The boundary lines on the sides of a soccer field can play a role in game tactics. They help you as a defender, acting to create a de facto double team if you are trying to contain a forward. On a wide field, they give an extra margin of working area that you can use on offense if the defense is leaving you alone out of concern about developments toward the middle of the field. Given that soccer field sizes are not standard, and multiuse fields may have several sideline markings, players need to stay aware of the edge of the field and know its proper name.
Regulations
Unlike football, soccer does not call the boundary line a sideline. The Laws of the Game administered by FIFA, the international governing body of soccer, and the International Football Association Board call the side boundaries "touch lines." The term is a legacy of the original soccer laws arranged in an 1863 meeting in a London pub. At that time, when the ball crossed the side boundary, the first player to "touch" the ball was allowed to kick or throw it back into play, writes international soccer referee and rules historian Stanley F. Lover in "Soccer Rules Explained."
Length
Law 1, which describes the field of play, states that the field of play must be rectangular and marked, with the longer boundary lines called touch lines and the shorter lines called goal lines. The field also must have a halfway line, joining the midpoint of the two touch lines. The touch lines can range from 90 to 120 meters long, or 100 to 130 yards. The distance between the touch lines can range from 45 to 90 meters, or 50 to 100 yards. The range of allowable sizes becomes narrower for international matches. These must have a touch line from 100 to 110 meters long, or 110 to 120 yards, with goal lines ranging from 64 to 75 meters long, or 70 to 80 yards.
Markings
The markings of the touch and goal lines must be of the same width, not more than 12 cm or 5 inches. A flag post of not less that 1.5 meters or 5 feet must be placed at the junction of each touch line and goal line. The flag post must have a blunt top with a flag. Optional flag posts can also mark each end of the halfway line.
Significance
The boundary lines at the sides of the field mark the position for a player to throw the ball in after it goes out of bounds. The thrower is permitted to have part of each foot on the touch line or on the ground outside the line, according to Law 15, on throw-ins. The ball is ruled out of play if it wholly crosses the touch line, whether on the ground or in the air, states Law 9, which explains when the ball is in and out of play. Coaches at the professional level must not cross the touch line into the field of play, notes an addendum on the technical area, a marked area for coaches and other team officials that extends no closer than 1 meter or 1 yard from the touch line. Only a physiotherapist or doctor can, with the referee's permission, enter the field of play to attend to an injured player.
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