Soccer Field Markings Explained

Outdoor soccer field diagram.

Soccer field markings explained.

The pitch is typically made of natural turf or artificial turf although amateur and recreational teams often play on dirt fields artificial surfaces must be green in colour. Unlike the playing surfaces for football basketball hockey tennis and most other sports not all soccer pitches are created equally. Soccer field dimensions are anything but straightforward. Regulations also stipulate the dimensions of the goal post and field markings.

A soccer field sometimes referred to as the pitch is at least 100 yards long 50 yards wide and has a goal centered at both ends. The length and width of the pitch needs to follow the fifa laws of the game and the lines for the penalty area six yard box and halfway line all need to be correctly marked. Once you know what all those straight and curved lines mean you can map the field visually and use the rules to your. Indoor soccer field diagram.

Markings on the field tell the players and referees when the ball is in bounds or out and where the goalie can use her hands. A foul in the small inner box the goal area won t affect penalties but will change the way that play is restarted in the area. Official matches and league games have specific soccer field dimensions that must be used to mark out the pitch before playing. The soccer field or football pitch is flexible in size.

The large box is the penalty area a critical area where the defending team can be penalized with a penalty kick for certain fouls. There are very few fixed dimensions for soccer fields even at the highest level. Within the field are markings including those for the penalty area and spot the center spot for kick offs and of course the corners without which corner kicks would just be kicks. Soccer fields feature two distinct boxes in front of the net.

With penalty spots a centre circle and the penalty arcs also to be added in. The field of play. All levels of organized soccer use the same types of markings on field sizes of varying sizes. Major league soccer ncaa nfhs major indoor soccer league us soccer federation american youth soccer association us youth soccer.

Fifa only stipulates that for professional 11 versus 11 competition the length must be between 100 yards and 130 yards and the width between 50 and 100 yards.