Soccer field dimensions are not a single number. The Laws of the Game allow a wide range, and college, high school and youth governing bodies each narrow it differently. What stays constant is the geometry of the markings and the need for a flat, well-drained surface extending well past the touchlines. Whether a field is natural grass or artificial turf for soccer fields, getting the footprint right before construction starts is what lets the lines fit and the game play the way it should.
Regulation soccer field dimensions
FIFA’s Laws of the Game set a range rather than a fixed size, which is why pitches at the top level are not identical. The touchline must always be longer than the goal line.
| Level | Length | Width |
|---|---|---|
| FIFA Laws of the Game (all play) | 100 to 130 yd (90 to 120 m) | 50 to 100 yd (45 to 90 m) |
| FIFA international matches | 110 to 120 yd (100 to 110 m) | 70 to 80 yd (64 to 75 m) |
| Most professional stadiums | 115 yd (105 m) | 74 yd (68 m) |
| NCAA (recommended) | 115 to 120 yd | 70 to 75 yd |
| NFHS high school | 100 to 120 yd | 55 to 80 yd |
In feet, the common professional size of 115 by 74 yards is 345 by 222 feet. A soccer field at the large end of the range, 120 by 80 yards, is 360 by 240 feet, which is why a soccer field is noticeably wider than an American football field even when the lengths are similar. See football field dimensions for the direct comparison, and how many acres a football field covers if you are sizing land for either sport.
High school soccer field dimensions
NFHS rules allow 100 to 120 yards long and 55 to 80 yards wide. The lower limits exist because many schools share a field with football, whose 53 1/3 yard width is too narrow for soccer; overlaying both sports pushes soccer touchlines out toward the track or bleachers. When a school builds a dedicated or synthetic multi-sport field, the usual target is a soccer footprint of at least 110 by 70 yards so football, lacrosse and soccer all fit with runoff. That decision sets the graded area, the drainage layout and the turf order, so it has to be made at the design stage.
Youth soccer field dimensions: 11v11, 9v9 and 7v7
US Soccer’s player development guidelines scale the field to the number of players so younger kids get more touches. Leagues vary slightly from the ranges below.
| Format | Typical ages | Length | Width | Goal size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4v4 | U6 to U8 | 25 to 35 yd | 15 to 25 yd | 4 x 6 ft |
| 7v7 | U9 to U10 | 55 to 65 yd | 35 to 45 yd | 6.5 x 18.5 ft |
| 9v9 | U11 to U12 | 70 to 80 yd | 45 to 55 yd | 7 x 21 ft |
| 11v11 | U13 and up | 100 to 130 yd | 50 to 100 yd | 8 x 24 ft |
A full-size field divides into two 9v9 fields played across its width, or three or four 7v7 fields, which is how most clubs run small-sided play; contrasting secondary lines help.
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Soccer field markings and goal dimensions
Regardless of overall size, the markings inside the field are fixed for 11v11 play.
| Marking | Dimension |
|---|---|
| Goal (inside posts, to crossbar) | 8 yd (24 ft) wide, 8 ft high |
| Goal area (six-yard box) | Extends 6 yd from each post and 6 yd into the field: 20 x 6 yd |
| Penalty area (eighteen-yard box) | Extends 18 yd from each post and 18 yd into the field: 44 x 18 yd |
| Penalty mark | 12 yd from the midpoint of the goal line |
| Penalty arc | Radius 10 yd from the penalty mark, drawn outside the box |
| Center circle | Radius 10 yd |
| Corner arc | Radius 1 yd |
| Line width | Maximum 5 inches (12 cm) |
Lines belong to the area they bound, so the ball is in play until it wholly crosses the outside edge. On synthetic fields soccer lines are inlaid in white turf; on grass they are painted weekly in season.
How much surface a soccer field really needs
The lines are only part of the footprint. Players run through the touchlines at speed, assistant referees patrol outside them, and goals and benches need room. Designers typically call for a clear runoff of about 3 meters, roughly 10 feet, beyond every line and more behind the goals. For a 115 by 74 yard pitch that adds about 20 feet to each dimension, so the graded, drained surface is closer to 365 by 242 feet.
That whole area needs the same standard: flat with a consistent slope (natural fields crowned at about 1 to 1.5 percent, synthetic fields nearly flat at around 0.5 percent with drainage through the base), drained by an open-graded stone base with collector pipes or by sand-capped, tile-drained soil, and compacted so no soft spot becomes a dip or a seam stress point.
When a field is laid out tight to a fence or track, the runoff gets squeezed first, so measure the whole available space before settling on a size. Building to these tolerances, square corners within an inch over 100-plus yards and a surface that holds its plane across two acres, is precise grading work, and on a synthetic field the turf rolls, seams and inlaid lines then have to land exactly on the surveyed layout. Experienced sports-field crews survey, set grade with laser control, build the stone base in compacted lifts and inlay from a marked plan. If you are planning a new field or a grass-to-synthetic conversion, connect with crews who do this regularly through professional turf installation and have them confirm the footprint before anything is graded.
Soccer field dimensions FAQ
What are soccer field dimensions in feet?
A common full-size field of 115 by 74 yards is 345 by 222 feet. The FIFA range of 100 to 130 yards by 50 to 100 yards works out to 300 to 390 feet long and 150 to 300 feet wide.
What are high school soccer field dimensions?
NFHS allows 100 to 120 yards long and 55 to 80 yards wide. Fields shared with football are usually at the narrow end; dedicated fields are commonly around 110 by 65 to 70 yards.
What size is a 9v9 soccer field?
About 70 to 80 yards long and 45 to 55 yards wide, with 7 by 21 foot goals. Two 9v9 fields fit across a full-size pitch.
Is a soccer field bigger than a football field?
Usually yes in width. A football field is 53 1/3 yards wide; a soccer field is typically 70 to 75 yards wide. Lengths are similar, around 110 to 120 yards including football end zones.
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