Knowing how to line a soccer field starts with staking the full touchline-and-goal-line rectangle square, before a single interior line goes down: a 105 by 68 m field’s full diagonal measures 125.10 m (410 ft 5 in). Every interior marking, from the penalty area to the center circle, is then measured outward from that squared perimeter and the goal line, using the same offsets Law 1 of the Laws of the Game already sets.
Field diagram
Start from the official dimensions, not a tape-measure guess
Every figure below comes from Law 1 of the Laws of the Game 2026/27, already sourced on this site’s soccer field dimensions guide, part of the soccer hub. The three diagonal rows are not printed in Law 1; they are calculated from those same official dimensions with the Pythagorean theorem and labeled as derived calculations.
| 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 | Recommendation |
| Full field diagonal (squaring check) | 125.10 m (410 ft 5 in) | 105 x 68 m field only | Derived calculation |
| Penalty area diagonal (squaring check) | 43.57 m (142 ft 11 in) | Both penalty areas | Derived calculation |
| Goal area diagonal (squaring check) | 19.13 m (62 ft 9 in) | Both goal areas | Derived calculation |
| Penalty mark from the goal line | 11 m (12 yd) | Both ends | Official rule |
| Penalty arc and center circle radius | 9.15 m (10 yd) | Both penalty areas and the center mark | Official rule |
| Corner arc radius | 1 m (1 yd) | All four corners | Official rule |
| Line width, maximum | 12 cm (5 in) | All field markings | Official rule |
Set the perimeter before marking any inside line
A rectangle this size is easiest to lay out from its four corners, not by chasing one line at a time. Stake one goal line first, at the chosen width, then run a string line from each end toward the opposite goal line, holding each string at a right angle to the goal line (checked with the 3-4-5 method below). Measure the full touchline length along each string, 105 m (344 ft 6 in) on a 105 x 68 m field, to fix the two far corners, then connect them to form the opposite goal line. Only after all four corners are set should the two touchlines and two goal lines themselves be strung and marked.
Once the four corners are fixed, measure both full diagonals, corner to opposite corner. On a 105 x 68 m field, each should read 125.10 m (410 ft 5 in), as in the table above. If the two diagonals don’t match each other, the rectangle isn’t square yet, even when every side already measures the right length on its own; a parallelogram can have four correct side lengths and still be crooked. A different size chosen from Law 1’s permitted range needs its own diagonal, recalculated for that length and width with the Pythagorean theorem; 125.10 m applies only to the 105 x 68 m field.
The 3-4-5 check for each corner
Before a touchline is stretched out to its full length, confirm the angle at each corner is a true right angle with a 3-4-5 triangle: measure 3 ft along one line from the corner and 4 ft along the line that should meet it at a right angle, then measure the distance between those two points. On a true right angle, that third side is exactly 5 ft. Doubling those numbers to 6, 8 and 10 ft, or further, gives a longer baseline and a more precise check once the lines are staked further out. This is a general property of right triangles, not a Law 1 rule, and it catches a crooked corner before a full touchline is run out (the same check, at the same 3-4-5 ratio, is used in this site’s guide to lining a tennis court).
Square the penalty and goal areas the same way
The penalty area and goal area are both rectangles drawn outward from the goal line, and each can be squared with its own diagonal check instead of trusting four measured sides on their own. 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 repeats that pattern at 16.5 m (18 yd) for the penalty area. Measured corner to opposite corner, the goal area diagonal should read 19.13 m (62 ft 9 in); the penalty area diagonal, 43.57 m (142 ft 11 in). Neither figure is printed in Law 1 directly: both are derived from the official offsets the same way the full-field diagonal is.
Place the penalty mark, arc and center circle
The penalty mark sits 11 m (12 yd) out, on the line running through the midpoint between the goalposts, measured from the center of the mark to the back edge of the goal line rather than from the penalty area’s own edge. The penalty arc is a 9.15 m (10 yd) radius struck from that mark and drawn only where it falls outside the penalty area, which is why it appears as an arc rather than a full circle. The center circle uses that same 9.15 m radius, struck from the center mark on the halfway line, and marks the distance opponents must keep from the ball at a kickoff.
Corner arcs and line width
At each of the four corners, a quarter circle of 1 m (1 yd) radius is drawn inside the field from the corner flagpost, which Law 1 requires to stand at least 1.5 m (5 ft) high. Law 1 also permits optional marks placed off the field, 9.15 m from the corner arc on both the goal line and the touchline, to help defenders keep their distance at a corner kick. Every line on the field, including the goal lines and the goalposts and crossbar they match, has to be the same width and no more than 12 cm (5 in); a wider line chosen for visibility still has to stay under that maximum.
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 centimeters long, a post standing a meter off the sideline, the clearance around the whole thing. Each one here has its own frame and its own scale.
Frequently asked questions
What is the first line to mark on a soccer field?
The perimeter rectangle: the two touchlines and two goal lines. Every interior marking, including the penalty area, goal area and center circle, is measured outward from a goal line or the halfway line, so the outer rectangle has to be square before any of them go down.
How do I check that a soccer field is marked square?
Measure both full diagonals, corner to opposite corner. On a 105 x 68 m field, each should read 125.10 m (410 ft 5 in); if the two diagonals don’t match each other, the field isn’t square yet, even when every side measures the right length on its own.
Is the penalty area’s width published in the rulebook?
No. Law 1 states only the 16.5 m (18 yd) depth measured out from each goalpost. The 40.32 m (44 yd) width is the goal’s own 7.32 m (8 yd) plus that offset twice, a derived calculation rather than a figure Law 1 prints directly.
How far from the goal line is the penalty mark?
11 m (12 yd), measured from the center of the mark to the back edge of the goal line, on the line running through the midpoint between the goalposts.
Does the field size change where the penalty area and center circle go?
No. The penalty area, goal area, penalty mark, arc and center circle are all measured from the goal line or the halfway line, not from the touchlines, so those offsets stay the same whatever field size inside Law 1’s permitted range is chosen.
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, as already cited on this site’s soccer field dimensions guide.
- FIFA, FIFA Stadium Guidelines, Sub-Section 5.3 Pitch dimensions and surrounding areas. Web edition as published at the accessed date, used for the 105 x 68 m recommended size, as already cited on this site’s soccer field dimensions guide.
Diagonal and offset figures calculated from those dimensions on 20 October 2026, matching the verification already recorded for this site’s soccer field dimensions guide. The methodology page explains how each figure is labeled as a rule or a derived calculation; report an error through corrections.