Soccer and American football are obviously two different sports. However, they do have some things in common. One of these similarities is a similarly shaped field on which the games are played.
But even though the fields are similar in shape, it's pretty clear that there are also differences between the two.
A soccer field is bigger than a soccer field. Although the length of the two fields is similar, the width of a football field is 53 1/3 yards while the width of a football field ranges from 75 yards to 100 yards. Therefore, a professional soccer field has a larger area than a regular soccer field.
In this article, we're going to look at soccer field and soccer field and see how they compare.
If you are interested in a broader comparisonhow football and soccer are comparedin total,click this link, and it takes you to a post I wrote that compares all aspects of the two sports.
To start off, this table below clearly shows the differences and similarities between a soccer field and a soccer field.
How they compare:
| soccer field | soccer field | |
| Form | rectangle | rectangle |
| Long | Maximal: 130 Yards (120 m) Min: 100 Yards (90m) | 100 yards (91.5 m) between the goal lines 120 yards (109.7 m), including end zones |
| Broad | Maximal: 100 Yards (90 m) Min.: 50 Yards (45 m) | 160 feet/ 531⁄3Yards (48,8 m) |
| surface | Natural grass and artificial grass or a mixture of both | Natural grass and artificial grass |
| markings | 2 penalty areas 2 goal areas a center line a center circle 4 corner arches a penalty point and a center | 10-Yard-Interval 2 end zones 1 yard grid character 5-Yard-Yard-Linien 1 Yard lange Scrimmage Line Numbers in multiples of 10 |
| Torpfosten | Located in the middle of the goal line Crossbar: 8 feet (2.44 m) off the ground Vertical Posts: 8 yards (7.32 m) between posts | Located in the middle of the goal line Crossbar: 10 feet (3 m) off the ground Vertical Stands: – 18 feet 6 inches (5.6 m) apart – 35 feet (10.7 m) long |
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Shape of Soccer Field Vs Soccer Field
The shape of a soccer field and a soccer field are the same.Both are rectangularthe ends of both panels being shorter than the length of the panel.
Although a soccer field can vary slightly in length and width (as we shall see below), it is still required that the touchline or touchline is longer than the goal line at both ends.
You may also have heard of a soccer field called an a"Pitch."If you want to know why, check it outThis articleI wrote why people use this word and where it came from.
Soccer field length vs soccer field
Football and soccer fields are usually the same length.
Between the goal lines of a soccer field there is100 Yards (91,5 m),and if you include the two 10-yard end zones, the length is 120 yards (109.7 m). These measurements are a guide and no football pitch should be any other length than this.
Soccer fields are a little different in that the length has minimum and maximum requirements that it must fit into. A maximum length of130 Yards (120m)and a minimum length of100 Yards (90m).
It means thatthere is often a small deviation between the lengths of different football pitches, but this variation is quite small.
As an example of this, see the image below for a list of the lengths of the football pitches of 5 MLS teams.
As you can see from the images above, while there is often variation between the lengths of the field, it is only a few meters.
The smallest length of any MLS soccer field is Yankee Stadium, where New York City FC plays. The length of their field is only 110 yards (110.6 m).
Did you know that soccer used to be called football in America?Find out why this has changed and why the US calls it soccer while most of the world calls it soccer, inThis articleI wrote recently.
Soccer field width vs soccer field
The width of a soccer field compared to a soccer field is often where there is the greatest difference in size.
As with length, a soccer field has a specified width requirement. This width requirement is160 feet/ 531⁄3Yards (48,8 m).
Soccer fields have minimum and maximum requirements, between which the width must fall. These requirements are maximum100 Yards (90m)and min50 Yards (45m).
Although soccer fields require a minimum length of 45 m (50 yards), most soccer fields are approximately 68.5 m (75 yards) wide.
As an example of this, the image below lists the width of the fields of the fields of 5 MLS teams.
In this dimension, the New York City FC field at Yankee Stadium ranks last with the Minnesota United FC field at TCF Bank Stadium, measuring just 70 yards (64 m) wide.
