There isn’t one football pitch size, there’s a range. For 11-a-side, the Laws of the Game allow 90 to 120 m long by 45 to 90 m wide (100 to 130 yd by 50 to 100 yd). The benchmark for big stadiums is 105 × 68 m: 7,140 m², or 0.71 hectares (1.76 acres). A 7v7 youth pitch is about a quarter of that, a futsal pitch about 40 × 20 m, and a 5-a-side pitch depends on the centre.
Football pitch sizes by format
| Format | Length | Width | Area | Goal size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11-a-side (Laws of the Game) | 90 to 120 m (100 to 130 yd) | 45 to 90 m (50 to 100 yd) | 4,050 to 10,800 m² (0.41 to 1.08 ha) | 7.32 × 2.44 m (8 yd × 8 ft) |
| 11-a-side (international matches) | 100 to 110 m (110 to 120 yd) | 64 to 75 m (70 to 80 yd) | 6,400 to 8,250 m² | 7.32 × 2.44 m |
| Big stadiums (UEFA standard) | 105 m | 68 m | 7,140 m² (0.71 ha) | 7.32 × 2.44 m |
| 11v11 youth (England Football, U15-U16) | up to 100 m | up to 64 m | up to 6,400 m² | 24 × 8 ft |
| 11v11 youth (England Football, U14) | 82 m recommended | 50 m recommended | 4,100 m² | 21 × 7 ft |
| 9v9 (England Football, U12-U13) | 64 to 73 m | 37 to 46 m | up to 3,358 m² | 16 × 7 ft |
| 7v7 (England Football, U10-U11) | 46 to 55 m | 27 to 37 m | up to 2,035 m² | 12 × 6 ft |
| 5v5 (England Football, U8-U9) | 27 to 37 m | 18 to 27 m | up to 999 m² | 12 × 6 ft |
| Futsal | 25 to 42 m | 16 to 25 m | 400 to 1,050 m² | 3 × 2 m |
| 5-a-side (centres) | varies by centre | varies by centre | varies | varies by centre |
Sources: IFAB, Law 1 “The Field of Play”, UEFA Stadium Infrastructure Regulations, Article 5, England Football, pitch and goal sizes by age group, Futsal Laws of the Game (FIFA). Areas are calculated from these dimensions. For youth formats, the smaller figure is England Football’s minimum and the larger one its recommended size.
How big is a football pitch? The 11-a-side pitch
Law 1 of the Laws of the Game sets a wide range, so grassroots clubs can play on the pitch they’ve got:
- length (touchline): 90 m (100 yd) minimum, 120 m (130 yd) maximum;
- width (goal line): 45 m (50 yd) minimum, 90 m (100 yd) maximum;
- the touchlines must always be longer than the goal lines: a football pitch is a rectangle, never a square.
For international matches, the range gets tighter: 100 to 110 m long, 64 to 75 m wide.
And the famous 105 × 68 m? That’s the size UEFA requires for category 3 and 4 stadiums, the ones that host the big European matches. For categories 1 and 2, UEFA accepts 100 to 105 m by 64 to 68 m.
Here’s what a 105 × 68 m pitch comes to:
- area: 7,140 m², or 0.71 hectares (1.76 acres);
- perimeter: 346 m, a decent warm-up lap;
- in tennis courts: a doubles court is 23.77 × 10.97 m, 260.76 m² (court dimensions). So a football pitch is about 27 tennis courts.
Depending on the pitch, the area more than doubles from one end of the range to the other: 4,050 m² at the smallest allowed size (90 × 45 m), 10,800 m² at the largest (120 × 90 m).
Premier League and Wembley pitch size
The Laws of the Game don’t set a Premier League size, and not every Premier League pitch is the same. Many grounds use 105 × 68 m (Emirates Stadium, Etihad Stadium), but Anfield is listed at 101 × 68 m and Craven Cottage at 100 × 65 m (list of Premier League stadiums).
Wembley is lined at 105 × 69 m (115 × 75 yd), the size required for a UEFA category 4 stadium (Wembley Stadium).
Pitch markings: penalty box, six-yard box, centre circle
Lines are 12 cm (5 in) wide at most, and they belong to the area they mark: a ball on the line is still in play. Here are the 11-a-side markings, from Law 1:
| Marking | Dimension | What it comes to |
|---|---|---|
| Penalty area (the box) | 16.5 m (18 yd) deep | 40.32 × 16.5 m (44 × 18 yd), 665 m² |
| Goal area (the six-yard box) | 5.5 m (6 yd) deep | 18.32 × 5.5 m (20 × 6 yd), 101 m² |
| Penalty spot | 11 m (12 yd) from the goal line | centred, facing the goal |
| Penalty arc (the D) | 9.15 m (10 yd) radius from the penalty spot | where nobody stands during a penalty |
| Centre circle | 9.15 m (10 yd) radius | 18.3 m across |
| Corner arc | 1 m (1 yd) radius | at each corner |
| Corner flags | at least 1.5 m (5 ft) high | required at all four corners |
The penalty area starts 16.5 m from each goalpost, which is where its 40.32 m width comes from (7.32 m of goal + 2 × 16.5 m). Same logic for the goal area: 7.32 m + 2 × 5.5 m = 18.32 m.
