Know the FIFA requirements for World Cup stadiums

A sophisticated cover for the stands, parking for more than 10 thousand cars, space for thousands of journalists and VIP guests. The stadiums that shall be built or refurbished for the 2014 World Cup shall comply with a long list of requirements established by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) to earn the privilege of hosting between three and five games of the World Cup.

From the security and comfort of the supporter, through the access to the stadium and requirements for sustainable construction, until lots of attention that must be devoted to media transmission and FIFA sponsors, this institution has listed a series of standards and recommendations that have made many architects and co-ordinators in the host cities lose their sleep.

The requirements were brought together in a book with 250 pages, published in 2004. With the name of Football Stadiums’ Technical Recommendations and Requirements, this manual was devised to guide the construction and refurbishment of the German stadiums for the 2006 World Cup, and shall also be a guide for the host countries for the 2010 and 2014 World Cups, South Africa and Brazil respectively.

The 2014 Portal has prepared a summary of the eleven main topics within this manual for stadiums, which you may check by clicking on the animation buttons below:

1 – Decisions before construction
The size and the level of comfort of a stadium shall be in proportion to its future demand for use and also the funds available for its construction. The ideal situation would be for a feasibility study to be conducted, bearing in mind that the average usable life for modern stadiums is 30 years.

Regarding the capacity of the stadiums, FIFA recommends a minimum of 30 thousand seats for international games, 50 thousand for a Confederations Cup final, and 60 thousand for a World Cup final.

With regard to the location, the institution recommends the presence of car parking facilities for cars and buses around the stadium, as well as supply of public transport. To receive international events, there shall also be hotels, commercial centeres and also an airport close to the stadium.

2 – Direction of the field
The ideal direction of the fields is from North to South. However, this direction can be changed to adapt to regional factors. The players, the spectators and the communication professionals shall be protected against the blinding effect of the sun’s rays. If there is a cover over the stadium, the material of which it is made should allow the grass to receive sunlight and appropriate ventilation.

3 – Security
According to FIFA, the security of the spectators must be given top priority, both when designing the project and when operating the stadiums. For this purpose, they recommend that sectors like staircases, doors and corridors are signposted and free from obstacles. The access door shall open from the inside outwards and shall remain unlocked as long as there are people inside. To prevent crowd invasions, the doors may have a locking system which is easily operable by anyone inside the stadium.

To ensure the security of the spectators, the stadiums shall also have a control room with a panoramic view and surveillance cameras, internally and externally. There shall be at least one first aid room, to which the public may have easy access, whether inside or outside the stadium.

4 – Car Parking
Supporters: stadiums for 60 thousand people shall have at least 10 thousand parking spaces for cars and 500 for buses. The ideal situation is for the parking spaces to be adjacent to the stadium, but FIFA considers parking spaces within a perimeter of 1.5 kilometreskilometers.

VIP Public: the parking area shall be private and preferably inside the stadium.
Delegations: the delegations shall have at least two reserved parking spaces for buses and eight for cars, inside the stadium, close to the changing rooms and separate from the public.

Media: there shall be an exclusive entrance for communication professionals, with a press room of no more than 30 m2. There is a recommendation for distinctive treatment for the photographers that carry heavy equipment.

TV Compound: for the World Cup final, this area shall have between three and five thousand m2. The car park shall be adjacent to the stadium, have reinforced security and also have an independent system for energy generation.

Satellite transmission vehicles: these shall have a reserved parking area, in the open air, adjacent to the TV Compound and with the same system for energy generation.

Emergency and security vehicles: these shall park in an adjacent area or inside the stadium, in a position that enables rapid flow.

Heliport: FIFA recommends that there shall be a heliport close to the stadium.

5 – The Playing Area
For World Cup games and for the final phase of the Confederations Cup, FIFA requires that the playing field be 105 metresmeters long and 68 metresmeters wide. The grass may be natural or synthetic. According to the Book of Conditions, artificial grass has an advantage but must be subjected to laboratory analysis and also be certified by Fifa.

The ideal situation would be the absence of barriers between the stands and the field. To prevent invasion by supporters, FIFA recommends the presence of security personnel and also policemen, as also the raising of the stands in relation to the field or the construction of a moat.

6 – Dressing Rooms and Access Routes
Players and refereeing officials shall have an entrance area, safe and exclusive, with enough space for the circulation of cars, buses and ambulances.

The dressing rooms for home and away teams shall have areas of at least 150 m2 and shall be equal in comfort. For multiuse stadiums, FIFA recommends the construction of four units.

The offices of the managers shall be adjacent to the dressing rooms, with a minimum area of 24 m2.
The refereeing officials shall have a private changing room, but close to the changing rooms of the players. The minimum size is 24 m2.

The access tunnel shall have a width of at least 4 m and a height of 2.2 m. In international games, a width of 6 m is ideal. The referees and the players of each team shall have individual access to the field. Close to the changing rooms, there shall be two areas for the players to warm up, each with an area of 100 m2.

7 – Comfort of the Spectators
Out of all the comfort items, the cover is the one that raised greatest doubts about the need for its installation in the World Cup stadiums. According to the FIFA Requirements Book, the cover is recommended in places where there is a lot of sun, or which have a cold or wet climate.