A soccer field is bigger than a soccer field
A soccer field is larger than a soccer field because the soccer field is almost twice the width of a soccer field. Although the length of the two fields is similar, the extra width of a soccer field means that a soccer field has a larger area and is larger than a soccer field.
Because a football field is limited to only 160 feet/531⁄3yards (48.8 m) wide, while a soccer field can be up to 100 yards (90 m) wide, a soccer field has a much larger area than a soccer field and is therefore larger.
If you are interested in more detailsthe size and size of a soccer field,Click hereto go to a post I wrote that has everything you need to know about it. And if you want my opinion on whetherSoccer is harder than soccer, just lookThis articleI wrote you the 5 reasons for my opinion.
Surface of soccer field vs soccer field
Similar are the areas on which a soccer game or soccer match can be played. Both games can be played on natural grass or artificial grass.
However, it is far more common for NFL teams to play on artificial turf than MLS teams who play on it.
AReview in 2019found that 12 NFL teams play on artificial grass and 19 on natural grass.
While in the MLSonly 6 teams playon artificial grass instead of natural grass.
It is also interesting that in the NFL there is a trend towards playing on more artificial surfaces, while in the MLS there is a trend towards playing on natural grass.
This is mainly due to the different requirements of both sports.
Markings on a soccer field vs soccer field
The markings on both a soccer field and soccer field are where the fields really differ from each other.
And that makes sense since they are two different games with different rules and objectives.
The markings on a soccer field are:
- 2 penalty areas
- 2 goal areas
- a center line
- a center circle
- 4 corner arches
- a penalty point
- and a center
The markings on a soccer field are:
- 10-Yard-Interval
- 2 end zones
- 1 yard grid character
- 5-Yard-Yard-Linien
- 1 Yard lange Scrimmage Line
- Numbers in multiples of 10
A similarity between the two is that all markings are white.
Goal posts on a soccer field vs soccer field
The goal posts in soccer and football are also very different as you can see in the image below.
In football, the goal posts are needed:
- To be positioned in the middle of the goal line at both ends of the field.
- The crossbar must be 8 feet (2.44 m) off the ground at its lowest point
- The vertical posts that are below the crossbar must be 8 yards (7.32 m) apart
In football, the goal posts are needed:
- To be positioned in the middle of the goal line at both ends of the field
- The crossbar must be 3 m (10 ft) off the ground
- The vertical posts located above the crossbar must be 5.6 m (18 ft 6 in) apart and 10.7 m (35 ft) long
A key difference between the goal posts in these two sports, aside from what they look like, is where the players are trying to get the ball.
In soccer, players try to get the ball between the vertical postsunderthe crossbar. In soccer, players try to get the ball between the vertical postsabovethe crossbar.
The main difference between a soccer field and a soccer field
Now that you've gone through the differences and similarities, you will have noticed that there are 3 key differences between a soccer ball and a soccer field.
- The width of the field
- The marks on the field
- The goalposts
These three factors make each pitch unique and allow games to be played the way they were meant to be played.
Playing soccer on a soccer field
This raises the question of whether it is possible to play soccer on a soccer field.
Soccer can be played on a soccer field.In fact, high schools and colleges across the United States have specially designed their athletic fields to do just that.I put together a comparison between a high school and a pro soccer fieldHereif you are interested.
This works because both a soccer field and a soccer field are the same length. With a requirement of 120 yards in length,A soccer field fits perfectly into a soccer field.
The challenge is to find the width for the soccer field.
Although the minimum requirement for a soccer field is 50 yards, the reality is that few are that narrow, and as we saw above, most are closer to 75 yards (68.5 m) wide. Since a soccer field is only 48.8 m (160 ft/ 531⁄3 yards) wide, this can be a problem.
Most sports fields that combine the two fields create this extra width by utilizing the team areas that would be used during a football game.
In this way it is possible to fit a soccer field into a soccer field and play soccer on a soccer field.
