American Football Field Length

American football field length: An American football field in the NFL, college football, and high school football goal post to goal post is typically 120 yards long. Having this length for all football fields allows players from their high school years to get acquainted with being on a field of that length. It can already be difficult to adjust to the higher level of competition, but with the same size, that is a dimension; players do not have to worry about it.

So, how long/wide is a football field? How big is a football field vs a soccer pitch? Why is a football field in yards, and how big is the endzone? What do the hash marks on the field represent during a game? How long are the yard lines, and how many football fields make up a mile?

Below, Football Terms will discuss the dimensions of a football field.

American Football Field Length

How long is an American football field? It is not only 120 yards long, but the width of the field is also 53 1/3 yards from sideline to sideline. The dimensions in the Canadian football league are slightly different, with the field length being 110 yards versus the width of 65 yards.

How Big is an Arena Football Field vs. An NFL Field?

An arena football size is much smaller than an NFL field. The field of an Arena Field is 85 feet by 150 feet long, or 28 yards by 50 yards. Essentially, the Arena football field is less than half the size of a football field.

How Big is a Football Field Compared to a Soccer Pitch?

In comparison to a soccer field, they are both the same length, but where they are different is in width. A regulation field from FIFA states that the field is about 110 to 120 yards long and 70 to 80 yards wide. Soccer pitches can vary a bit in size, similar to what you would find with baseball fields if it is easier to understand why they are so different.

However, one interesting thing about the soccer pitch for NYCFC, which is an MLS team, is how small their pitch is. Since the team plays at Yankee Stadium in 2022, their pitch side is 110 yards long by 70 yards wide. When you watch an NYCFC match on TV or see it in person, you will notice that this is the smallest pitch FIFA allows. When you watch an EPL, LaLiga, or another MLS game, you will see the difference in the field size.

Finally, some teams play their soccer games at NFL stadiums in MLS. For instance, the New England Revolution and Atlanta United both play at the football venue for their respective teams. The Revolution plays on a pitch 117 yards by 75 yards, while Atlanta United plays on a pitch size 114 yards by 75 yards.

Why is a Football Field in Yards?

The NFL uses yards to divide up the field instead of feet since it is easier to show that distance on the field with intervals. The more manageable intervals made it simpler for coaches and fans to keep track of their item’s field position.

How Big is the Endzone?

When measuring the length of a football field, the measurements go from the back of one endzone to the other—the endzone measures 10 yards long and 53 1/3 yards wide.

What are the Hash Marks on the Football Field?

The set of hash marks on a playing surface is little white lines that run down the center of the field and cover the entire football field length. However, they have not marked the whole width of the field.

The purpose of these hash marks is to determine where the umpire will place the ball for each down. Where the ball was marked down will determine which hash marks they will place the ball. If the ball gets marked down between the hash marks, then the ball will be placed in between the hash marks. If the player gets tackled outside the hash marks, the ball would be placed on the closest hash mark.

While the total length of the field of the play is the same from high school to the pros, the distance between each mark is different. In the NFL, they are 18 and 6 inches apart. On a college football field, they are 40 feet apart; in high school, they are 53 feet and 4 inches apart. These distances typically affect the placement of the ball. The National football league usually has ball placement more toward the center, and college and high schools have more balls toward the side of the field.

How Long is the Yard Lines?

When yard lines get drawn on the field, they are divided into five-yard intervals, starting at the goal line with 10-yard intervals getting numbers placed on them and an orange field marking toward the sidelines, so teams and fans are aware of where they are on the field.

The yard lines travel across the field of play and converge at the 50-yard line. From one end to the other, it starts from zero, makes its way up to fifty, and then decreases back to zero once at the other end.

How Many Football Fields Make up a Mile?

One mile would be equivalent to 17.6 football fields when you consider the playing field.

Conclusion: American Football Field Length

In summary, a football field’s dimensions are 120 yards long and 53 1/3 yards wide. This playing field is the same across the board, from high school to the pros. Football players are always aware of how long a football field is, especially wide receivers. Chances are they know exactly where out of bounds is when they make a catch on the sidelines.

Compared to a soccer field, a football field is smaller from an overall dimension standpoint. However, both large fields that require a lot of endurance if one hopes to get from one end to another. Primarily a football player who may at some point finds themselves running the entire field length to score a touchdown.

For many fans measuring a field by yards seems moot, but it actually makes following the game easier. It would be easier to see field marking for every ten yards than for every ten feet. Especially for fans sitting in the upper deck, seeing markings of 10 yards is very clear on the field.