Football field dimension rules

Football field dimension rules

Here’s a really interesting quirk of the game. Football pitches not only don’t have to be the same size but, in fact, can cary wildly from each other because the rules state minimum and maximum widths and lengths rather than specific measurements that must be adhered to.

When it comes to the length of a pitch it must be between a minimum of 100 yards, or 90 metres, and a maximum of 130 yards, or 120 metres. The width is similarly vague in its specifications. A pitch can be a minimum of 50 yards, or 45 metres, in width and a maximum of 100 yards, or 90 metres.

Of course one of the other things about a football pitch is that it must maintain its aspect ratio, so to speak, meaning that you’ll never see a pitch that is 90 metres by 90 metres. This may fit in with the minimum and maximum sizes but it wouldn’t keep the ratio correct so it wouldn’t be allowed.

There is also a different size range depending on the age group the pitch is being used by. Under 8s, for example, can play on a pitch ranging from 27.45 metres to 45.75 metres in length and from 18.30 metres to 27.45 metres in width. The Under 13 - Under14 age group, meanwhile have a range of 72.80 metres to 91 metres in length and 45.50 metres to 56 metres in width.

Whilst there is no exact specification of dimensions that pitches have to adhere to, there is a suggested pitch size for clubs to work with. For senior teams that is 64.01 metres in width by a length of 100.58 metres.