According to the FA (Football Association), advertising hoardings need to be a minimum of 1.83 metres (ideally 2 metres), away from the touchline of a football pitch, goal line and pitch perimeter barrier.
In football, we have seen the effect that advertising boards can have on matches over the decades and they are never too far away from controversy.
There are many different types of advertising boards in football; usually the ones at top tier clubs with bigger and more advanced stadiums are made out of plastic and LED technology, while lower league clubs often have wooden or metal ones.
Advertising boards have also been used creatively in football. Most recently, Sunderland attempted to limit Arsenal’s threat from long throw-ins by moving the advertising boards closer to the pitch to give less room for run-ups.
While there was some controversy surrounding this, it remains to be seen whether the particular incident is taken any further, with Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris joking: “It might have been the wind,” when asked about it.
However, there is no doubt that there is a good reason for having a set distance for advertising boards at football grounds, as we have seen in recent years.
Incidents Involving Advertising Boards In Football
The reason why the FA states that there should be a distance of 1.83 metres between the touchline and advertising boards, has a lot to do with health and safety regulations playing a significant part.
Over the years, we have seen several cases of incidents involving players and advertising hoardings. Indeed, in November 2022, Bath City striker, Alex Fletcher had a collision with a fixed advertising board which resulted in a devastating injury.
As such, the player endured extensive brain trauma, with his doctors describing this as similar to that of a motorcycle collision. Having been rushed to hospital where he underwent emergency neurosurgery, he then spent a significant period of time in intensive care, before learning to walk again.
Meanwhile, in 2024 an incident in a local derby between Cardiff City and Swansea City saw Bluebirds striker Ollie Tanner injure his leg on an advertising board, while celebrating a goal. As excited Cardiff fans behind the goal rushed forward, this caused an advertising screen to fall onto the player, causing him an injury.
Health Impacts Of Advertising Boards
Many football clubs now also need to be aware of the visual dangers of advertising hoardings around their ground.
This is especially the case when thinking about LED imagery which have become a major source of complaints from fans (both in the ground and television spectators), because of constant flashing and strobing which can cause epileptic episodes.
The type of content that advertising boards have on display has also been proven to have long term, subconscious effects as well, especially for those fans that are susceptible to gambling advertising.
Ultimately, there are many elements for football clubs to consider when it comes to their advertising hoardings.