Soccer has a much older history in the United States than an average American would believe. Ranked amongst the most popular sports in the world, it makes use of large fields or pitches based on the age of players, level of play, and location.
Records exist of colonists at Jamestown playing a sport similar to soccer. Harvard introduced intramural soccer competitions in 1827.
After the Civil War, soccer grew in popularity and gained the attention of quite a few Ivy League Colleges fielding teams.
The Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) primarily rejected the United States men’s soccer team from joining its association in 1912 until 1913.
The United States men’s soccer team first participated in the World Cup in 1930 and hosted it for the first time in 1994.
The 1994 World Cup prompted the government of the day to build standard pitches for the tournament after seeing huge potential.
Soccer fields are one of the most ignored elements in the game of soccer even though the sport can’t exist without them.
In this article, we shall focus on the size of soccer fields in acres, feet, and meters.
Quick Navigation
- How Big is a Soccer Field in Acres, Feet, Meters
- How big is a youth soccer field?
- How many acres is a standard soccer field?
- How big is an acre of land compared to a soccer field?
- Are all soccer fields the same size?
- Are women’s soccer fields the same size as men’s?
- Is a soccer field bigger than a football field?
- Conclusion
How Big is a Soccer Field in Acres, Feet, Meters
The average size of soccer fields for grown-ups in America is 81,000 square feet, or 1.86 acres, or 7,525 square meters.
The International Football Association Board (IFAB or FA) which is responsible for dictating soccer rules clearly stated that a field must be rectangular with marked continuous lines.
According to their specifications, a full-size pitch may range from 50-100 yards in width and 100-130 yards in length.
The longer sides of a soccer field are called touchlines while the shorter sides are called goal lines.
The goal lines must measure between 45m and 90m (50 and 100 yds) in length.
The touchlines must measure between 90m and 120m (100 and 130 yds) in length.
For international tournaments, the soccer fields are slightly different in dimension. The goal lines measure between 64m and 75m wide (70 and 82 yds) while the touchlines must measure between 100m and 110m (110 and 120 yds) in length.
They are different formats of soccer games played in America with each having its unique field size and dimensions. We will take a look at them.
How big is a 3v3 soccer field?
The 3v3 soccer is a variant where each of the two participating teams has only 3 players on the field at a time. This is how it earned its name. It is commonly referred to as a “small-sided” game.
It is claimed to be the fastest-growing soccer variant in existence with its greatest footprint in the United States which hosts thousands of tournaments annually.
It is a faster-paced, and higher-scoring form of soccer with some characteristics of hockey and basketball.
A smaller sized pitch is used in this soccer. Its field length is 35 yds to 40 yds and its field width measures 25 yds to 30 yds—although the measurement may slightly differ when played indoors.
Its goal post is smaller than that of regular soccer with a box width of 10 feet and box depth of 8 feet.
The 3v3 soccer variant doesn’t have a goalkeeper except in a special case of a particular 3v3 Micro Soccer. In 3v3 soccer, all members have equal importance and status because there are no permanently allocated positions.
How big is a 5v5 soccer field?
The 5v5 soccer has a curved penalty area which is one of its most pronounced features. Its penalty area must measure 6.5 yds (6m) starting from the center of the goal line irrespective of the total field size.
It features a suggested goal size of 3 yds (3.66m) wide and 1.33 yds (1.22m) in height.
A 5v5 game doesn’t necessarily need a halfway line or center circle before it can be played. A penalty spot must have a radius of 1 yard (1m). The goalkeeper area must measure a radius of 8.2 yards (7.5m) and markings line width should be 5cm.
Based on The FA’s recommendation, the size of a 5v5 soccer field should be 40 yds (36.5m) long and 25 yds (27.5m) wide to maintain a rectangular shape. The length should always precede the breath at a ratio of 2:1.
In 5v5 soccer, spectators, players, and coaches are expected to behave with regards to sportsmanship at all times. Abuse of an opponent or the center referee can lead to the ejection of the offending team.
How big is a 7v7 soccer field?
7v7 soccer is a game of youth soccer designed to improve player’s skills and help them understand the game of soccer better. Besides getting more action on the ball, the small space of its field allows players to further develop confidence, agility, and stamina in the game.
Formation plays a vital role in 7v7 soccer and a coach has to consider many important factors before choosing a formation for the team.
Factors like the opponents, balance, and player’s personality must be evaluated by the coach.
The size of a 7v7 soccer field is usually 60 yds (54.86m) long and 40 yds (36.5m) wide in adherence to the FA specifications.
Each of the two teams involved has a total of seven players and a rectangular penalty area of 18 yds (16.5m) wide by 10 yds (9m) from the goal line.
In 7v7 soccer, the center circle is optional just like in 5v5 although the penalty spot must be visible and must measure 8 yds (7.3m) from the goal line.
How big is an 8v8 soccer field?
8v8 soccer is not just a small-sided game, it is a part of the youth players’ progression system. This form of soccer is mostly played by U13 children because it helps them develop some basic motor skills and also stay healthy.
This game is fancied by coaches because they get to connect better with their players.
In 8v8 soccer, the goal post should measure 18 feet (5.4m) by 6 feet (1.8m) while the penalty box in front of each goal should measure 18 yards in length and 36 yards wide. There should also be a goal box 6 yards long and 12 yards wide.
The official field dimension in 8v8 soccer is 40 yds (36.5m) by 60 yds (54.86m) having a center circle and halfway line of 8 yds (7.3m) radius.
