Association football pitch Facts for Kids

A football pitch is the special field where the game of association football (also known as soccer) is played. It's usually made of grass, but can also be artificial turf. The size and all the important lines on the pitch are set by Law 1 of the Laws of the Game, which is called "The Field of Play." These rules make sure that football games are fair and can be played anywhere in the world.

What is a Football Pitch?
- How Big is a Pitch?
- Important Lines and Areas
Images for kids
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What is a Football Pitch?

A football pitch is a rectangular area marked out for playing soccer. It needs to be flat and safe for players. The markings on the pitch help players, referees, and fans understand what's happening during the game. Without these lines, it would be very hard to know if a goal was scored or if a player was offside!

How Big is a Pitch?

The size of a football pitch isn't always exactly the same. There's a range of sizes allowed by the rules.

Length: A pitch must be between 100 and 130 yards (90 and 120 meters) long.
Width: It must be between 50 and 100 yards (45 and 90 meters) wide.

For international matches, like those in the FIFA World Cup, the rules are a bit stricter:

Length: 110 to 120 yards (100 to 110 meters)
Width: 70 to 80 yards (64 to 75 meters)

These specific sizes help make sure that games are fair and consistent, no matter where they are played.

Important Lines and Areas

The pitch has many important lines and areas, each with a special purpose. All lines must be the same width, usually not more than 5 inches (12 cm) wide.

Touchlines and Goal Lines

Touchlines: These are the longer lines along the sides of the pitch. If the ball goes completely over a touchline, the game restarts with a throw-in.
Goal Lines: These are the shorter lines at each end of the pitch. The goalposts are placed on these lines. If the ball goes completely over a goal line, it's either a goal kick or a corner kick.

The Halfway Line and Centre Circle

Halfway Line: This line divides the pitch into two equal halves. Each team starts in their own half.
Centre Mark: This is a spot in the very middle of the halfway line. The game starts here with a kick-off.
Centre Circle: This is a circle around the centre mark. When a kick-off happens, players from the opposing team must stay outside this circle until the ball is kicked.

The Goal Area

The goal area is a small rectangle marked in front of each goal.

It is 6 yards (5.5 meters) from each goalpost and 6 yards into the pitch.
When a goal kick is taken, the ball must be placed anywhere within this area.
Goalkeepers are often protected more in this area during play.

The Penalty Area

The penalty area is a much larger rectangle outside the goal area.

It is 18 yards (16.5 meters) from each goalpost and 18 yards into the pitch.
This area is very important because if a defending player commits a foul inside their own penalty area, the attacking team gets a penalty kick.
The goalkeeper can handle the ball with their hands only within their own penalty area.

The Penalty Mark and Arc

Penalty Mark: This is a spot 12 yards (11 meters) from the goal line, right in the middle of the goal. This is where penalty kicks are taken from.
Penalty Arc: This is a curved line just outside the penalty area, attached to the top of it. During a penalty kick, all players (except the kicker and the goalkeeper) must stay outside the penalty area and the penalty arc.

Corner Arcs

At each of the four corners of the pitch, there is a small quarter-circle called the corner arc.

When a corner kick is taken, the ball must be placed inside this arc.
There are also corner flags at each corner, which are tall poles with flags on top.

Images for kids

The goal line at the Stretford End of Old Trafford in Stretford (1992)
A football goal
The penalty area is the large marked rectangular area. The smaller rectangle within it is the goal area (here, the yellow-shirted goalkeeper is the only player in the goal area). The penalty arc is the curved line adjoining the "top" of the penalty area (here, the red-shirted referee is standing near the arc).