Editing Soccer-specific stadium (section)

{{Short description|Type of sports stadium}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2017}}

{{Multiple image |perrow=2 |total_width=400 |image1=Nashville SC vs Portland Timbers by cornfield948 (20220705094553).jpg |image2=Louisville City match at Lynn Family Stadium 2023.jpg |image3=Wanderers Grounds, home to the HFX Wanderers FC in 2024.jpg |image4=Rowdies Soccer Config 2015.jpg |footer=Types of soccer-specific stadiums in North America (left–right, top–bottom): large stadiums ([[Geodis Park]]), smaller "boutique" stadiums ([[Lynn Family Stadium]]), "modular" stadiums with [[bleacher]]s ([[Wanderers Grounds]]), and converted former [[ballpark]]s ([[Al Lang Stadium]]).}}

A '''soccer-specific stadium''', mainly in the [[United States]] and [[Canada]],<ref>{{cite book |last=Sakiewicz |first=Edward Paul |year=2006 |title=A Comparative Study of Enterprise Risk Management and Decision Making Criteria Used in Developing Soccer-specific Stadiums for Major League Soccer |chapter=Chapter I: Introduction |page=24 |publisher=Capella University |isbn=9780542914812 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0finZwj9-LYC |via=[[Google Books]] |access-date=August 1, 2015}}</ref> is 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 football|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 (Texas)|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]]: {{convert|110|–|120|yd|m}} long by {{convert|64|–|75|m|yd|-1|order=flip}} wide.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fifa.com/mm/document/affederation/generic/81/42/36/lawsofthegame%5f2010%5f11%5fe.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100704211500/http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/affederation/generic/81/42/36/lawsofthegame_2010_11_e.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 4, 2010 |title=Laws of the Game 2010/2011 |publisher=FIFA |page=7 |access-date=October 9, 2010}} Although the official [[Laws of the Game (association football)|Laws of the Game]] allow for pitches in adult matches to be {{convert|90|-|120|m|yd|-1|order=flip}} long by {{convert|45|-|90|m|yd|-1|order=flip}} wide. The more restrictive range is specified for international matches like the ones used in the [[FIFA World Cup]].</ref> These soccer field dimensions are wider than the regulation [[American football]] field width of {{convert|53+1/3|yd|m}}, or the {{convert|65|yd|m|adj=on}} 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.<ref>{{cite web|date=September 10, 2014|url=http://www.foxsports.com/soccer/story/uswnt-stars-not-backing-down-on-stance-artificial-playing-surface-2015-women's-world-cup-091014|title=USWNT stars not backing down on artificial playing surface stance|author=Fox Sports|work=FOX Sports|access-date=October 9, 2014}}</ref> 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,<ref>{{cite news |last=Andrews |first=Phil |date=December 31, 2005 |title=Philadelphia's Field of Dreams: MLS' Newest Home |url=http://bleacherreport.com/articles/317174-philadelphias-field-of-dreams-mls-newest-home |work=[[Bleacher Report]] |access-date=August 1, 2015}}</ref> 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 [[North American Soccer League (1968–84)|original North American Soccer League]] teams played and most MLS teams occupied during the league's inception.<ref>{{cite news |date=May 12, 2012 |title=M.L.S. Continues to Bolster Growing Brand With New Stadium in Houston |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/13/sports/soccer/mls-keeps-moving-up-as-houston-dynamo-open-stadium.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |agency=[[Associated Press]] |access-date=August 1, 2015}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news|last=Schrotenboer|first=Brent|title=Chargers plan to play in smallest 'NFL stadium' for next two seasons|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/chargers/2017/01/12/chargers-stubhub-center-los-angeles-relocation-mls-la-galaxy/96479520/|newspaper=[[USA Today]]|date=January 12, 2017|access-date=February 25, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://inews.co.uk/news/long-reads/tottenham-hotspur-white-hart-lane-new-stadium-football/ |title=Spurs are starting a stadium design revolution in Tottenham|first=Rob |last=Hastings |date= January 24, 2017|work=iNews|access-date=July 20, 2018 }}</ref>