Watching the FIFA World Cup or the UEFA European Championship, the UEFA Champions League and other large-scale football events, we are used to thinking that the football venue is always of immense size. To host a match, countries build grandiose stadiums, investing billions of dollars in their construction. In addition, the requirements for dimensions, markings and coverage are strict and are regulated by specially established rules. For example, matches can be played on grounds with natural and artificial turf. According to the official rules of the game of football, artificial turf must be green. However, the size of the football pitch can vary greatly depending on the age group of the football clubs playing, as well as the type of football game.
History of the football pitch
Initially, the size of football pitches varied greatly, and each team could have its own rules and requirements for the playing area. In the early 1800s, before the introduction of common football rules, pitches were typically around 200 yards long. Corner flags were used to indicate the width of the playing zone. In 1863, with the creation of the Football Association of England, the first standards for pitch sizes appeared, which was an important step in the unification of the game. According to these standards, the length of the venue had to be from 90 to 120 meters and the width from 45 to 90 meters. These dimensions made the game more predictable and provided equal conditions for all participants.
Since the dimensions and markings of a football pitch were first standardised in the UK, when describing recommended dimensions, both the English (yard, inch, acre) and the common (meter, centimeter) metric systems are usually used simultaneously.
Over time, field sizes became more strictly regulated. In 1937, the International Football Federation (FIFA) introduced new standards, according to which the length of the pitch had to be from 100 to 110 meters and the width from 64 to 75 meters. These changes contributed to the fact that football grounds became more unified, which greatly facilitated the holding of international competitions. In addition, standard sizes made it possible to improve the quality of the game, making it more dynamic and interesting for the spectators.
The football pitch size can greatly influence the course and outcome of the game. The smaller the playing area, the more contact the game becomes. As a result, fast and accurate players have an advantage. As the playing zone increases, so does the distance that players must run. In this case, the advantage goes to those who are resilient and those who are good at passing the ball. It is important to play on the correct size football pitch to ensure a fair game.
Types of fields depending on the scale of the game
A standard football pitch is big and rectangular. Moreover it cannot be square. This is directly prohibited by the rules. The side line of the football pitch must be longer than the goal line. There are 3 options for describing the standard width and standard length of a football pitch, it all depends on what kind of match is being played and where.
- Amateur and semi-professional matches, professional matches within a country. Here the football pitch dimensions can vary greatly: length – from 100 yards (90 m) to 130 yards (100 m), width – from 50 yards (45 m) to 100 yards (90 m). The area of the smallest permitted pitch is 4,050 m2, the area of the largest is 10,800 m2, 2.5 times more.
- Professional football matches and professional international games. The requirements for the size of a football pitch in such games are much stricter, so the length is from 110 yards (100 m) to 120 yards (110 m), the width of the pitch is from 70 yards (64 m) to 80 yards (73.2 m).
- A match held by FIFA. FIFA has its own recommended dimensions for football pitches – 105 by 68 meters. If such a pitch cannot be found, then a venue as similar as possible is chosen. If you ask the question of how many acres a football field should be according to the FIFA guidelines, then its area is 1.6 acres.
Types of fields depending on the players’ age and the number of football players
There are many different sizes of football fields depending on the age of the players. To correctly determine the age group, you need to subtract the year of birth from the year the season ends. If you compare the steps of a 12 year old child and an adult, you can see the differences. Since a child’s step is approximately 80% of an adult’s step, the pitch for children should be 80% of the standard. So the field size for children is significantly smaller than for adult players. However, when the pitch size decreases, it is quite difficult to put two teams of 11 people on the ground. For this reason, the number of players is also decreasing.
- Under 7/8. Players in this age group and younger players play on a field measuring 40 yards (36.58 m) x 30 yards (27.43 m). Given the size of the field, children aged 7-8 play Mini Football or 5-a-side football, that is, in teams of five people. The 5-a-side football pitch has its own characteristics. For example, the dimensions of the football goal are 12 feet x 6 feet, and the ball must be size 3. Also, the penalty area is 9 yards (8.23 m) from the goal line and is 16 yards (14.63 m) long, the penalty spot is marked 7 yards (6.40 m) from the center of the goal. Moreover, there must be a run-up zone of 3 yards (2.74 m) around the perimeter of the field. The 5-a-side pitch can also be used for adult futsal games.
- Under 9/10. Children up to 9-10 years old play 7-a-side football on a 60 yd (54.87 m) x 40 yd (36.57 m) field. It is also recommended to use a size 3 ball here and a goal of the same size as in the previous type. On the 7-a-side football pitch, the penalty spot is marked 8 yards (7.32 m) from the centre of the goal, and the size of the penalty area is 18 yards (16.46 m) x 10 yards (9.14 m).
