A football field is 120 yards (360 feet) long, counting two 10-yard end zones, and 53⅓ yards (160 feet) wide. The playing field between the goal lines is 100 yards. NFL, college and high-school 11-player fields share that size. Hash marks and goalpost width change by level, and youth fields are smaller. Hamco Sports makes custom football uniforms, so we cover the jersey number rule near the end too.
Below are the figures for each level, the acreage and the youth fields, so you can line or check a field at your level.
How we made this guide: written by the Hamco Sports team. We used the NFL 2026 Rulebook, the NCAA 2026 Football Rules and the NFHS football field diagrams (2024 edition). The NFHS 2025 and 2026 rule changes made no change to the field rule. We also used USA Football’s Rookie Tackle sheet (2017) and the Nebraska School Activities Association’s 8-player rules. For jerseys and prices we used the NFHS 2026 Jersey and Pant Rules and our own price list (as of October 2026). Rule facts checked October 25 and 26, 2026; our own facts checked October 30, 2026.
How long and wide is a football field?
A regulation football field measures 120 yards (360 feet, 109.73 meters) from end line to end line and 53⅓ yards (160 feet, 48.77 meters) from sideline to sideline. The NFL 2026 Rulebook (Rule 1) and the NCAA 2026 Football Rules (Appendix D) both set it out that way. There are 100 yards of field of play between the goal lines, plus a 10-yard end zone at each end.
So “100 yards” is right, but only for the field of play. The whole field, end zones included, is 120 yards. Between the goal lines the field is 300 feet, or 91.44 meters. For game day timing, see our guide to how long a football game is.
Football field dimensions by level: NFL, college and high school
The rectangle is the same at all three levels. Hash marks and goalposts are not. NFL, NCAA and NFHS 11-player fields are all 360 by 160 feet. What moves is where the hash marks sit, how wide the goalposts are and where the teams stand.
| Figure | NFL (2026 Rulebook, Rule 1) | College, NCAA (2026 Rules) | High school, NFHS 11-player (field diagram, 2024 edition) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Length incl. end zones | 360 ft (120 yd) | 360 ft | 360 ft (300 ft between goal lines + two 30-ft end zones) |
| Width | 160 ft (53⅓ yd) | 160 ft | 160 ft (68 ft 4 in + 23 ft 4 in + 68 ft 4 in at the end line) |
| End zone | 10 yd | 30 ft | 30 ft |
| Hash marks from each sideline | 70 ft 9 in | 60 ft | 53 ft 4 in |
| Gap between hash marks (computed) | 18 ft 6 in | 40 ft | 53 ft 4 in |
| Goalpost width (inside) | 18 ft 6 in | 18 ft 6 in | 23 ft 4 in |
| Crossbar / uprights | top of crossbar 10 ft; uprights 35 ft above the crossbar | crossbar top 10 ft; uprights at least 30 ft above the ground | uprights at least 20 ft high (diagram) |
| Team area | benches at least 30 ft back from the sideline | between the 20-yard lines | team box behind a restricted area 2 yd or more deep |
Computed rows: 160 ft minus twice the hash-mark distance from each sideline. Sources: NFL 2026 Rulebook, Rule 1; NCAA 2026 Football Rules, Rule 1, Section 2 and Appendix D. NFHS Football Field Diagrams, 2024 edition; the NFHS 2025 and 2026 rule changes list no change to the field rule. Checked October 25 and 26, 2026.
On a high-school field the hash marks sit 53 feet 4 inches in from each sideline, so the middle third of the field lies between them. The goalposts are 23 feet 4 inches wide, almost 5 feet wider than college or NFL posts.
College hash marks sit 60 feet from each sideline, which leaves 40 feet between them. The NCAA team area runs between the 20-yard lines. NFL hash marks are 70 feet 9 inches in from each sideline. That leaves only 18 feet 6 inches between them, exactly the width of an NFL goalpost.
Some pages that rank for this question (checked October 2026) give high-school fields the college gap between the hash marks. On a 160-foot field, 53 feet 4 inches from each sideline leaves 53 feet 4 inches in the middle. So the high-school field splits into three equal thirds.
State associations adopt the NFHS rules and can change details for their own schools. If you are lining or inspecting a high-school field, check your state association’s current football rules before you paint.
How many acres is a football field?
A football field covers about 1.32 acres (57,600 square feet) including both end zones, and about 1.10 acres (48,000 square feet) between the goal lines. The sum is 360 × 160 = 57,600 square feet, divided by 43,560 square feet per acre.
