A full-size soccer field is 105 m x 68 m (114.8 yd x 74.4 yd). That is FIFA’s recommended field of play for stadium pitches, not a Law of the Game: IFAB Law 1 fixes no single size, only a range of 90-120 m x 45-90 m (100-130 yd x 50-100 yd) for competition matches. The goal is 7.32 m x 2.44 m (8 yd x 8 ft), and the penalty mark is 11 m (12 yd) from the goal line.
Field diagram
Full field dimensions
Every marking figure below comes from Law 1 of the Laws of the Game 2026/27. The 105 x 68 m field and the 1.5 m run-off come from the FIFA Stadium Guidelines, which presents both as recommendations. Metric leads because Law 1 does.
| Measurement | Figure | Applies to | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Field of play, professional standard | 105 m x 68 m (114.8 yd x 74.4 yd) | FIFA recommendation for stadium pitches; the de facto professional standard | Recommendation |
| Permitted field size, competition matches | 90-120 m x 45-90 m (100-130 yd x 50-100 yd) | All matches under Law 1.3 | Official rule |
| Permitted field size, international matches | 100-110 m x 64-75 m (110-120 yd x 70-80 yd) | International matches under Law 1.4 | Official rule |
| Penalty area depth from goal line | 16.5 m (18 yd) | Both ends | Official rule |
| Penalty area width | 40.32 m (44 yd) | Both ends | Derived calculation |
| Goal area depth from goal line | 5.5 m (6 yd) | Both ends | Official rule |
| Goal area width | 18.32 m (20 yd) | Both ends | Derived calculation |
| Penalty mark from the goal line | 11 m (12 yd) | Both ends | Official rule |
| Penalty arc radius | 9.15 m (10 yd) | Both ends | Official rule |
| Center circle radius | 9.15 m (10 yd) | Center mark | Official rule |
| Corner arc radius | 1 m (1 yd) | All four corners | Official rule |
| Goal, inside of posts x lower edge of crossbar | 7.32 m x 2.44 m (8 yd x 8 ft) | Both goals | Official rule |
| Line width, and goalpost / crossbar section | 12 cm maximum (5 in maximum) | All field markings, goalposts and crossbar | Official rule |
| Level surface beyond each touchline and goal line | 1.5 m minimum (4 ft 11 in minimum) | Stadium pitch surrounds | Recommendation |
What each line does
The two long boundaries are the touchlines, the two short ones the goal lines. Law 1 states that the lines belong to the areas of which they are boundaries, and measurements are taken from the outside of the lines, so every dimension is an outside-edge figure. All lines must be the same width, no more than 12 cm (5 in), and the goal lines must match the goalposts and crossbar.
The halfway line divides the field, with a center mark at its midpoint and a center circle of 9.15 m (10 yd) radius. That radius is the distance opponents must keep from the ball at a kick-off, and it returns as the penalty arc.
The goal area and penalty area are built the same way, and neither is measured from the center of the goal. Law 1.5 draws the goal area lines 5.5 m (6 yd) from the inside of each goalpost, running 5.5 m into the field; Law 1.6 does the same at 16.5 m (18 yd). Law 1 never prints their widths, which is why the table labels them derived: the goal width plus the offset on each side gives 40.32 m and 18.32 m.
The penalty mark sits 11 m (12 yd) out, on the line from the midpoint between the posts, measured from the center of the mark to the back edge of the goal line. The penalty arc is a 9.15 m radius struck from that mark and drawn only where it falls outside the penalty area, which is why it is an arc, not a circle.
At each corner, a quarter circle of 1 m (1 yd) radius is drawn inside the field from the corner flagpost, which Law 1.8 requires to be at least 1.5 m (5 ft) high. Law 1.2 also permits optional marks off the field, 9.15 m from the corner arc.
The goal
Law 1.10 sets the goal at 7.32 m (8 yd) between the inside of the posts and 2.44 m (8 ft) from the ground to the lower edge of the crossbar. Both datums matter: the width is post-face to post-face, the height to the underside of the bar. Posts and crossbar share the same width and depth, capped at 12 cm (5 in). That is a limit, not a target: FIFA-certified goals must have posts between 100 mm and 120 mm.
Net depth is not a Law 1 figure: Law 1 says only that nets may be attached to the goals and the ground behind the goal. The FIFA Quality Programme sets one for certified goals, at least 0.8 m of top depth and 1.5 m at the bottom, but that is a certification minimum, not a rule.