- Under 11/12. Under 11/12 age group matches are played in teams of 9 people. The football pitch markings also have their own characteristics: the penalty spot is marked 9 yards (8.23 m) from the center of each goal, and the size of the penalty area is 32 yards (29.26 m) x 13 yards (11.89 m). In addition, the dimensions of the goal area are 4 yards (3.66 m) x 14 yards (12.80 m). In such matches, the goals are 16 feet x 7 feet and the ball is 4. The dimensions of the 9-a-side football pitch are 80 yards (73.15 m) x 50 yards (45.72 m).
- Under 13/14. Players in this age category are almost equal to adults, as they play in teams of 11 people. However, the pitch they play on is still different from the standard one. Its dimensions are 90 yards (82.3 m) x 55 yards (50.2 m) and the goals are 21 ft x 7 ft. Size 4 balls are used. The goal area should be 5 yards (4.57 m) x 16 yards (14.63 m). What is more, in Under-13/14 matches, the penalty box measures 14 yards (12.80 m) x 35 yards (32.00 m) and the penalty spot is located 10 yards (9.14 m) from the centre of each goal.
- Under 15/16. At the age of 15-16, matches are also played between teams of 11 players. The football field in this case should be 100 yards (91.44 m) x 60 yards (54.86 m). The goals should be full-size and have dimensions of 24 feet x 8 feet. The goal area should measure 6 yards (5.49 m) x 20 yards (18.29 m). Players should use a size 5 ball. On the 11-a-side football pitch, the penalty box measures 18 yards (16.46 m) x 44 yards (40.23 m) and the penalty area is 12 yards (10.97 m) from the centre of each goal post.
- Under 17/18, as well as Seniors. From the age of 17, full-size football fields are used. However, it is worth considering that the size of full-size pitches can also vary depending on the level of play, as the match can be amateur or professional, domestic or international. Thus, according to the rules of the International Football Association Board (IFAB), fields can be from 100 yards (91.4 m) to 130 yards (118.9 m) in length and from 50 yards (45.7 m) to 100 yards (91.4 m) in width. However, despite the established rules, pitches in England are slightly different. They are often larger, measuring around 115 yards (105 m) by 75 yards (68.8 m). What is more, the vast majority of Premier League football areas are between 112 yards (102.4 m) and 115 yards (105.2 m) long and between 70 yards (64.0 m) and 75 yards (68.6 m) wide. Football pitches for adult players are marked with penalty spots 12 yards from the centre of each goal, penalty areas measuring 18 yards (16.46 m) x 44 yards (40.23 m) and goal areas measuring 6 yards (5.49 m) x 20 yards (18.29 m). The goals on these fields are 24 feet (7.32 m) x 8 feet (2.44 m) and the ball used is a size 5.
Thus, football fields can be of different sizes, as they are designed for different age categories and different team compositions.
Other types of football and their dimensions of the pitch
Besides association football (also known as soccer or simply football), there are other variations of the game. They also have their own characteristics related to the size of the fields.
For example, there is no single global standard for Futsal venues. First of all, the playing area is not called a field, but a court. Areas for local tournaments are usually smaller than those used for international matches. The parameters of a particular court depend on the rules of the game common in a particular country under the control of a particular Futsal Federation. However, there are some recommended restrictions. The length of the futsal court should be at least 25 meters but not more than 42 meters. The width of the venue is at least 15 meters and not more than 25 meters. In international matches, there are stricter restrictions: the length of the court should be at least 38 meters and not more than 42 meters. The width is at least 18 meters and not more than 22 meters.
American football (also known as gridiron) is played on a field very similar in size to a football field. The game is played on a rectangular field 120 yards (110 meters) long and 53 1/3 yards (49 m) wide. At each end of the field, 100 yards apart, are goal lines. The 10-yard end zone is located between the goal line and the boundary line. Lines are marked across the field every 5 yards. Every 10 yards are numbered from 10 to 50 from the boundaries of the end zones toward the middle, indicating the number of yards a team has to travel to score a touchdown. At each end of the field, on the boundary, are goals consisting of two tall posts with a crossbar between them. Goals are scored over the crossbar between the posts. Each team may field 11 players at a time. Teams may substitute some or all of their players between periods of play.
In Canadian football, which is similar in rules and tactics to American football, the game is played on a rectangular field 150 yards (135 meters) long and 65 yards (60 meters) wide. At each end of the rectangle, goal lines are drawn 110 yards apart, and a 20-yard end zone is located between the goal line and the edge of the field. The goals, unlike in American football, are not on the edge of the playing area, but on the goal line. In addition, there are 12 players at a time for each team, instead of 11.