Another area where you may have questions about the difference between football and soccer is asking aboutsalary caps.Click this linkto go to a post I wrote to answer the question of whether there is a salary cap in soccer.
FAQs
What can you compare a soccer field to? ›
FIFA states that the field's measurements can range from 50 yards wide by 100 yards long to 100 yards wide by 130 yards long. An American football field is 360 feet (120 yards) in length by 160 feet (53.3 yards) wide.
Is a football field the same size as a soccer field? ›A soccer field is larger than a football field because a football field is limited to 53 1/3 yards wide, where a soccer field is typically 75 yards wide and can be up to 100 yards wide in some cases. The overall square footage of a typical professional FIFA soccer field is greater than an NFL regulation football field.
What is the difference between a soccer field and a soccer pitch? ›Pitch: This is what we call the soccer field. It might get you thinking of baseball, but it is actually called a pitch because of cricket, which all plays on a field called a pitch. Many early soccer games were played on cricket fields.
Why are soccer fields not the same size? ›Why Are Football Pitches Different Sizes? Football pitches are allowed to be different sizes because it is in FIFA's Laws of the Game (LOTG). Law 1 states that goal lines must be between 45 and 90 m and the touchlines must be between 90 and 120 m.
Does home field matter in soccer? ›Winning almost half the time at home is a significant advantage, especially in professional leagues where every point is important and a win is worth 3 points, a draw is worth 1, and a loss is worth 0 points. The strength of a team's home advantage is an important factor on whether or not a team will win a trophy.
Is there a home field advantage in soccer? ›Soccer has the largest average home advantage across leagues—ranging from a low of 60% winning rates in Asia/Africa to a high of 69.1% in US Major League Soccer. In basketball, NBA teams win 62.7% of their home games. International cricket teams win 60.1% of home games. In the NHL, 59% of games are won by home teams.
How big is a normal soccer field? ›The field of play should be 125m x 85m (136 x 93 yards), or a minimum of 120m x 80m (131 x 87 yards) and there must be a minimum of 1.5m of pitch beyond the marked playing area. The same dimensions apply to pitches used in continental UEFA competitions.
How much bigger is a soccer field? ›According to them, a regulation soccer field is between 110 and 120 yards long, and 70 to 80 yards wide. The optimum soccer field size is 360 feet long (120 yards) by 225 feet wide (75 yards), although as these regulations highlight, pitches can vary in size all over the world.
What is a soccer field called? ›A football pitch (also known as soccer field) is the playing surface for the game of association football. Its dimensions and markings are defined by Law 1 of the Laws of the Game, "The Field of Play".
How would you describe a soccer field? ›The soccer field, or football pitch, is flexible in size. It is 100 to 130 yards (90-120m) long and 50 to 100 yards (45-90m) wide. In international play the field dimensions are a bit stricter in that the length must be 110 to 120 yards (100 - 110m) long and 70 to 80 yards (64 - 75m) wide.
Why are soccer fields so big? ›
Who decided that a soccer field should be the size of, well, a soccer field? It might surprise you that soccer actually started out on a much larger scale. Somewhere around the 9th Century in England, the game would span an entire town as everyone would try and kick a pig's bladder from one landmark to another.
Are Premier League soccer fields different sizes? ›Ultimately, Premier League pitches are all roughly the same size. However, the Laws of the Game state pitches can be between 90 and 120 metres long, and drastically different in width – between 50 and 100 metres, although they must be longer than they are wide.
What is the largest soccer field in the world? ›Camp Nou, Spain - 99,354
More than 90,000 spectators attended the grand opening. The Spanish stadium also staged the gold medal match of the Barcelona 1992 Olympics, where Spain defeated Poland 3-2.
The percentages found through different studies in general float around 55-60% of an advantage to the home team (wherein 50% would mean there is no advantage either way).
Is there really a home field advantage? ›American football
At least some degree of home field advantage has been recorded in almost every National Football League season; each year, designated home teams have won more games than lost.
