The regulation soccer field for international adult matches is approximately 110-120 yards (100-110 meters) by 70-80 yards (65-75 meters). The long boundary lines are called touchlines or sidelines. The shorter boundaries are called goal lines. A goal is centered on the goal line on each end of the field. The goal posts must be spaced 8 yards appart and the crossbar must be 8 feet off of the ground. Nets are traditionaly placed behind the goals. Directly in front of each goal is a box called the goal area. It is sometimes refered to as “the face of god” due to its closeness to the goal. It is 20 yards wide by 6 yards deep. This box determines the place from which goal kicks must be taken. Past the goal area, in front of each goal is an area refered to as the penalty box. This box is made by drawing two lines, 18 yards from the goal posts and extending 18 yards perpendicular to the goal line into the field. These two line are then joined by a third line that runs paralelle to the goal line and connects the two. This is the area where the goalie is allowed to touch the ball with his hands. Once he leaves this area he no longer can. Fouls committed in this box by an denending team are punishable by a penalty kick. The ball is placed on the Penalty spot which is 12 yards from the goal line, directly centered in front of the goal. At the center of the field is the Half-way line. This stretches from one sideline to the other and cuts the field in half. At the exact center of this line is the center spot. This is where the ball is kicked off from. A circle is drawn from this center spot with a radius of 10 yards.
The field sizes can vary for each age group and skills level. The younger and less skillful will get the most fun out of playing on a smaller field. When a team plays on a field that is too big for their skill level the came will resort to “kick ball” or clearing the ball back and forth across the field instead of passing. This is not the way soccer should be played and when it happens a smaller field should be used. The more touches that are put on the ball, the more fun the game will be to play. It is important to match a team’s skill level with the correct field size.
The soccer ball used on this field is specified to be an air-filled sphere with a circumfrance of 27-28 inches (68–70 cm), a weight of 14-16 ounces (410–450 g), infalted to 8.5–15.6 psi (60–110 kPa), and covered in leather or other suitable material. This is considered a size 5 ball. Other sizes are used for younger age groups or for practicing (ranging from size 3-5).
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