Why such odd numbers in metres (9.15 m, 16.5 m)? Because the Laws of the Game were written in England, in yards: 10 yards, 18 yards and 12 yards. In yards, they’re round numbers, which is why everyone still calls it the six-yard box.
Football goal size
A full-size football goal is 7.32 m wide between the posts and 2.44 m high from the ground to the bottom of the crossbar: 8 yards by 8 feet. Posts and crossbar are 12 cm (5 in) wide at most.
Smaller formats use smaller goals. England Football’s sizes by age group:
- U15-U16 (11v11): 24 × 8 ft, full size;
- U14 (11v11): 21 × 7 ft;
- U12-U13 (9v9): 16 × 7 ft;
- U8 to U11 (5v5 and 7v7): 12 × 6 ft;
- futsal: 3 × 2 m;
- 5-a-side: no official size, each centre picks its own.
A full-size goal gives you 17.86 m² to aim at, a futsal goal 6 m². No wonder there are fewer goals indoors.
7-a-side and 9v9 pitch size
For youth football, England Football sets the pitch by format, with a minimum and a recommended size:
- 5v5 (U8-U9): 27 × 18 m minimum, 37 × 27 m recommended (about 40 × 30 yd);
- 7v7 (U10-U11): 46 × 27 m minimum, 55 × 37 m recommended (about 60 × 40 yd);
- 9v9 (U12-U13): 64 × 37 m minimum, 73 × 46 m recommended (about 80 × 50 yd);
- 11v11 (U14): 82 × 50 m recommended, up to 100 × 64 m for U15-U16.
For adults, there’s no national 7-a-side or 9v9 size: your league or venue decides. Many 7-a-side pitches are marked on part of a full-size 3G. With mates, you don’t need a tape measure: half of an 11-a-side pitch is plenty for 7-a-side, and a 9v9 youth pitch is a good fit if only 18 turn up.
➜ Not sure which format to play? Read How Many Players in a Football Team? 5-a-Side to 11-a-Side
Futsal pitch size
Futsal has its own Laws of the Game, published by FIFA. The pitch:
- length: 25 to 42 m (38 to 42 m for international matches);
- width: 16 to 25 m (20 to 25 m for international matches);
- area: 400 to 1,050 m², and 800 m² for a 40 × 20 m pitch;
- lines 8 cm wide.
The markings have nothing in common with 11-a-side:
- the penalty area is made of two quarter circles with a 6 m radius around the posts, joined by a 3.16 m line;
- the penalty mark is 6 m from the goal, and the second penalty mark is 10 m away (it’s used for free kicks after the fifth accumulated foul);
- the centre circle has a 3 m radius;
- the corner arcs have a 25 cm radius;
- the goals are 3 × 2 m.
5-a-side pitch size
5-a-side is the game you play at a 5-a-side centre: a 3G pitch, often enclosed by boards or netting, where the ball stays in play off the sides. There’s no official size: each centre and each operator builds its own pitches, and a pitch at one venue can be noticeably bigger than at another. Most centres list their pitch sizes on the venue page, or will tell you if you ring them.
If you want a benchmark, England Football’s recommended 5v5 pitch for U8-U9s is 37 × 27 m, and a futsal pitch 40 × 20 m. A small pitch with boards all round: that’s what makes 5-a-side so relentless. An hour in there wears you out faster than you’d think.
➜ How much does it cost? Read Football Pitch Hire: Prices for 1 Hour and 90 Minutes
3G or grass: does it change the pitch size?
No. A 3G or artificial pitch follows the same size rules as a natural grass pitch. The Laws of the Game allow a fully artificial surface if the competition rules permit it, as long as it’s green. Even in UEFA stadiums, the pitch can be natural grass, hybrid grass or fully artificial: the required size stays the same.
What changes is the game: on 3G, the ball rolls faster and bounces higher. Wear boots made for the surface, or your ankles will let you know.
Found your pitch? Now fill it
The size of the pitch decides the number of players: 10 for 5-a-side, 14 for 7-a-side, 18 for 9v9, 22 for 11-a-side. The hard part isn’t measuring the pitch, it’s getting the right number of mates there on the night.
Without an app: set the number of places in the invite (“10 places, Tuesday 8pm”), write down replies in order in a pinned message in your group chat, keep a waitlist underneath, and check in the day before.
With Footinho (a free, ad-free app for organising football matches with friends, on iPhone, Android or in a browser, run by a non-profit association):
- you set the number of places, and the counter (“8/10”) is visible to everyone;
- you share the invite in your WhatsApp group in 2 taps, and everyone replies in one;
- players invited in the app who haven’t replied get a reminder;
- with the waitlist, if someone drops out, the first person on the list takes their place and gets notified;
- you get an alert the day before if the match isn’t full, and confirmed players get a reminder 4 hours before.
Footinho doesn’t book the pitch or handle payment: that’s still down to you. Create your match →
➜ Read next: How to Organise a 5-a-Side Match with Friends: 7 Steps
