Football Field Dimensions and Goal Post Sizes (2024)

Football,Sports

By Andy HaleyPublished On: 2022-11-08

In American football, the standard field dimensions are 120 yards long and 53 1/3 yards wide. The last 10 yards of length on either end of the field are considered “end zones” in which a player scores. These dimensions are consistent for football played at the high school, college, and professional (NFL) levels.

Length of a Football Field

Football Field Dimensions and Goal Post Sizes (1)

The total length of a football field is 120 yards. The playing field is 100 yards (300 feet) long, and each end zone is 10 yards (30 feet) deep. The field is marked with a yard line every 5 yards, and every 10 yards is marked by a field number. The hash marks are 1 yard apart, used to mark each down when the ball is between the yard lines.

RELATED: 4 Football Conditioning Drills That Work

Width of a Football Field

The standard football field is 53 1/3 yards, or 160 feet, wide. The primary difference among different levels of play is the space between the two sets ofhash marks:

  • High School — 53 feet, 4 inches
  • College — 40 feet
  • NFL — 18 feet, 6 inches

All plays begin on or between the hash marks, depending on where the previous play ended. For example, if the previous play ended along the right sideline, the ball will be placed on the right hash mark.

RELATED:How Football Sizes Change at Each Level of the Sport

Goal Post Dimensions

Football Field Dimensions and Goal Post Sizes (2)

The football goal crossbar is 10 feet high, and the posts are an additional 20 feet high, for a total height of 30 feet. NFL and NCAA goalposts are 18 feet, 6 inches wide. High school goalposts are 23 feet, 4 inches wide.

Read More About Football:

  • All of the Football Positions, Explained
  • How to Throw a Football – and Make it a Perfect Spiral Every Time
  • The Ultimate Football Off-Season Training Guide
  • Discover Your True Sports Potential to Produce the Best Version of Yourself

    4:00 pm

  • 10 Reminders Stressed Out Sports Parents Need to Hear

    9:00 am|0 Comments

  • 1:35 pm

  • How to Establish a Pitching Rotation for Youth Baseball Tournaments

    9:00 am|0 Comments

MOST POPULAR

6 Essential Tips to Qualify for the Boston Marathon

High School Sports, Running, Sports News, Training, Youth Sports|

Specialized Methods for Maximizing Speed

Strength Training|

Run Downhill for Bulletproof Knees

Strength Training|

3 Proven Plyometrics to Take Your Performance to the Next Level

Strength Training|

Keys to Transfering to the Field or Court

Strength Training|

Hamstring Injury Tips-Part #1

Sports News, Strength Training|

Football,Sports

By Andy HaleyPublished On: 2022-11-08

In American football, the standard field dimensions are 120 yards long and 53 1/3 yards wide. The last 10 yards of length on either end of the field are considered “end zones” in which a player scores. These dimensions are consistent for football played at the high school, college, and professional (NFL) levels.

Length of a Football Field

Football Field Dimensions and Goal Post Sizes (14)

The total length of a football field is 120 yards. The playing field is 100 yards (300 feet) long, and each end zone is 10 yards (30 feet) deep. The field is marked with a yard line every 5 yards, and every 10 yards is marked by a field number. The hash marks are 1 yard apart, used to mark each down when the ball is between the yard lines.

RELATED: 4 Football Conditioning Drills That Work

Width of a Football Field

The standard football field is 53 1/3 yards, or 160 feet, wide. The primary difference among different levels of play is the space between the two sets ofhash marks:

  • High School — 53 feet, 4 inches
  • College — 40 feet
  • NFL — 18 feet, 6 inches

All plays begin on or between the hash marks, depending on where the previous play ended. For example, if the previous play ended along the right sideline, the ball will be placed on the right hash mark.

RELATED:How Football Sizes Change at Each Level of the Sport

Goal Post Dimensions

Football Field Dimensions and Goal Post Sizes (15)

The football goal crossbar is 10 feet high, and the posts are an additional 20 feet high, for a total height of 30 feet. NFL and NCAA goalposts are 18 feet, 6 inches wide. High school goalposts are 23 feet, 4 inches wide.

Read More About Football:

  • All of the Football Positions, Explained
  • How to Throw a Football – and Make it a Perfect Spiral Every Time
  • The Ultimate Football Off-Season Training Guide

Share This Story!

  • Discover Your True Sports Potential to Produce the Best Version of Yourself

    4:00 pm

  • 10 Reminders Stressed Out Sports Parents Need to Hear

    9:00 am|0 Comments

  • 1:35 pm

  • How to Establish a Pitching Rotation for Youth Baseball Tournaments

    9:00 am|0 Comments

Football Field Dimensions and Goal Post Sizes (2024)

FAQs

Football Field Dimensions and Goal Post Sizes? ›

There is a goal centered on each end line, with a crossbar 10 feet (3.0 m) above the ground and goalposts 18 feet 6 inches (5.64 m) apart (in college and the NFL) extending at least 35 feet (11 m) above the crossbar. Between the goal lines

goal lines
The goal line is the chalked or painted line dividing the end zone from the field of play in gridiron football. In American football the goal lines run 10 yards (9.1 m) parallel to the end lines, while in Canadian football they run 20 yards (18 m) parallel to the dead lines.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Goal_line_(gridiron_football)
, additional lines span the width of the field at 5-yard intervals.

What is the size of the goal post in football? ›

The distance between the posts is 7.320m and the distance from the lower edge of the crossbar to the ground is 2.44m. Both goalposts and the crossbar have the same width and depth of 12cm.

