Hash mark (sports)

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In ice hockey, the hash marks are two pairs of parallel lines on either side of the face-off circles in both ends of the rink. Players must remain on their team's side of the hash mark nearest their own goal during a face-off until the puck hits the ice.

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| image1 = KentAkron (cropped).jpg

| alt1 = Hash marks at Dix Stadium

| caption1 = ...at Dix Stadium (above)

| image2 = New Meadowlands Stadium Mezz Corner (cropped).jpg

| alt2 = Hash marks at MetLife Stadium

| caption2 = ...at MetLife Stadium

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In American football and Canadian football, the hash marks are two rows of lines near the middle of the field that are parallel to the side lines. These small lines ({{cvt|4|in|cm|disp=sqbr}} wide by {{cvt|2|ft|cm|disp=sqbr}} long) are used to mark the 1-yard sections between each of the 5-yard lines, which go from sideline to sideline. All plays start with the ball on or between the hash marks. That is, if the ball is downed in between a hash mark and the nearest sideline, it must be placed on that hash mark for the next play.

Prior to the adoption of hash marks (which were first utilized at the first NFL playoff game in {{nfly|1932}}), all plays began where the ball was declared dead, including extra point attempts.

The hashmarks in that indoor 1932 playoff game were originally {{convert|30|ft}} from the sideline, and that width was adopted by the NFL for the {{nfly|1933}} season. It was increased to {{convert|45|ft}} from the sideline ({{cvt|70|ft|disp=sqbr}} apart) in {{nfly|1935}}, {{convert|60|ft}} from the sideline ({{cvt|40|ft|disp=sqbr}} apart) in {{nfly|1945}}, and to the current {{convert|70|ft|9|in}} from the sideline ({{cvt|18+1/2|ft|disp=sqbr}} apart) in {{nfly|1972}}.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=SppMAAAAIBAJ&sjid=xzUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4101%2C3485256 |newspaper=Rome News-Tribune |location=Georgia |agency=Associated Press |title=Owners give offense big seven-yard boost |date=March 24, 1972 |page=6A }}

In most forms of professional football in the U.S., including the National Football League and most forms of indoor football, the hash marks are in line with the goal posts, both being 18 feet 6 inches apart in the NFL and between {{convert|9|and|10|ft}} in indoor football. High school football, college football and Canadian football have hash marks significantly wider than the goal posts. The college football standard, which was the previous standard in the NFL ({{nfly|1945}}–{{nfly|1971}}), is 40 feet apart, (20 yards from the sidelines){{cite magazine|title=High On The Hash |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1086452/index.htm |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130915123052/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1086452/index.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 15, 2013 | magazine=Sports Illustrated |agency=(CNN)| date=August 28, 1972}} introduced in 1993.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=a6IaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=niwEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4236%2C2591064 |newspaper=Milwaukee Journal |last=Chaptman |first=Dennis |title=Moving hash marks should open offenses |date=March 26, 1993 |page=C2}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WEZWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=duoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5387%2C406590 |newspaper=Eugene Register-Guard |location=Oregon |last=Clark |first=Bob |title=New rules to keep coaches on toes |date=September 2, 1993 |page=9F }} Previously, the college width was the same as the high school standard (with the exception of Texas, which currently uses the current college width), at one-third of the width of the field ({{convert|53+1/3|ft|disp=sqbr}}).

The Canadian standard for amateur play is {{convert|51|ft}} in width, 24 yards from each sideline. The Canadian Football League formerly used this spacing, but narrowed the hash mark spacing to {{convert|9|yd}} in 2022.{{Cite web |title=CFL moving hashmarks closer to center of field |url=https://news.yahoo.com/cfl-moving-hashmarks-closer-center-214537744.html |access-date=2022-05-24 |website=news.yahoo.com |date=27 April 2022 |language=en-US}} A Canadian football field width is {{convert|65|yd|ft m}}, {{convert|35|ft}} wider than in the American game.{{cite web|title=CFL Official Playing Rules 2011|url=https://www.cfl.ca/uploads/assets/CFL/PDF_Docs/CFL_Rule_Book_2011.pdf|publisher=Canadian Football League|access-date=5 August 2013|pages=8, 12|quote="The field shall be 110 yards long by 65 yards wide [...] Twenty-four yards in from each sideline each 5-yard stripe shall be marked by a short cross stripe parallel to the sidelines (Hash Marks)."|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120511072051/http://www.cfl.ca/uploads/assets/CFL/PDF_Docs/CFL_Rule_Book_2011.pdf|archive-date=11 May 2012}}

• {{slink|Hash House Harriers|Trail markings}}

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{{Gridiron football concepts}}

Category:Ice hockey terminology

Category:American football terminology

Category:Canadian football terminology