LAW 2 · THE BALL
68–70 cm, 410–450 g
An adult match ball must be spherical, within 68 to 70 cm round, weigh 410 to 450 g at kick-off and be pumped to 0.6–1.1 atmospheres.
Compare ball sizesEvery pitch, ball and goal starts with a measurement.
Football’s Laws of the Game fix the size and weight of the ball, set limits for the pitch and the goal, and say how long a match lasts. Here are the numbers, in plain English, with the sources linked.
An independent guide, not an official rulebook.
- The ball
- The pitch
- The goal
- Two halves of 45
THE SHORT ANSWER
Fixed where it counts,
flexible elsewhere.
The goal and the ball are tightly defined.
The pitch is allowed to vary a lot.
LAW 1 · THE PITCH
90 to 120 metres
A touchline can be anywhere from 90 to 120 m long. International matches use a narrower range of 100 to 110 m.
See the pitch facts
LAW 1 · THE GOAL
7.32 m by 2.44 m
Every full-size goal is the same: 8 yards wide and 8 feet high, measured from the inside of the posts and the lower edge of the bar.
Why those numbers?
USE THE NUMBERS
Four ways to put
the Laws to work.
Check the ball before a game
The Laws give a pressure range of 0.6 to 1.1 atmospheres at sea level, which is 8.5 to 15.6 psi. A simple gauge tells you if a ball is in range.
Match the ball to the player
Use the ball sizer above, then check which size your league or association sets for each age group.
Mark out a garden goal
For a full-size target, the posts sit 7.32 m apart on the inside, with the bar 2.44 m up. Pace it out to see how big that really is.
Watch the ten yards
At the next free kick you watch, look at the wall. The Laws say it should be at least 9.15 m from the ball until it is kicked.
TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING
Old units,
modern game.
Many of football’s distances are round numbers
in yards and feet, converted to metres.
8 yd × 8 ft
Width and height
The inside of the posts is 7.32 m (8 yards) apart and the lower edge of the crossbar is 2.44 m (8 feet) from the ground. The awkward metric figures are simply the imperial ones converted.
LAW 1 · THE GOAL
9.15 m
Centre circle and free kicks
The centre circle has a radius of 9.15 m (10 yards), and at a free kick opponents must stay at least 9.15 m from the ball until it is in play, unless they are on their own goal line between the posts.
LAW 1 AND LAW 13 · TEN YARDS
The penalty mark follows the same pattern: 11 m, or 12 yards, from the midpoint between the goalposts.
THE BALL SIZER
How big is
each ball?
Pick a ball to see its circumference and weight. The figures come from FIFA’s youth football specification recommendations, which run from size 3 up to the adult size 5.
FIFA says these recommendations are not compulsory: national associations and leagues set which ball each age group uses, so check your own competition’s rules.
PITCH FACTS
Five numbers from
the rulebook.
It began in a London tavern
The Football Association was formed on Monday 26 October 1863 at the Freemasons’ Tavern in Holborn, by representatives of about a dozen London and suburban clubs. Approving the first rules took six meetings.
No two pitches need match
Law 1 allows a touchline of 90 to 120 m and a goal line of 45 to 90 m. International matches narrow that to 100–110 m by 64–75 m.
The ball is weighed at kick-off
Law 2 sets the adult ball at 410–450 g “at the start of the match”, 68–70 cm round, with a pressure of 0.6–1.1 atmospheres at sea level.
Ninety minutes, plus a break
Law 7 sets two equal halves of 45 minutes. The half-time interval must not exceed 15 minutes, and competition rules must say how long it is.
Ten yards, everywhere
The centre circle radius and the free-kick distance are both 9.15 m, which is 10 yards. A wall of three or more defenders keeps attackers at least 1 m away.
QUICK QUESTIONS
Football, measured.
Short answers to the questions people ask most.
How big is a football pitch?
The Laws allow a touchline of 90 to 120 metres and a goal line of 45 to 90 metres. For international matches the range is tighter: 100 to 110 metres long and 64 to 75 metres wide.
How heavy is a football?
An adult match ball must weigh between 410 and 450 grams at the start of the match, with a circumference of 68 to 70 centimetres and a pressure of 0.6 to 1.1 atmospheres at sea level.
How big is a football goal?
The inside edges of the posts are 7.32 metres (8 yards) apart, and the lower edge of the crossbar is 2.44 metres (8 feet) above the ground.
How long is a football match?
Two equal halves of 45 minutes, which can only be shortened by agreement between the referee and both teams before kick-off, in line with competition rules. The half-time interval must not exceed 15 minutes.
When was the Football Association founded?
On Monday 26 October 1863, when representatives of about a dozen London and suburban clubs met at the Freemasons’ Tavern in Holborn, London. It took six meetings to approve the first rules.
Sources
Each figure on this page comes from the sources below.
- Laws of the Game 2025/26: Law 1, The Field of PlayThe Football Association
- Laws of the Game: Law 2, The BallThe Football Association
- Laws of the Game: Law 7, The Duration of the MatchThe Football Association
- Laws of the Game: Law 13, Free KicksThe Football Association
- The FA celebrates its 152nd anniversary (founded 1863)The Football Association
- Youth football specification recommendations (ball sizes)FIFA