stadium FC Dallas Frisco Texas 19 096 2005TQL Stadium FC Cincinnati Cincinnati Ohio 26 000 2021Under construction Edit Stadium Club s Metro area Proposed capacityCitypark St Louis City SC St Louis Missouri 22 500Other proposals Edit Vancouver Whitecaps FC had planned to construct a soccer specific waterfront stadium as part of their MLS expansion in 2011 but later announced that they would commit to playing at BC Place Stadium which it shares with other teams and events 12 National Women s Soccer League NWSL EditSee also List of National Women s Soccer League stadiums Current NWSL soccer specific stadiums Edit Stadium Club s City Capacity OpenedAudi Field Washington Spirit Washington D C 20 000 2018Banc of California Stadium Angel City FC Los Angeles California 22 000 2018Children s Mercy Park Kansas City Current Kansas City Kansas 18 467 2011Exploria Stadium Orlando Pride Orlando Florida 25 500 2017Lynn Family Stadium Racing Louisville FC Louisville Kentucky 11 700 2021PNC Stadium Houston Dash Houston Texas 22 039 2012Providence Park Portland Thorns FC Portland Oregon 25 218 2011Red Bull Arena NJ NY Gotham FC Harrison New Jersey 25 000 2010SeatGeek Stadium Chicago Red Stars Bridgeview Illinois 20 000 2006Segra Field Washington Spirit Leesburg Virginia 5 000 2019WakeMed Soccer Park North Carolina Courage Cary North Carolina 10 000 2002United Soccer League USL EditCurrent USLC and USL1 soccer specific stadiums Edit All USL Championship teams and USL League One teams will be required to play in self owned soccer specific stadiums by the 2022 season The following is a list of current USL stadiums that are soccer specific stadiums Stadium Club s City Capacity OpenedAl Lang Stadium Tampa Bay Rowdies St Petersburg Florida 7 227 1947 2015 renovation n 1 American Legion Memorial Stadium Charlotte Independence Charlotte North Carolina 10 500 1934 2019 2021 renovation Bell Soccer Complex Lexington SC Lexington Kentucky 3 370 2014Breese Stevens Field Forward Madison FC Madison Wisconsin 5 000 1926Cardinale Stadium Monterey Bay FC Seaside California 6 000 2022Cashman Field Las Vegas Lights FC Las Vegas Nevada 9 334 1983 2019 2020 renovation n 2 Championship Soccer Stadium Orange County SC Irvine California 5 000 2017CHI Memorial Stadium Chattanooga Red Wolves SC Chattanooga Tennessee 5 500 2020Optim Health System Field South Georgia Tormenta FC Statesboro Georgia 5 300 2022Fresno State Soccer Stadium Central Valley Fuego FC Fresno California 1 000 2011H E B Park Rio Grande Valley FC Toros Edinburg Texas 9 400 2017Heart Health Park Sacramento Republic FC Sacramento California 11 242 2014Highmark Stadium Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC Pittsburgh Pennsylvania 5 000 2013Legacy Early College Field Greenville Triumph SC Greenville South Carolina 4 000 2019Lynn Family Stadium Louisville City FC Louisville Kentucky 11 700 2020MSU Soccer Park at Pittser Field New York Red Bulls II Montclair New Jersey 5 000 1998 Renovated 2016 2018 Patriots Point Soccer Complex Charleston Battery Mount Pleasant South Carolina 3 500 2000Segra Field Loudoun United FC Leesburg Virginia 5 000 2019Toyota Field San Antonio FC San Antonio Texas 8 296 2013Trinity Health Stadium Hartford Athletic Hartford Connecticut 5 500 1960 2019 renovation WakeMed Soccer Park North Carolina FC Cary North Carolina 10 000 2002Weidner Field Colorado Springs Switchbacks Colorado Springs Colorado 8 000 2021Wild Horse Pass Phoenix Rising FC Chandler Arizona 10 000 2021Proposed USL soccer specific stadiums Edit Stadium Club s Metro area Proposed capacityDowntown Spokane Stadium USL1 Spokane Spokane Washington 5 000Pro Iowa Stadium USL Pro Iowa Des Moines Iowa 6 100York College Queensboro FC Queens New York 7 500Iron District Stadium USL Milwaukee Milwaukee Wisconsin 8 000NCAA Division I EditThis list is incomplete you can help by adding