What sport does home field advantage matter most? NBA teams enjoy more of a home-court advantage than any other pro sport. NBA teams win more than 70% of the time at home and 75% of the time at home in the NBA Playoffs. Next up is the NFL, where home teams win close to 60% of the time and 65% in the playoffs.
How much of an advantage is home-field? ›Our first hypothesis correctly predicted that from our sample of 4,141 games, obtained from the NBA and MLB season of 2015 and NFL seasons of 2015 and 2016, home teams would have an advantage and win over 50% of games. In fact, we found that home teams won 55.5% of games.
What determines home-field advantage? ›Home-field advantage is determined by the pennant winner with the better regular-season record. Before 2003, the World Series rotated between leagues. Former commissioner Bud Selig put the advantage on the line following the 7–7 tie after 11 innings in the 2002 All-Star Game.
Who gets home-field advantage? ›Which NFL Teams Get Home-Field Advantage? In any given matchup, the higher-seeded team gets home-field advantage, while the lower-seeded team is the visitor. As such, all four division winners in each conference are guaranteed at least one game with home-field advantage, while the No.
How big is a d1 soccer field? ›1 1 1 The field of play shall be rectangular, with a length of 115-120 yards and a width of 70-75 yards 1 1 1 1 Facilities used as a college soccer field before 1995 need only to be rectangular, the width of which shall not exceed the length Resurfacing the playing field does not change this exemption Note 1: The ...
Are professional soccer fields bigger? ›
The International Football Association Board (IFAB) Laws of the Game stipulate that the dimensions of a soccer field can be as small as 50 yards by 100 yards and as large as 100 yards by 130 yards. Professional soccer pitches are larger than NFL football fields.
How do you measure a soccer field? ›Using two spikes, lay out one end-line for the width of the field that you want. Next lay out one side-line from either end of the end-line for the length of field that you need. If your goals are already in place, measure out from the middle of the goal to each corner (you should now have an L- shaped configuration.
Are soccer fields real grass or turf? ›You start seeing artificial grass at third division games, maybe. But mostly, soccer players play in natural grass. Also, it is important to know that all World Cups in history have, and probably will be played in grass. There was only one exception to this and it was the 2015 WWC.
What is the hardest sport to coach? ›On a possession basis basketball is the most complex sport, followed by football and baseball.
What's the easiest sport to learn? ›- Volleyball.
- Table Tennis/Ping Pong.
- Running.
- Spikeball.
- Badminton.
- Cycling.
- Bowling.
Hands down, one of the easiest and most rewarding sport to learn is Badminton. Badminton involves two or four players on either side of the court with a racquet each and one shuttle cock. Each side attempts to hit the shuttle over the net and make it land in the rival's court.
Why is there a circle on a soccer field? ›Answer: It's for penalties, when players have to be at least 10-yards from the penalty spot. That semi-circle marks exactly 10 yards from the spot.
What is a soccer field called in America? ›A soccer field is called a pitch because it's traditionally rectangular in shape and used for playing the sport of soccer.
What is the middle part of a soccer field called? ›The halfway line divides the soccer field into two equal areas, and the halfway line goes through the center spot. The halfway line is also known as the midfield line or the centerline.
How can you describe a field? ›A field is an area of grass, for example in a park or on a farm. A field is also an area of land on which a crop is grown. They went for walks together in the fields. A sports field is an area of grass where sports are played.
How would you describe a sports field? ›
Sports Field means any field and/or land of natural and/or man-made composition that is used for athletic purposes to conduct organized or unorganized sporting activities, which includes but is not limited to a baseball field, soccer pitch, volleyball court, player or spectator bench, ice rink, and lawn bowling field.
What kind of field is soccer most played? ›- Soccer is played on a grassy field called a pitch. The field is rectangular and must be between 100 and 130 yards long and 50 to 100 yards wide.
- An international soccer game is 90 minutes long. The 90 minutes is divided in two 45 minute halves.
- No hands. Unless you're the goalie or are attempting a throw-in, you're not allowed to use your hands in play. ...
- Throw-ins. ...
- Goal and corner kicks. ...
