White lines

[Lowestoft Canary]

My seat in the Barclay looks directly in the line of sight of the line at the side of the pitch,

It wasn't straight at the Bolton game and there was a similar issue at the Fulham home game last season.

Which got me thinking. How do the groundsmen keep the lines straight and in the rules of the game what are the tolerance levels for getting it right?

 

[splutcho]

Going through my miiiiiiiind

 

[Dubai Mark]

From the official FA guideline leaflet:

One of the many jobs carried out by the groundsman that often provokes criticism or praise quickly 
when viewed is line marking. Done well this job can set pitches off especially when being featured on 
TV or when the pitch is being used for a high profile game. The secret of marking good lines is to keep 
equipment clean and use approved marking compounds.
Lines should be kept straight. This can be 
achieved by running a string along the length 
of the line. The string then acts as a guide 
allowing the groundsman to keep the line 
ruler straight.
Care should be taken to walk at a sensible 
pace allowing the machine to deliver the right 
amount of paint to make a good line. It also 
allows the operator to follow the string line.
Effective marking can be of great assistance 
in the training environment as well. Areas 
such as grids or specialised areas for 
goalkeepers need to be as well defined as the 
match pitch. Circles such as the one shown in 
the picture are often used in a training ground 
environment for special drills. As with other 
marks they need to be clear and well defined. 
The end of the string should be fixed in to the 
ground by a peg. The radius should then be 
measured. Once established the string should 
be pulled tight and another peg tied onto it. 
This peg should be used to scroll a line in the 
grass. Once the circle has been etched in it 
can be painted.

 

[gerryinromania]

Bit surprised that the pitch markers are not using laser type guide line devices. Wouldn't have thought that they're too expensive..Seems a bit 1900s technology using string,wooden peg and hammers

 

[Lone Star Canary]

Paging George Toma... please pick up the white courtesy phone...

 

[Lowestoft Canary]

Very interesting topic I agree why can't laser technology beused.

It must be very tricky for the linesman to determine if a high ball goes out of play

That said paint technology has come along way since the seventies where often the lines didn't last a whole game due in part to the muddy pitches.