Soccer Field vs. Football Field
There are some similarities between American football and association football (aka soccer), as both sports are played on grass or artificial turf and feature 11 players on each side. Of course, the gameplay is quite different as football allows players to carry the ball, pass it forward by hand, and perform full-body tackles, while soccer is mostly a non-contact sport where the ball can only be advanced by kicking it. Despite some similarities and the name connection, the playing field used for each has many unique elements that are directly influenced by the rules and gameplay.
Looking at the details of a soccer field compared to a football field, it’s possible to notice quite a few differences that illustrate the fact that the two kinds of football are nothing alike.
Dimensions of a football and soccer field
The shape and size of a soccer field look quite similar to a gridiron football field at first glance, but this impression could be misleading. While the length of the field is roughly similar, a soccer field is considerably wider and allows more freedom of movement. It measures around 75 yards from sideline to sideline (or even more in some cases), compared to just 53.5 yards in football. A soccer field is also slightly longer, measuring up to 130 yards from goal to goal, whereas in football, the distance between the two end zones is exactly 100 yards with another 10 yards on each side added, so the total is 120 yards if we are measuring the distance between the goal posts on the opposing ends of the field.
It’s important to note another key difference – while every football field must adhere to precise dimensions, in soccer, there is simply a range the field must fit into. Consequently, the exact surface of a soccer field might not be exactly the same in each stadium. This complicates the size comparison of soccer field vs. football field, although in general, soccer fields are considerably larger. Since in football every yard matters a great deal, the size of a football field is always exactly measured to dimensions with minimal variation.
Goals and field markings
Even casual fans can immediately recognize for which sport a field is intended based on the turf markings and the position and shape of the goals. Soccer goals are rectangular, consist of two uprights and a top crossbar, and are adorned with a deep net. They are positioned right on the baseline, exactly in the middle. On the other hand, goal posts in football are standing ten yards behind the goal line, and they are raised on a pole, with no crossbar to limit the height of the shot. The shape and location of the goal are directly influenced by the scoring rules and are very emblematic of each respective sport.
The same is true for the lines on the field, which are painted in white color in both cases. However, football lines stretch from sideline to sideline every five yards, with additional hash marks positioned one yard apart. The purpose of this system is to give players on the field a precise idea of where they are and how far they need to advance. Meanwhile, a soccer field has fewer markings, consisting of the halfway line and the central circle, two penalty areas with penalty spots, and corner semi-circles. Due to larger patches of free grass, it can be tricky to grasp the true size of a soccer field when watching the game on television.
Penalty box vs. the end zone
A good example of the differences between the two seemingly similar fields can be made by comparing areas with special significance. In soccer, this area is called the penalty box, and it extends for 18 yards from the goalposts in each direction as well as 18 yards into the field. Special rules apply within the box – goalkeepers are allowed to use their hands to catch or deflect the ball inside this area, while any fouls by the defensive side result in an automatic penalty kick.
By contrast, the most important part of the football field, the end zone, is located beyond the 1-yard line. Its width matches the full size of the football field, so it’s much larger than the penalty box. Teams may make plays inside their own end zone, but if an opponent secures the ball in the area, that’s an automatic score. In this sense, the end zone is more similar to the goal in soccer despite being located on the ground. Again, this underscores how dissimilar those sports are and shows how important the game rules are for comparing a soccer field vs. a football field.
Can you play football on a soccer field?
It’s apparent that the soccer field compared to the football field isn’t an exact match. The real question is whether the similarities are sufficient to use a soccer field as a makeshift football field. The answer is positive – since the length of the field is roughly the same, one field can accommodate both sports. This occurs quite frequently at the high school level in the United States where it’s economically convenient to build dual-purpose facilities, but also at the club level in Europe, where soccer fields are readily available, and football has just recently become popular.
Due to the difference in width, playing soccer on a football field is less feasible. An extra 20 to 25 yards of width can be difficult to find when constructing facilities for both sports, so unless there is some free space next to the field, it won’t be suitable for soccer. There is also the matter of yard markers, which are very helpful for football players to calculate how far they need to go for a first down. With all this in mind, it would be ideal if soccer and football were each played on specialized fields that are of perfect dimensions and have the correct markings.