missing items August 2017 Stadium Team s City Capacity OpenedAlbert Daly Field William amp Mary Tribe Williamsburg Virginia 1 000 2004Ambrose Urbanic Field Pittsburgh Panthers Pittsburgh Pennsylvania 735 2011BBVA Field UAB Blazers Birmingham Alabama 5 000 2015Belson Stadium St John s Red Storm Queens New York 2 600 2001Bill Armstrong Stadium Indiana Hoosiers Bloomington Indiana 6 500 1981Columbia Soccer Stadium Columbia Lions Manhattan New York 3 500 1985Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium West Virginia Mountaineers Morgantown West Virginia 1 600 2004Dr Mark amp Cindy Lynn Stadium Louisville Cardinals Louisville Kentucky 5 300 2014Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium Minnesota Golden Gophers Falcon Heights Minnesota 1 000 1999Ellis Field Texas A amp M Aggies College Station Texas 3 500 1994Eugene E Stone III Stadium South Carolina Gamecocks Columbia South Carolina 5 000 1981Razorback Field Arkansas Razorbacks Fayetteville AR 1 500 1992Eugene E Stone III Stadium Furman Paladins Greenville South Carolina 3 000 1995Harder Stadium UC Santa Barbara Gauchos Santa Barbara California 17 000 1966Hermann Stadium Saint Louis Billikens St Louis Missouri 6 050 1999Hofstra University Soccer Stadium Hofstra Pride Hempstead New York 1 600 2003Hurricane Soccer amp Track Stadium Tulsa Golden Hurricane Tulsa Oklahoma 2 000 2003Lamar Soccer Complex Lamar Lady Cardinals Beaumont Texas 500 2009Mazzella Field Iona Gaels New Rochelle New York 2 400 1989Mean Green Village North Texas Mean Green Denton Texas 1 000 2006Merlo Field Portland Pilots Portland Oregon 4 892 1990Mike Rose Soccer Complex Memphis Tigers Memphis Tennessee 2 500 2001Morrison Stadium Creighton Bluejays Omaha Nebraska 6 000 2003Morrone Stadium UConn Huskies Storrs Connecticut 5 100 1969Nicholls Soccer Complex Nicholls State Colonels Thibodaux Louisiana 1 000 1998Old Dominion Soccer Complex Old Dominion Monarchs and Lady Monarchs Norfolk Virginia 4 000 1990Riggs Field Clemson Tigers Clemson South Carolina 6 500 1915Roberts Stadium Princeton Tigers Princeton New Jersey 2 356 2008SU Soccer Stadium Syracuse Orange Syracuse New York 1 500 1996University of Denver Soccer Stadium Denver Pioneers Denver Colorado 2 000 2009UNCG Soccer Stadium University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro North Carolina 3 540 1990Veterans Memorial Soccer Complex Marshall Thundering Herd Huntington West Virginia 1 006 2013Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium Hawaiʻi Rainbow Wahine Waipiʻo Hawaii 4 500 2000Yurcak Field Rutgers Scarlet Knights Piscataway New Jersey 5 000 1994Ole Miss Soccer Stadium Ole Miss Rebels Oxford Mississippi 1 500 1997Other soccer specific stadiums EditStadium Team s Division City Capacity OpenedCity Park Stadium Westchester Flames USL2 New Rochelle New York 1 845 1970sKing George V Park National StadiumMemorial Sea Hawks CONCACAFCIS St John s Newfoundland and Labrador 6 400 1925Lusitano Stadium Western Mass Pioneers USL2 Ludlow Massachusetts 3 000 1918Macpherson Stadium North Carolina Fusion U23 USL2 Browns Summit North Carolina 7 000 2002Metropolitan Oval Queens New York 1 500 1925 2001 renovation Orange Beach Sportsplex Local teams SEC Women s Soccer Tournament Local Orange Beach Alabama 1 500 2001Starfire Sports Tukwila Washington 4 500 2002Switchbacks Training Stadium Colorado Springs Colorado 5 000 1985Uihlein Soccer Park MSOE Raiders NCAA Milwaukee Wisconsin 7 000 1994Virginia Beach Sportsplex Virginia Beach United FC USL2 Virginia Beach Virginia 10 500 1999Wallis Annenberg Stadium UCLA Bruins teams Los Angeles California 2 145 2018WRAL Soccer Center CASL teams CASL Raleigh North Carolina 3 200 1990Past soccer specific stadiums Edit Stadium Club s City Capacity Opened Years used StatusMark s Stadium Fall River F C Tiverton CDP Rhode Island 15 000 1922 1922 1950s vacant