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General Information

Field Dimensions

Field Dimensions - Making a Field of Play

The field of play must be rectangular. The length of the touch line must be greater than the length of the goal line. (See the Field Diagram)

LENGTH: Minimum 100 yards (300 feet) maximum 130 yards (390 feet)
WIDTH: Minimum 50 yards (150 feet) maximum 100 yards (300 feet)

Field Markings:

  • The field of play is marked with lines. These lines belong to the areas of which they are boundaries.

  • The two longer boundary lines are called touch lines, the two shorter lines are called goal lines.

  • None of the lines should be more than 5 inches wide.

  • The field of play is divided into two halves by a halfway line.

  • The center mark is indicated at the midpoint of the halfway line. A circle with a radius of 10 yards (30 feet) is marked around it.

Emergency Lining:

The length of a person's step is around 24 inches. Without a tape measure, assume that: One big step is one yard

The Goal Area - A goal area is defined at each end of the field, as follows:

  • Two lines are drawn at right angles to the goal line, 6 yards (18 feet) from the inside of each goalpost. These lines extend into the field of play for a distance of 6 yards (18 feet) and are joined by a line drawn parallel with the goal line. The area bounded by these lines and the goal line is the goal area.

  • Six big steps to both sides from the edge of the goal, and six big steps from those marks at a 90º angle into the field are the top points of the Goal Area.

Penalty Area - A penalty area is defined at each end of the field as follows:

  • Two lines are drawn at right angles to the goal line, 18 yards (54 feet) from the inside of each goalpost. These lines extend into the field of play for a distance of 18 yards (54 feet) and are joined by a line drawn parallel with the goal line. The area bounded by these lines and the goal line is the penalty area.

  • 18 big steps to both sides from the edge of the goal, and 18 big steps from those marks at a 90º angle into the field are the top points of the Penalty Area.

The width of the goal is 8 big steps and the penalty area is 18 big steps to either side, for a combined width of 18+18+8=44 big steps of touch line. Since the field must be at least 50 big steps wide, there must be at least 6 big steps from the edge of the penalty area to the sideline.

Last Updated: 10.24.05