At any point you tune into a soccer game, you must see 23 people on the field.
11 players play for one team, another 11 players play for another team and the last person is the match official making sure they don’t kill each other trying to score goals.
This “crowd” tends to cause the humongous size of a soccer field to be frequently overlooked.
Even fans of the game fall for this, as you can see some of them screaming at players on their team to keep running.
If only they understood the full scale of a soccer field.
What Are the Soccer Field Dimensions for International Matches?
I must clarify that an 11-player team is a semi-pro or a pro team. These teams are bound by FIFA laws, which means they use standard-sized balls and goals and, of course, play on a standard-sized field.
International soccer matches refer to teams from different countries facing off against each other. Soccer clubs participate in international games and are bound by the same laws as when two national teams face off against each other.
The surface on which they play, according to the governing body that writes the rules of soccer, the International Football Association Board (IFAB), must be “a rectangular field marked with continuous lines. A full-size pitch may be anywhere from 50-100 yards in width and 100-130 yards in length.”
FIFA, meanwhile, is a little more specific about the dimensions of soccer fields. Both bodies oversee football activities but have different roles – FIFA is more administrative.
According to FIFA, anything between 110 and 120 yards long, and 70 to 80 yards wide is the standard size for a soccer field.
However, most stadium architects design a soccer field to have dimensions of 60 feet long (120 yards) by 225 feet wide (75 yards). This is considered optimum.
What Are the Soccer Field Dimensions for Youth Soccer?
Youth soccer, according to FIFA, is anything from under-4 to under-15 age groups.
Children aged 16 and above are promoted to amateur level and, if they’re good enough, semi-pro level.
Some develop quicker than others and get promoted to a professional level. The biggest example is legendary Brazilian football icon Pelé, who won his first FIFA World Cup as a 17-year-old.
Meanwhile, at the under-15 level and below, soccer players play on different-sized fields. The general rule is “the bigger the kid, the bigger his playing surface.”
Below is information on the field dimensions for high school and college soccer.
Soccer Field Dimensions for High School
In America, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) is both FIFA and IFAB for high school sports.
Their guidelines concerning soccer field dimensions for high school soccer players state that high school soccer fields should have a width of 55 to 80 yards and a length that’s between 100 and 120 yards.
This measurement, however, applies to the senior level of high school soccer (16-18 years) because, at this age, they will be considered semi-pro.
Depending on the grade, the starting team number will vary. You can have 7×7 teams just as you’ll have 11×11 teams. This also means that pitch sizes vary in high school.
For 7×7 teams, the recommended size for a soccer field is 60 yards (54.87m) long and 40 yards (36.58m) wide.
The regular high school team of 11 players can play on the approved FIFA and IFAB standard-sized soccer fields.
Soccer Field Dimensions for College Soccer
Just like their high school counterparts, college athletes have their own governing body in America.
This body is the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association), whose general rules for college sports are adapted from the global rules governing each sport. They adopted the FIFA and IFAB rules for soccer, including the size of the field.
The official NCAA rules guiding college soccer field dimensions state that: “The field of play shall be rectangular, the width of which shall not be more than 75 yards [68.58 m] or less than 70 yards [64.01 m] and shall not exceed the length. The length shall not be more than 120 yards [109.73 m] or less than 115 yards [105.16 m].”
Pay close attention, and you’ll see that there’s no difference between this and a standard-sized soccer field. At this age, they are ready for the rigors of pro soccer.
Faq
How many acres are in a soccer field?
Between 1.59 and 1.99 acres. A typical professional field is around 1.78 acres.
How big is a World Cup soccer field?
A soccer field used for a World Cup match must have a length of 110-120 yards and a width of 70-80 yards (110-110m by 64m-73.2m).
Is a soccer field bigger than a basketball court?
Yes. An NBA basketball court is 31.3 yards long and 16.7yds, and a typical professional soccer field is 115 yards long and 75 yards wide.
Final Thoughts
Now you know the exact dimensions of different types of soccer fields. Next time you play a match or watch it on the T.V, I hope you pay a closer look at the size of the field and appreciate the complexities that go into deciding the right size.