grass lotFifth Third Bank Stadium Kennesaw State Owls Kennesaw Georgia 8 318 2010 2010 present converted to a multi purpose stadium in 2015 after Kennesaw State University launched their football programOther countries Edit The Myyrmaki Football Stadium in Vantaa Finland The term football specific stadium is sometimes used in countries where the sport is known as football rather than soccer citation needed although the term is not common in countries where football is the dominant sport and thus football specific stadiums are quite common The term tends to have a slightly different meaning in these countries usually referring to a stadium without an athletics track surrounding the field citation needed Some soccer stadiums in Europe are also used for other sports including rugby American football and field hockey The problem with oversized stadiums designed for another sport is particularly visible in European American football leagues and conflicts between teams sharing the stadium a notable example are Eintracht Braunschweig and the Braunschweig Lions which share a stadium and often municipal owners of the stadiums sometimes arise leading to attempts at single sport specific venues See also EditList of soccer stadiums in the United States List of soccer stadiums in Canada List of football soccer stadiums by capacity List of Major League Soccer stadiums List of NASL stadiums List of National Women s Soccer League stadiums List of Women s Professional Soccer stadiumsNotes Edit Almost exclusively as a baseball park for over 60 years However since the Rowdies moved to the facility in 2011 it has been reconfigured to better host soccer The stadium was originally built in 1983 for the Las Vegas Stars and Las Vegas 51s baseball team It is currently being renovated into a soccer specific stadium with baseball moved to Las Vegas Ballpark References Edit MLS La societe francaise Geodis s offre le Naming du nouveau stade du Nashville Soccer Club Geodis Park SportBuzzBusiness fr March 11 2022 Sakiewicz Edward Paul 2006 Chapter I Introduction A Comparative Study of Enterprise Risk Management and Decision Making Criteria Used in Developing Soccer specific Stadiums for Major League Soccer p 24 ISBN 9780542914812 Retrieved August 1 2015 via Google Books Laws of the Game 2010 2011 PDF FIFA p 7 Archived from the original PDF on July 4 2010 Retrieved October 9 2010 Although the official Laws of the Game allow for pitches in adult matches to be 100 130 yards 90 120 m long by 50 100 yards 45 90 m wide The more restrictive range is specified for international matches like the ones used in the FIFA World Cup Fox Sports September 10 2014 USWNT stars not backing down on artificial playing surface stance FOX Sports Retrieved October 9 2014 Andrews Phil December 31 2005 Philadelphia s Field of Dreams MLS Newest Home Bleacher Report Retrieved August 1 2015 M L S Continues to Bolster Growing Brand With New Stadium in Houston The New York Times Associated Press May 12 2012 Retrieved August 1 2015 Schrotenboer Brent January 12 2017 Chargers plan to play in smallest NFL stadium for next two seasons USA Today Retrieved February 25 2017 Hastings Rob January 24 2017 Spurs are starting a stadium design revolution in Tottenham iNews Retrieved July 20 2018 a b Arace Michael September 10 2013 Michael Arace commentary Aging Crew Stadium still has a big advantage The Columbus Dispatch Retrieved August 1 2015 Granillo Larry September 14 2009 Football Baseball and the Era of the Superstadium Wezen Ball Retrieved August 1 2015 BMO Field The Stadium Guide Retrieved August 1 2015 Weber Mark May 14 2012 Fenway Park and the Waterfront Stadium The Vancouver Province Retrieved February 27 2013 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Soccer specific stadium amp oldid 1135413449, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