The goal post is expected to measure 18 feet (5.4m) by 6 feet (1.8m) while the penalty spot remains 8yds from the goal.
How big is a 9v9 soccer field?
9v9 soccer plays a crucial role in setting up players for 11v11 soccer.
In 9v9 soccer, players get to understand formations, tactics, teamwork, and positioning. This soccer is largely played by 11 to 13-year-olds.
The size of a soccer field used by U-11 and U-12 teams in 9v9 soccer according to The FA’s recommendation is 80 yds (73.1m) long by 50 yds (45.72m) wide.
The center circle must have a radius of 7 yds (6.4m) and the penalty area should measure 13 yds (11.88m) by 32 yds (29.26m) wide from the center of the goalpost.
The official measurement of goalposts must be 7 feet (2.3m) high and 16 feet (4.8m) wide. Posts and crossbars shouldn’t exceed 12cm (5”) in width and the line markings line width shouldn’t go beyond 12cm (5”).
How big are the 11 and 11 soccer fields?
The US Player Development Philosophy was recently changed to concentrate on small-sided games. Transiting from 7v7 games to 11v11 format sometimes exposes a coach to problems which they must try to overcome.
The size of the field in a standard 11v11 soccer game isn’t constant, it changes considerably depending on a range of factors. Following FA regulations, an 11v11 soccer field should measure between 100 to 130 yards (90 to 120m) long and 50 to 100 yards (45 to 90m) wide.
FA suggests different pitch sizes for different age groups in 11v11 soccer as shown below:
- U-13 and U-14 – 90 yards (82.2m) x 55 yards (50.2m)
- U-15 and U-16 – 100 yards (91.4m) x 60 yards (54.8m)
- Above 18 in the National League System – 110 yards (100.5m) x 70 yards (64m)
How big is a youth soccer field?
Youth soccer fields come in different sizes depending on the age of players involved.
The 7 to 8-year-olds play on a soccer field that measures between 5,400 to 13,500 square feet (0.12 to 0.31 acres).
The 9 to 10-year-olds use fields that range from 13,500 to 21,600 square feet (0.31 to 0.5 acres).
High school students are usually allocated a field that measures between 49,500 and 86,400 square feet (1.14 to 1.98 acres).
It is mandated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) that college soccer fields must measure between 72,450 to 81,000 square feet (1.66 to 1.98 acres).
How many acres is a standard soccer field?
Standard adult soccer fields built according to rules and specifications should measure about 2.69 acres (100 to 130 yards). The size of soccer fields varies according to the country where they are located.
Calculating the total area of a soccer field should give you roughly 57,600 square feet (360 x 160). One acre sums up to about 43,560 square feet (1.32 acres).
In America, a soccer field usually measures 100 yards by 50 yards (300 by 150 feet) which approximates to about 45,000 square feet.
How big is an acre of land compared to a soccer field?
An acre—according to the imperial and US customary system—is a unit of land area used. Oftentimes, an acre is equated with a soccer field or 16 tennis courts. An acre contains 4,840 square yards which is about 76% of a soccer field in reality.
Considering both end zones, a soccer field is about 160 feet wide and 360 feet long or 57,600 square feet.
Are all soccer fields the same size?
According to standard field measurements, all soccer fields don’t have the same size—but must fall within the range mandated by the soccer governing body.
The most common size used by professional teams’ stadiums is 105 by 68 meters (115 x 74 yards) containing an area of 7,140 square meters (76,900 sq. ft.; 1.76 acres; 0.714 ha).
No matter how different soccer fields are in size, they must maintain a specific aspect ratio. Sizes also differ in respect to the age group in play.
Under 8s use a pitch of 27.45 meters to 45.75 meters in length and 18.30 to 27.45 meters in width.
Are women’s soccer fields the same size as men’s?
In women’s soccer, field sizes are similar to that of men’s soccer but vary based on regulations that state that the length of a field must fall between 90 and 120 meters. The width on the other hand must range between 45 and 90 meters.
For international competitions—as stated by IFAB—the field sizes range from 100 x 64 meters and 110 x 75 meters. The distance between goal posts in women’s soccer is 7.32 meters and from the ground to the crossbar is 2.44 meters.
Is a soccer field bigger than a football field?
Soccer and American football are two different sports with almost nothing in common. Their only similarity might just be the shape of the field in play. Maybe this is why fans of both games feel like their fields are the same in size and can be used interchangeably.
Soccer fields are 20 yards wider than football fields. Likewise, soccer players do a lot more sprinting than football players. Fields for international soccer matches measure between 110 to 120 yards long and 70 to 80 yards wide.
American football features 11 players per side similar to soccer and their field measures 120 yards (100 yards field of play and 20 yards end zone) long and 53 1/3 yards (48.8m) wide.
A soccer field is bigger because its width is almost twice that of a football field but they share a similar length.
Conclusion
The size of soccer fields is under strict regulation, meaning for a field to qualify as a soccer pitch, it must have specific dimensions. These dimensions are determined by FIFA—and are often reviewed.
The rules are stricter for international matches. The most common field dimension in use among international clubs is 105 x 68 meters (114.8 x 74.4 yds) as recommended by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA).
Nevertheless, soccer fans don’t always restrict themselves to standard regulations. In street soccer, for example, any available space is transformed into a soccer field.
Hi there, I’m Jay.
Soccer is everything in my life! My friends and I have created this blog with all our enthusiasm, passion, and understanding after years of playing pro soccer. Hope you will enjoy it!