The size of a football (soccer) field is about 100 metres long and 60 metres wide, but in official games there are regulations about the minimum and maximum dimension. In the world football the most official dimensions are those that had been decied by FIFA (The Fédération Internationale de Football Association).
According to the stipulations from FIFA a football field should have specific minimum and maximum dimensions:
- The length (touch line) has to be minimum 90 metres (100 yds) and maximum 120 metres (130 yds).
- The width (goal line) has to be minimum 45 metres (50 yds) and maximum 90 metres (100 yds).
For international matches the rules are somewhat stricter:
- The length has to be minimum 100 metres and maximum 110 metres.
- The width has to be minimum 64 metres and maximum 75 metres.
In 1800s, the fields could be up to 100 yards wide and 200 yards long. The boundaries were only marked by flags until 1882 when boundary lines, as well as a halfway line (the center circle became a standard five years later), on the turf were enforced.
The goal area
The goal area is the small box inside the penalty area. The FIFA rules stipulates that the distance from each goalpost to the lines that goes parallel with the touch line should be 5.5 metres.When the size of a standard goal is added it makes the distance between the lines 18.32 metres.
The penalty area
The penalty area is the bigger box close to the goal that integrates the goal area and the penalty mark (it was introduced in 1887 and was complemented by D-shaped curve in 1937). The lines that extend into the fields are 16.5 metres and they have a 40.32 metres distance from each other.
The penalty mark is 11 metres from the goal line and centered on the fields' goal line.
Examples
A very common field dimension among the top clubs in the world is 105 × 68 metres (114.8 × 74.4 yds), since this is a recommendation from UEFA. Some famous stadiums and the dimension of their football fields:
Camp Nou: 105 × 68 metres
Wembley: 105 × 68 metres
Old Trafford: 105 × 68 metres
Emirates Stadium: 105 × 68 metres
San Siro: 105 × 68 metres
Allianz Arena: 105 × 68 metres
Maracanã: 105 × 68 metres
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium: 105 × 68 metres
Stamford Bridge: 103 × 67 metres
Anfield: 101 × 68 metres
According to the guidelines of UEFA, it should be an additional 1-3 metres beyond the touchline to the advertising boards.
The grass
The grass length
The typical length of the grass on a pitch is 25-30 millimeters. The grass is often cut from side to side, in every other length, which brings visible stripes on the grass. This gives vertical references which helps the assistant referees to spot offsides easier.
The grass types
Depending of the climate, different turfgrass is needed. In cooler regions grass species like ryegrass, meadow-grass and tall faescue is used. In warmer regions, species such as bermudagrass, zoysia species and seashore paspalum is used.
The drainage
Among the UEFA guidelines is considerations for drainage. To avoid that pitch is filled with water in heavy rain, it should be a sand-dominated root zone below the pitch turf. Underlaying this sand-dominated zone is a pipe-drained sub-base.
The goalpost
Until 1882, the goalposts would lack a crossbar and goals could be approved when the ball was kicked between the post several metres up in the air. A period before the crossbar were introduced, a ribbon about 2.5 meters above the ground marked the height. The net was introduced ten years later in England. In the beginning of the 1900s, round and oval goal posts were replacing the previous square variants.
References:
https://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/uefaorg/Stadium&Security/02/54/11/97/2541197_DOWNLOAD.pdf
The Ball is Round: A Global History of Football – David Goldblatt (2008)
FAQs
A soccer field is larger than a football field. Most professional soccer fields are approximately 115 yards long and 75 yards wide. Whilst, football fields are 120 yards long and 53 yards wide.
What is the size of the FIFA football field? ›
FIFA's recommended field of play dimensions are 105 metres x 68 metres. The field of play must be rectangular and marked with continuous lines. These lines belong to the areas of which they are boundaries.
How much bigger is a football field than a soccer? ›
A football field is 53.3 yards wide, while a soccer field is required to be at least 75 yards, but could go up to 100 yards. Do football fields vary in size? No. No matter the level of play the standard dimension of a football field is 120 yards.
What are the dimensions of the World Cup field? ›
Those regulations call for field dimensions of about 105 meters long and 68 meters across. The 68 meters across equates to about 75 yards; by comparison, a football field is 50 yards across.
How big is the Premier League field? ›
The majority of top-level professional football pitches, including those belonging to teams in the English Premier League, measure 112 to 115 yards (102.4 to 105.2 metres) long and 70 to 75 yards (64.0 to 68.6 metres) wide.
Is a World Cup soccer field bigger than a football field? ›
Is a soccer field bigger than a football field? A soccer field is larger than a football field. Most professional soccer fields are approximately 115 yards long and 75 yards wide. Whilst, football fields are 120 yards long and 53 yards wide.
Is the World Cup field bigger than normal? ›
Yes, it's bigger than the average football field. The International Football Association Board has specific guidelines for the field of play in a FIFA regulation match. Here's the gist: The length of the touch lines must be between 100-130 yards (300-390 feet), with a width between 50-100 yards (150-300 feet).
Is a soccer field as long as a football field? ›
Soccer fields don't have standardized dimensions between locations at lower levels. FIFA states that the field's measurements can range from 50 yards wide by 100 yards long to 100 yards wide by 130 yards long. An American football field is 360 feet (120 yards) in length by 160 feet (53.3 yards) wide.
Which field is bigger NFL or soccer? ›
Yes, a professional soccer field, such as the one used in the MLS is bigger than an NFL football field. Both fields are more or less the same length, but it is the width that usually differs between the two.
What sport has the biggest field? ›
The outdoor polo field is 300 yards long and 160 yards wide, the largest field in organized sport.
As children get older and grow in athletic ability, they move to larger pitches until they graduate to professional-sized fields, which range from 330-360 feet in length and 210-240 feet in width.
Is a pro soccer field the same as high school? ›
For example, high school soccer field dimensions are often a little bit smaller, with youth soccer sides or amateur teams operating at a lower physical level than pro players.
How big was the Qatar World Cup stadium? ›
Lusail Iconic Stadium is set to host both the opening game and the final of the 2022 World Cup. The arena will have a capacity of just over 86,000 and was designed by British architects Foster + Partners.
What is the biggest soccer stadium in the world? ›
Rungrado 1st of May Stadium
1. Rungrado 1st of May Stadium, North Korea (Capacity: 150,000) As it's located in the highly secretive North Korean capital of Pyongyang, there are lots of things we don't know about Rungrado 1st of May Stadium. However, what we know for sure is that it's the largest football stadium in the world.
Are FIFA fields bigger? ›
There is no set size for soccer fields. NCAA allows fields to be 70–75 yards wide and 115–120 yards long. That is within the dimensions allowed by FIFA for international matches (70–80 by 110–120 yards).
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.
Are men's and women's soccer fields the same size? ›
The field size is the same as well. Soccer is governed by the “Laws of the Game,” and there is only one set for men and women. The most recent Men's World Cup (2022) saw a record 172 goals scored in 64 matches. That was an average of 2.68 goals per game.
