I recently said to the parent of one of my soccer players, “See you on the pitch.” She looked at me like I’d suggested we’d play our game on the moon.
Soccer geeks often refer to the playing field as “the pitch,” and I, a lover of all things soccer, would like to explain the term. Soccer season is wrapping up, so I promise this will be the last soccerly word nerd word for a while.
To learn more interesting words, visit Kathy at Bermuda Onion for her Wondrous Words Wednesday meme. Click through the links and add your own post!
After I explored the etymology of hat trick and nutmeg, my friend Jean wanted to learn more about the origin of “pitch”. She consulted Shane, a soccer enthusiast from England, and I consulted “On the Pitch”, a website dedicated to all things youth soccer. Here’s what we found.
For centuries, the verb “pitch” meant “to fit firmly in place”, like pitching stakes into the ground for a tent. (e.g. “pitching a tent”). It comes from the Middle English pichen, meaning to drive or fix firmly. Since the end of the 17th century, the process of pitching stumps into the ground to set up a game of cricket has been called “pitching the stumps”. By the late 1800s, people started using “pitch” as a noun to describe a playing area. By 1900, pitch was used specifically for a football (or soccer) playing area.
In England, the term “field” usually refers to an open space, as in a pasture or grassy area, not a playing area.
Thanks Jean and Shane for your help!
Word Nerd Workout
Pitch has a ton of meanings. Can you share some others?
Thanks for getting nerdy with me today!
Julia
I was wondering why people call it a “pitch” in soccer… (And thanks for pitching in and helping review my book, Seniors Sleuth!)
Aha, clever use of pitch, Jennifer. Good luck with the book launch!
I like learning these new soccer-related words. Keep them coming.
It’s so interesting to learn how terms like that came into use. In this part of the country, we pitch things in the trash.
Very interesting! I love learning the origin of words.
I am not familiar with soccer terms at all. Lots of kids playing soccer in our town these days, but when mine were growing up only volleyball and baseball were available. Hence, I have nerdy kids, not athletic ones! 🙂
I wouldn’t be my dad’s daughter if I didn’t mention “to throw a ball to a batter” as in baseball.
Of course! Another “pitch” verb!
Cool! I didn’t know this. We almost bought tickets for the women’s world cup in Canada this year – only three hours from NH. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be; I’d love to see Abby Wombach on the pitch!
That would have been so cool. At least you still have Europe 😉