Over the years, I’ve been involved in many 9v9 soccer games. Recently, I realized I didn’t know exactly what the requirements were regarding the dimensions of the field of play. So, I decided to find out and share what I discovered with you.
A 9v9 soccer field must be a minimum of 70 yards and a maximum of 80 yards long, and a minimum of 45 yards and a maximum of 55 yards wide. The dimensions of a 9v9 soccer field correspond to the number of players on the field and are smaller than the dimensions of a professional soccer field.
Because fewer players are involved in a 9v9 soccer game than a 11v11 game, the size of the field is smaller than a regulation field.
In this article, I’ll show you:
- The length of a 9v9 field
- The width of a 9v9 field
- The penalty and goal area dimensions
- The goal frame dimensions
- The center circle dimensions
- and even the technical area dimensions
Let’s jump right in!
Length of a 9v9 Soccer Field
First, let’s look at the length of the field.
The length of a 9v9 field is shorter than a regulation soccer field that can be as long as 120 yards (360 feet).
A 9v9 soccer field must be a minimum of 70 yards (210 feet) and a maximum of 80 yards (240 feet) long.
At every level of soccer, the rules provide a minimum and maximum requirement for the length of the field rather than a specific number.
The reason for this is to be inclusive of locations with various sized fields.
As long as the field’s length is within these parameters, the teams can use the field.
The shorter length is also because fewer players are on the field for a 9v9 game than for a 11v11 soccer game.
The length is measured along the goal line at either end of the field.
Width of a 9v9 Soccer Field
Next, let’s look at the width of a 9v9 soccer field.
A 9v9 soccer field must be a minimum of 45 yards (135 feet) and a maximum of 55 yards (165 feet) wide.
Similar to the reasons for the field’s length being what it is, the width of the field reflects the fact that only 18 players are on the field at one time.
Bigger soccer fields are designed to provide enough room for 22 players at one time, in a 11v11 game.
As with the length, you can also see that the soccer rule-makers allow various widths as long as the width is between the designated minimum and maximum requirements.
9v9 Soccer Field – Penalty Area Dimensions
At either end of the soccer field, you will see a large rectangle with a smaller rectangle inside.
The large rectangle is known as the penalty area.
On a 9v9 soccer field, the dimensions of the penalty area are 14 yards (42 feet) x 36 yards (108 feet).
The penalty area is the only part of the field where the goalie can use their hands. You can find out more about that in my article – Where and When a Goalie can Use their hands?
9v9 Soccer Field – Goal Area Dimensions
The smaller rectangle at either end of the field that you can see just in front of the goal frame is called the “goal area”.
On a 9v9 soccer field, the dimensions of the goal area are 5 yards (15 feet) x 16 yards (48 feet).
The goal area marks the designated area from where a player can take a goal kick. The dimensions of this box allow a player to take a goal kick from either side of the area and start their run up either side of the goalposts.
9v9 Soccer Field – Penalty Mark Dimensions
There is a small circular mark in the middle of a penalty area known as the penalty mark.
A player will take a penalty kick from this mark whenever the referee awards a direct free-kick offense to the attacking team within the penalty area.
On a 9v9 soccer field, the distance from the penalty mark to the goal is 10 yards (30 feet), and the distance from the penalty mark to the edge of the “D” attached to the penalty area, is 8 yards (24 feet).
The “D” is present on the penalty area to mark the distance players must remain from the ball until a penalty kick is taken.
9v9 Soccer Field- Center Circle Dimensions
In the middle of any soccer field, you will see a circle.
In the center of this circle is a mark known as the center mark. This is the location where teams will take a kick-off at the beginning of each half and restart the game after a goal.
The center circle on a 9v9 soccer field has a radius of 8 yards (24 feet) and a diameter of 16 yards (48 feet).
At a kick-off, all players from the opposition must stay outside of the center circle until the ball is kicked.
9v9 Soccer Field – Goal Dimensions
At either end of the soccer field is a goal frame.
The goal frame consists of two upright posts with a crossbar connecting them at the top.
The dimensions of a goal in 9v9 soccer are 6.5 feet high x 18.5 feet wide. The measurements are taken between the insides of the posts and the underside of the crossbar to the ground.
A goal frame is one of the most important features on a soccer field, as that is where teams score goals!
The size of a goal will vary depending on how many players are on a soccer team and the age of the players. If the players are only young, then even the tallest player on the team won’t be able to reach very far if they are playing as the goalie.
9v9 Soccer Field- Technical Area Dimensions
Having covered all the dimensions on the field, let’s quickly look at the dimensions of the technical area on the edge of the field.
The dimensions of the coaches’ technical area are 1 yard (3 feet) from the touchline and 10 yards (30 feet) in length from a starting point beginning 1 yard (3 feet) from the center of the field.
Admittedly, this one’s a little harder to visualize!
The technical area doesn’t have to be a specific size, but it does have to be a specific distance from the field of play and a specific distance from the opposition’s technical area.
If you look at the image below, you will see that both technical areas are set back from the touchline and are marked on either side of the halfway line.
For other soccer field dimensions, check out my Youth Soccer Field Dimensions guide. Or compare the size of a high school soccer field in my article – High School Vs Professional Soccer Field: What’s the Difference?
All these dimensions are based on US Youth Soccer’s recommendations for 9v9 soccer.
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