The stadium shall have individual seats attached to the structure of the stands. The recommended minimum width is 47 cm, with a backrest at least 30 cm in height. To make the circulation of the supporters easier, FIFA recommends a distance of at least 85 cm between backrests. The VIP seats shall be centrally located and separated from the seats occupied by the general public.

All supporters shall have a perfect view of the field, which means that blind spots are not acceptable. For this reason, FIFA recommends careful calculation of the inclination of the stands, and that the publicity signs shall have a maximum height of 100 cm.

Modern stadiums shall have at least five points of sale for every thousand spectators, equipped with television equipment so that the public does not miss any part of the game. The position of the points of sale shall be designed in a way such that the agglomeration of people in the queues does not obstruct the circulation around the stadium.

The Requirements Book also recommends that the stadiums adopt standards of accessibility for the differently abledpeople with special needs. All sectors shall have ramps for wheelchair users, adapted bathrooms and support services. The people with special needsdifferently abled shall also have a separate door for entering the stadium, giving direct access to the adapted area. For each seat set aside for a wheelchair user, there must also be a seat for someone accompanying him or her, and also energy sockets for the connection of electronic equipment.

8 – Hospitality
Inside the stadium, the hospitality areas correspond to the VIP Section. During the World Cup, FIFA takes over this section and commercializses the boxes and suites to individual people, groups and companies, or can distribute them among partners, sponsors and television transmission networks.

The Requirements Book recommends that there be a room for common use within the hospitality area, as well as suites and boxes that can hold between 10 and 20 people. There are normally two categories of VIP Section, one of which offering greater comfort, such as exclusive entrance and parking areas, as well as a location in the upper ring of the stadium, which provides a perfect view of the game.

A second area required by FIFA for hosting the World Cup is known as VVIP. This area, which is exclusively for Federation executives and also members of the local Organizsing Committee (COL), shall be separated from the other sections of the stadium, including the VIP Section. In the most important World Cup games, the President of the International Federation shall have a lounge with an area of 20 m2 made available for private meetings.

Apart from the VIP and VVIP areas, FIFA requires the construction of hospitality villages and also areas for commercial hospitality. Apart from offering entertainment to the guests, these premises also allow the sponsors and partners of the Federation to carry out their own hospitality programmes.

9 – Media
Press Cabins: the area for press cabins shall occupy a central location within the stadium. Each station shall have a table, energy sockets and also modem and telephone connections. In the cabin area, there shall be at least one television for every eight stations. Games that attract more journalists shall have multiple telephone connections, energy sockets and rapid connection with the Internet. The stadiums shall also be equipped with cutting-edge digital technology, with priority being given to wireless equipment.

Radio and television cabins: these shall also be centrally located, preferably under the cover, but not in a closed location. The stations shall be separated from each other with soundproof protection. There shall be at least one telephone, two energy sockets and one television for every station. In the case of a World Cup Final, there shall be at least 50 cabins, each holding three people.

Television Studios: at important games, there shall be at least three television studios, each of some 25 m2, close to the changing rooms and easily accessible to players and managers. In big international matches, there shall be at least four more studios with a panoramic view of the field.

Media Center: the capacity of the media centre shall be based on that of the press area. For example, in a game with 600 places in the press area, there shall be space for 200 people in the Media Centre. In this sector, there shall be the installation of the area of group press interviews.

Group Press Room: this room shall have a minimum area of 100 m2, with about 100 seats, and shall be equipped with an efficient sound system and space for at least ten Television Electronic News Gathering (ENG), used by the television stations for their news broadcasts. They shall be close to the changing rooms, and have the format of a small theatre. In large events, there shall be three cabins for simultaneous interpretation.

Mixed Area: this is an area between the changing rooms and the players’ exit for interviews. There shall be space for 250 communication professionals. In important games, this space shall be separated from the Media Centre. For good working conditions, there shall be at least 2.5 m2 of space for each journalist.

Flash Interview positions: space between the changing rooms and the field, for transmission of live interviews at half-time and also after the match. The ideal situation is for this to be incorporated into the tunnel providing access to the pitch.

10 – Energy and Lighting
To avoid delays or cancellation of events through power outages, FIFA recommends the installation of alternative energy generators and a ride-through system which keeps the energy supply stable while the generator starts to operate. The alternative system should be able to operate for three hours.

The lighting system shall have two qualities. On the one hand, it shall provide a television transmission of digital quality, but on the other it shall avoid the blinding of players and referees and inconvenience to supporters and to those who live in the neighbourhood. For international games, FIFA recommends 3,500 lux for horizontal lighting and 4,200 lux for vertical lighting. In the case of national games, the requirements go down to 3,400 lux and 2,500 lux respectively.

11 – Green Goal (sustainability)
Green Goal is a FIFA programme for the reduction of emissions of CO2 in their events. It focusses on four main points: water, waste, energy and transport.

Water: recommends the storage of drinking water for purposes of irrigation and use in sanitary installations.

Waste: to reduce the volume of trash generated during the events, FIFA recommends the reuse of cups, selective refuse collection and the sale of food and products without packaging.

Energy: for saving energy, the institution recommends the installation of photovoltaic panels, the installation of special panes of glass that reduce heat inside the building and, as a result, the use of air conditioning, and also the existence of energy control centrescenters for managing consumption at peak times.

Transport: FIFA recommends the use of public transport systems, such as buses and commuter trains, which could be designed for efficient fuel consumption.