- Direct and indirect kicks. ...
- Game in play. ...
- Fouls.
Four goals scored by a single player in a match can be described as a 'haul', while five goals is unofficially a 'glut'.
What are the 4 main positions in soccer? ›While numerous more specific roles can exist on a soccer field, the 4 main positional units are goalkeeper, defense, midfield, and attack. Within these broader groupings, different players will be assigned different individual roles.
Does body size matter in soccer? ›Soccer player size doesn't matter
You can see that out of all the best players there's a mix of players. Some are tall, short, skinny or built. Romelu Lukaku [Belgium] is big and strong. He's 6'3″ and 210 lbs.
Yes, soccer can help you get big thighs. Soccer is a very physical sport that requires a lot of different leg training like running and jumping. This can help you build big thighs.
Are all fields different sizes? ›But did you know that not all pitches are the same size? It could be that these players who think are being lazy are actually just not used to having to cover so much ground because the playing surface they're on now is significantly different in its dimensions from the one in the team's home ground.
Who has the smallest Premier League pitch? ›Brighton & Hove Albions AMEX stadium has the largest pitch in the Premier league, measuring in at 105m long and 65 m wide, while Molineux, home of Wolverhampton Wanderers is the smallest at just 100m long and 64m wide.
Where is America's biggest soccer? ›1. The Rose Bowl, Pasadena. As the largest Major League Soccer stadium in the United States, The Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena has been home to several amazing soccer games in its time as well as being home to some of the world's best entertainers.
What is the biggest soccer stadium in the USA? ›
Architecture studio Populous and local studio Hastings have completed Geodis Park in Nashville for Nashville SC, which the studios say is the largest stadium dedicated to soccer ever built in USA.
Is soccer big in Florida? ›According to the Daily Sun, soccer is among the most popular athletic activities for youth in South Florida. Kai Velmer, president of the Florida Youth Soccer Association, explains soccer's growth from 1990 to 2021 by saying, “youth soccer is part of the fabric of our everyday life now.”
How does soccer compare to football? ›Football is a general term used to refer to many sports which use the foot and hands to score goals. Whereas, Soccer is the term used in America, Canada, Australia to refer to the most popular global sport i.e. Football, which is also known as Association Football.
How big is a soccer field compared to a basketball court? ›A soccer pitch is “usually” 115 yards or 345 feet long, while a basketball court is 94 feet long, so there's an extra 251 feet to cross on every change of possession.
What type of field is soccer played on? ›The game is played on a rectangular field called a pitch with a goal at either end. The size of the pitch for international adult category matches can be between 110-120 yards long and 70-80 yards wide.
What is the description of field? ›field noun (LAND)
an area of land, used for growing crops or keeping animals, usually surrounded by a fence: We drove past fields of ripening wheat.
The optimum soccer field size is 360 feet long (120 yards) by 225 feet wide (75 yards), although as these regulations highlight, pitches can vary in size all over the world.
Why is a sports field important? ›Sports complexes give people the resources they need to exercise throughout the year. Of course, indoor varieties enable you to play a sport rain or shine, but even outdoor facilities provide users with court lines, netting and smooth surfaces for gameplay.
What sport is harder than soccer? ›| Degree of Difficulty: Sport Rankings | ||
|---|---|---|
| Tennis | 7.25 | 7.13 |
| Gymnastics | 5.38 | 6.63 |
| Baseball/Softball | 4.63 | 7.63 |
| Soccer | 7.75 | 5.13 |
- A soccer game is 90 minutes long. ...
- The earliest form of soccer began in China. ...
- Soccer was born in England. ...
- Modern soccer began in 1863. ...
- Every player has a different position. ...
- One of the critical players in soccer is the goalkeeper.
What are 5 things about soccer? ›
- A soccer player can run up to seven miles a game. ...
- The size of a soccer field can vary. ...
- You can use your hands for throw-ins. ...
- Pele is the most well-known soccer player. ...
- The World Cup is the biggest single-event sporting competition in the world.