The acre figure covers the lined field only. Benches, team areas, the space behind the end lines and any running track all sit outside it. So the land a stadium needs is larger.
| Field | Feet | Meters | Square feet | Acres (about) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full field incl. end zones (NFL, NCAA, NFHS 11-player) | 360 × 160 | 109.73 × 48.77 | 57,600 | 1.32 |
| Between the goal lines (same fields) | 300 × 160 | 91.44 × 48.77 | 48,000 | 1.10 |
| NFHS 9-, 8- and 6-player field incl. 30-ft end zones | 300 × 120 | 91.44 × 36.58 | 36,000 | 0.83 |
| NFHS 9-, 8- and 6-player, and Nebraska 8-player (NSAA), between the goal lines | 240 × 120 | 73.15 × 36.58 | 28,800 | 0.66 |
| USA Football Rookie Tackle | 120 × 105 | 36.58 × 32.00 | 12,600 | 0.29 |
Worked from the figures above: 1 foot = 0.3048 meters, 1 acre = 43,560 square feet, rounded to two decimals.
One full field holds the area of about 4.6 Rookie Tackle fields (57,600 ÷ 12,600). Space is not the only limit, though: lines, goalposts and team areas decide how a shared field can really be split.
How big is a youth or small-school football field?
No single youth football field size exists. Each youth league or state association sets its own, so here are two published examples rather than a range nobody wrote down.
USA Football’s Rookie Tackle format plays 6 to 8 players a side. Its 2017 pilot sheet sets a field 40 yards long and 35 yards wide. Two of those fit end to end between the goal lines of a regulation field, with 20 yards to spare.
Nebraska plays 8-player football under the Nebraska School Activities Association’s 8-player rules. Its field is 80 yards long between the goal lines and 40 yards wide. That is 20 yards shorter and 13⅓ yards narrower than the 11-player field.
The NFHS diagrams (2024 edition) also show 9-, 8- and 6-player fields at 240 by 120 feet between the goal lines, with 30-foot end zones. A state can adopt those or set its own, so check your league or state association before you line a field.
Playing flag? Flag fields are smaller and set by each league; see our flag football field guide.
Numbers that read from the stands
A jersey number has a size rule too. Under the NFHS 2026 Jersey and Pant Rules, high-school numbers must be at least 8 inches tall on the front and 10 inches on the back. They must be one solid color that clearly contrasts with the jersey.
At Hamco Sports, sublimated numbers are included in the per-player price. Sewn tackle twill numbers are $5 per number, per jersey. Tackle twill is for game jerseys, not practice mesh. You see every number on your free mockup within 12 hours, and we change it as many times as you need before anything is made. A number that’s too small or the wrong color gets fixed on screen, not on the field.
Football practice jerseys start from $44.99 per player for 1 to 24 jerseys (prices as of October 2026). Our youth football practice jerseys guide compares the ways to buy them. There is no minimum order, no setup fee and no extra charge for bigger sizes, and shipping is free anywhere in the USA. Canadian teams pay the shipping. We pay the tariffs, duties and import fees on US and Canada orders. Your order is ready 2 to 3 weeks after you approve your design, then reaches US teams 3 to 5 days after production.
Plan from your opener, because a late order is the worry coaches bring to us most. For a season opener on August 21, 2027, approve your design by July 19, 2027. That date leaves room for the full production window, the longest shipping time and a week of margin. Ask for your quote about a week before it.
One person on our team answers you from first email to delivery. Send your roster and opener date now: Get My Free Quote.
Frequently asked questions
Is a football field 1,000 feet long?
No. A football field is 360 feet long including both end zones, and 300 feet between the goal lines. 1,000 feet would be almost three full fields laid end to end. In miles, 360 feet is about 0.07 of a mile. The NFL, NCAA and NFHS 11-player rules all use the same 360-foot length.
Is a football field a mile long?
No. A mile is 5,280 feet and a football field is 360 feet, end zones included. 5,280 ÷ 360 = 14.7, so you would need about 15 football fields placed end to end to cover one mile. Measured between the goal lines only (300 feet), it takes 17.6 fields.
Are NFL fields bigger than high-school fields?
No. NFL, college and high-school 11-player fields are the same 360 by 160 feet. The differences are inside the rectangle. NFL hash marks sit 70 feet 9 inches from each sideline and high-school hash marks 53 feet 4 inches. High-school goalposts are 23 feet 4 inches wide, against 18 feet 6 inches in the NFL and college.
Is a football field bigger than a soccer field?
Usually not. A football field is a fixed 120 by 53⅓ yards. Soccer field sizes are set by level and league, and full-size soccer fields are usually wider. If you share one field between both sports, check your soccer league’s own field rules before you line it.
What size do football jersey numbers have to be?
In high school, numbers must be at least 8 inches tall on the front and 10 inches on the back (NFHS 2026 Jersey and Pant Rules). They must be one solid color that contrasts with the jersey. At Hamco Sports, you see every number on your free mockup within 12 hours and can change it before anything is made. Sublimated numbers are included in the price, and sewn tackle twill numbers are $5 per number, per jersey.