Clearance and total space
The IFAB gives no clearance figure: Law 1 stops at the touchlines and goal lines. Everything here is a FIFA stadium recommendation, governing construction rather than play.
The FIFA Stadium Guidelines ask for at least 1.5 m of level surface beyond each touchline and goal line, with any incline past that capped at 8%. Before the advertising boards, FIFA recommends 5 m behind each goal line and 4 m beyond each touchline in larger stadiums, 4 m and 3 m in smaller ones. Added to the recommended field, those figures give a 115 m x 76 m footprint – our arithmetic, not a published number.
The technical area cannot be given in meters. Law 1.9 defines it only in relation to the seated area, 1 m either side and up to 1 m from the touchline. FIFA separately recommends benches 5 m to 8 m from the field of play, the nearest seat at least 5 m from the halfway line.
Metric and imperial are two columns, not one conversion
Law 1 prints a metric and an imperial value for every figure and treats both as the rule. They are not exact equivalents: the imperial values are the historical originals, the metric ones rounded conversions.
| Figure | Law 1 metric | Law 1 imperial | Imperial value converted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goal width | 7.32 m | 8 yd | 7.3152 m |
| Crossbar height | 2.44 m | 8 ft | 2.4384 m |
| Penalty area depth | 16.5 m | 18 yd | 16.459 m |
| Goal area depth | 5.5 m | 6 yd | 5.4864 m |
| Penalty mark | 11 m | 12 yd | 10.973 m |
| Center circle and penalty arc radius | 9.15 m | 10 yd | 9.144 m |
| Penalty area width (derived) | 40.32 m | 44 yd | 40.234 m |
The gap compounds on derived figures: the penalty area is 40.32 m in metric and 40.234 m in imperial, 8.6 cm apart. Mark a pitch in one column throughout.
Overhead plan
The same surface seen from straight above, drawn to scale. Nothing is foreshortened here, so every figure can be read off the drawing the way a tape measure would take it.
Detail sheet
A rule book fixes more than the shape of the surface, and the rest of it is too small to draw at court scale: a mark a few centimetres long, a post standing a metre off the sideline, the clearance around the whole thing. Each one here has its own frame and its own scale.
Frequently asked questions
How big is a professional soccer field?
105 m x 68 m (114.8 yd x 74.4 yd), the FIFA Stadium Guidelines’ recommended field of play. Law 1.4 permits 100-110 m by 64-75 m for international matches, so the standard sits near the middle of that range.
Do the Laws of the Game require 105 x 68 m?
No. Law 1 sets ranges only; the figure is not in it, and FIFA’s own wording is that 105 x 68 m is recommended. A competition regulation may impose it, but none was read for this guide.
How far is the penalty spot from the goal?
11 m (12 yd), on the line from the midpoint between the goalposts. The distance runs from the center of the mark to the back edge of the goal line, so a wide line does not shorten the kick.
How wide is a soccer goal?
7.32 m (8 yd) between the inside faces of the posts, with the lower edge of the crossbar 2.44 m (8 ft) above the ground. Law 1.10 sets both, at every level of 11-a-side play.
Why is the penalty area 40.32 m wide if Law 1 never says so?
Because Law 1 measures it outward from the goal, not across the field: 16.5 m from the inside of each post, so the width is 7.32 m plus 16.5 m twice. That is arithmetic on official figures, so the table labels it derived.
Are youth 11-a-side pitch sizes covered here?
Not yet. National associations publish reduced pitch and goal sizes for youth 11-a-side, but the documents checked here give the outer rectangle and the goal but no penalty area, goal area, penalty mark, center circle or corner arc. The 16.5 m and 5.5 m offsets run from the inside of the posts, so they cannot be carried across to a narrower goal.
Official sources
- The International Football Association Board (The IFAB), Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 1 – The Field of Play. Edition 2026/27, in force from 1 July 2026. Sections 1.2 to 1.10.
- FIFA, FIFA Stadium Guidelines, Sub-Section 5.3 Pitch dimensions and surrounding areas. Web edition as published at the accessed date; no version number is shown.
- FIFA, FIFA Quality Programme for Football Goals – Test Manual. Version 1.7, 1 July 2021. Used only for the goal net top depth and the 100-120 mm post section.
- The Football Association (England), Rules of The Association, Section 38 – Goalpost and Pitch Sizes and Line Marking. Edition 2025-26. Consulted while testing for a citable youth 11-a-side layout; no figure here depends on it.
All four were consulted on 5 September 2026. How figures are checked and labeled is set out on the methodology page. Report a wrong number through corrections.