What are the dimensions of a football field goal post? ›

Placed behind the end line and painted a league-approved shade of yellow or equivalent, goalposts consist of a padded post, a crossbar 10 feet off the ground and two 35-foot tall uprights that are 18 feet 6 inches apart and are topped with orange streamers.

Are high school football fields the same size as NFL? ›

The width of a football field is 53.3 yards (160ft/48.8m). This stays the same across high school, NCAA and NFL football meaning that all high school, college and NFL football fields are exactly the same size.

Are NFL goal posts narrower than college? ›

Each of the above sizes of football goal post is usually available with two crossbar widths: high school and collegiate/NFL. The official crossbar width for high school football is 23'4", while the official crossbar width for the NCAA and NFL is 18'6".

Are NFL goal posts taller than NCAA? ›

A College Football Field has 2 goal posts situated at the center of each end line. A College Field Goal Post has the same width, but less height than a Professional Field Goal Post. A typical College Field Goal Post has a slingshot shape and consists of an elevated crossbar with a vertical upright at each end.

When did the NFL change the goal post? ›

In 1974, the goal posts on an NFL field were moved from the goal line to the end line. The change had a major impact on the game, reducing the number of field goals and freeing up the end zone for passing, running, and punting while removing a safety hazard.

What is the difference between college and NFL field goal posts? ›

The main difference is the hashmarks, where the ball is set for play after a previous play went to the sidelines or out of bounds. The NFL hashmarks are the same distance apart as the goalposts, 18 feet 6 inches; college hashmarks are 40 feet apart. But the fields themselves are exactly the same size.

How big are the field goal posts in college vs NFL? ›

There is a goal centered on each end line, with a crossbar 10 feet (3.0 m) above the ground and goalposts 18 feet 6 inches (5.64 m) apart (in college and the NFL) extending at least 35 feet (11 m) above the crossbar. Between the goal lines, additional lines span the width of the field at 5-yard intervals.

When did the NFL narrow the goal post? ›

In 1974, the NFL moved the goal posts from their offset position to the back of the end zone. Although player safety was a concern, much of it was to discourage long-range field goals. In 2015, the league experimented by narrowing the goal posts for the Pro Bowl.

Are high school field goal posts wider than NFL? ›

NFL and NCAA goalposts are 18 feet, 6 inches wide. High school goalposts are 23 feet, 4 inches wide. Read More About Football: All of the Football Positions, Explained.

Are high school footballs bigger than college? ›

High school footballs generally fall under the same size and weight regulations as college footballs. By giving your high school players an authentic leather football straight from America's No.

Are high school footballs smaller than NFL? ›

High school footballs are typically referred to as "youth" or "junior" size footballs and are between 11 and 11.25 inches in length and 22 and 22.5 inches in circumference at the center. This size is smaller than the official NFL football which is 11 inches by 28 inches.

How tall is a high school goal post? ›

High School American Football Field Goal Posts have a crossbar height 10' (3.05 m) and inside width of 23'4” (7.11 m). The overall height of a High School Field Goal varies between 22'-25' (6.7-7.62 m) with a typical depth of 1.5' or 6.5' (. 46, 1.98 m) depending on the style of post.

Why does a NFL field look bigger than high school? ›

Are NLFs fields bigger than high school? No. Football fields have the same dimensions in NFL and high school football. Only the distance between two sets of hash marks differs, which is 18 feet, 6 inches for NFL games and 53 feet, 4 inches apart in the case of high school football.

Why is a football field 53.3 yards wide? ›

The 53.3 yards wide is because it's 160 feet converted into yards. To convert the initial measurement of 160 feet into yards, you must divide by 3. 160 divided by 3 equals 53.3 yards wide. These measurements may seem random, but remember, the field was initially measured in feet and later converted into yards.

How tall is the goal post in NFL? ›

The current NFL rulebook mandates that the goal posts have a crossbar 10 feet above the ground that stretches 18 feet and 6 inches across. The uprights, or bars on either side, extend 35 feet vertically and have to be between three and four inches in diameter.

How tall is a American football goal post? ›

There is a goal centered on each end line, with a crossbar 10 feet (3.0 m) above the ground and goalposts 18 feet 6 inches (5.64 m) apart (in college and the NFL) extending at least 35 feet (11 m) above the crossbar.

What is the size of the goal post in women's football? ›

In other words, the regulation size of a soccer goal used in a senior 11-a-side game should be 24ft x 8ft. This is the case for both men's and women's soccer goals, with the same size 24 x 8 goals being used by both male and female soccer players.

What size is the goal post in 4 a side football? ›

The football goal size for the child's match goal is 12×6, followed by either 16×7 (11|12) or 21×7 (13|14) youth/junior depending on their age, whereas the adult football goal size for a match goal is 24×8 (15+).

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Chrissy Homenick

Last Updated:

Views: 6400

Rating: 4.3 / 5 (54 voted)

Reviews: 93% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Chrissy Homenick

Birthday: 2001-10-22

Address: 611 Kuhn Oval, Feltonbury, NY 02783-3818

Phone: +96619177651654

Job: Mining Representative

Hobby: amateur radio, Sculling, Knife making, Gardening, Watching movies, Gunsmithing, Video gaming

Introduction: My name is Chrissy Homenick, I am a tender, funny, determined, tender, glorious, fancy, enthusiastic person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.