How Long Is a Soccer Field?

Professional soccer fields are generally the same dimensions, but they vary at youth level.

The Santiago Bernabeu is one of world soccer's most famous stadiums. / Marca/IMAGO

Unlike football fields, soccer fields vary in length throughout the countless leagues and levels in the world.

All football fields across high school, college, and the NFL have the same measurements, leaving little room for inconsistency. Players can go their entire careers without ever having to adjust to new field measurements.

Soccer players are not so lucky. From the world's biggest stadiums to high school fields, soccer pitches do not all fall under one standard dimension. Although the differences might not seem like a lot on paper, they still have an impact on the sport's playing and viewing experience.

Here's a breakdown of the various field lengths in soccer.

How Long is a Professional Soccer Field?

Soccer fields have unique markings / William Purnell-Imagn Images

According to world soccer's governing body, FIFA, a regulation soccer field can be anywhere between 110 and 120 yards long, and 70 to 80 yards wide.

It recommends, however, that fields be exactly 115 yards long and 74 yards wide.

Some of the most well-known, iconic stadiums in the world, including Manchester City's home ground, the Etihad, and Liverpool's Anfield, meet that guidance perfectly.

Not every single pitch throughout Europe is the same exact length, though.

Stamford Bridge is a bit smaller than most pitches. / Ulmer/IMAGO

Chelsea's Stamford Bridge, for example, is just a bit smaller at 113 yards by 74 yards, while the Stadio Diego Maradona in Naples, Italy, home to Napoli, is larger than the average, measuring 120 yards by 74 yards.

There's even more variety the lower you go down the soccer pyramid. Take Wrexham, for example, which is currently in the third tier of English soccer, League One. It has a smaller pitch than most Premier League clubs; the Racecourse Ground is just 111 yards by 74 yards.

How Long is a Soccer Field for Youth Games?

Field sizes differ greatly for youngsters in soccer. / Deutzmann/IMAGO

How big a soccer field is for youth games depends on what age group and how many players are using it.

For example, a group of seven year olds playing a game with just four players on each team will use a significantly smaller field than teenagers playing 11-a-side.

Unlike for the professional game, field size guidelines for youth games aren't set by FIFA, but instead by the respective country's own soccer governing body, for example the Football Association (FA) in England, or The United States Soccer Federation (USSF) in the USA.

Generally speaking, however, the specifications are all pretty similar.

In this table, Sports Illustrated has outlined the typical field sizes for the various age groups at youth level, according to various sources including Snap Soccer and Turf Tank.

Age group(s)	Number of players per team	Pitch length (yards)	Pitch width (yards)
U-6, U-7, U-8	4	25-35	15-25
U-9, U-10	7	55-65	35-45
U-11, U-12	9	70-80	45-55
U-13, U-14, U-15	11	100-110	60-70
U-16, U-17, U-18, U-19	11	110-120	70-80

How Long is a Soccer Field Compared to a Football Field?

Lambeau Field. / Icon Sportswire/IMAGO

Football fields are typically smaller than professional soccer fields.

In football, the length of the field is set at 100 yards, but when you include the two end zones, that extends to 120 yards. A football field's width, meanwhile, is required to be exactly 53 1/3 yards.

This means a football pitch is, including the end zones, around the same length as soccer field, but significantly more narrow.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How many acres is a soccer field?

The average adult's soccer field is around 81,000 square feet, which is about 1.86 acres.

How many laps around a soccer field is a mile?

To run a mile, you'd have to complete approximately five-and-a-half laps around a standard adult's soccer field.

How many basketball courts fit in a soccer field?

A regulation basketball court is 30.62 yards long by 16.4 yards wide. As such, a professional soccer field can fit approximately three basketball courts in its length and four in its width.

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