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A typical football field is 100 yards long and 53 1/3 yards wide. At each end of the field, there is a square “U” shaped pole called a “goalpost”.
The goalposts represent the end of the playing field and also represent the area in which a team tries to kick the ball through to score.
On the field, there are white lines – some shorter and some longer - that help identify the position of the ball on the field.
The smaller lines (called hash marks) represent individual yards (1 yard). These marks help identify the exact position of the ball during play.
Every 5 yards, the field is marked with a solid line and every 10 yards, the field is marked with numbers to help identify the yardage (10-yard line, 20-yard line, etc.)
The
Football Field
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5 yards
10 yards
Sideline
Hash Marks
(1 yard)
THE ENDZONE
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SIDELINE
END ZONE
GOAL POST
GOAL LINE
At the end of the field (on each side) there is an “end zone”. This area is 10 yards long and runs the distance between the goal line and the goalpost. The end zone is where a team runs to score a touchdown upon crossing the goal line.
On each side of the field, there is a solid white area called the sideline which identifies the area that the players who are not actively playing must stand behind. This is also the area in which the active playing field ends.
Want to know more? Check out our e-course to learn more about football.