Youth soccer differs dramatically from adult soccer for numerous reasons, not least in the dimensions of the soccer field on which each age group plays.
As late as the 2000s, many youth soccer games were played on full-size pitches, which not only made it harder for children to get a touch of the ball but often lessened the fun they had while playing.
But, how big are youth soccer fields? Here’s a complete breakdown for all ages:
| Age | Field Width (Min-Max) | Field Length (Min-Max) |
|---|---|---|
| U6 | 15-20 Yards | 25-30 Yards |
| U8 | 20-25 Yards | 30-40 Yards |
| U9 | 30-35 Yards | 40-50 Yards |
| U10 | 40-50 Yards | 60-70 Yards |
| U11 | 40-50 Yards | 70-80 Yards |
| U12 | 40-55 Yards | 100-105 Yards |
| U13 | 50-60 Yards | 100-110 Yards |
| Adult | 70-80 Yards | 110-120 Yards |
The Background to Youth Soccer Fields
Unlike youth soccer in Europe, countries in South America made sure that youth players spent as much time as possible with the ball at their feet. A Brazilian child would more often be found playing Futsal, a variant of soccer that uses a much smaller, heavier ball, on a soccer field of much smaller dimensions.
What coaches discovered was that this created youth players with incredible ball control, a real desire to have the ball, and an infinitely more enjoyable experience for the children playing. These ideals were transitioned over to North America and Europe, and coaches began to see the benefits of having youth players play on much smaller pitches.
As youth soccer has progressed, the ideals behind training these future stars have turned from just putting an 11 vs 11 team of youngsters on a full-sized soccer field, to much more defined pitch sizes depending on their age group. Let’s go through the different youth soccer field dimensions to see what, if any, impact they have on player development and enjoyment.
What Size Is An Adult Soccer Field?
- The Recommended adult field dimensions according to FIFA is 115×74 yards (105x68cm), but it can range from 70-80 yards in width and 110 to 120 in length.
Adult soccer fields can vary from pitch to pitch, clubs that have the space can often alter their pitch size depending on their style of play. A team that focuses on wingers could have a wider soccer field to accommodate these players, in much the same way a team that plays through the middle could go for a narrower pitch.
The width of an adult soccer field can be anything from 70-80 yards in diameter, and anything from 110 to 120 yards in length. Anyone over the age of 18 should be more than capable of moving around a soccer field this large and still have ample opportunity to have time on the ball. The recommended number of players for this size of soccer field is 11 vs 11.
As for the goalposts, the standard recommended height is 8 feet high, by 24 feet wide, again reasonable for an adult to navigate, but much harder for the 9-year old that once also had to use a full-sized field. An adult-sized soccer ball is a number 5 ball, and each youth group has a smaller ball to use, which gradually increases in size as they progress.
U6-U10 Field Dimensions
| Age | Field Width (Min-Max) | Field Length (Min-Max |
|---|---|---|
| U6 | 15-20 Yards | 25-30 Yards |
| U8 | 20-25 Yards | 30-40 Yards |
| U9 | 30-35 Yards | 40-50 Yards |
| U10 | 40-50 Yards | 60-70 Yards |
Between the age groups under-6 and under-9 a soccer field is much smaller, both to enable players to actually interact with the ball, and also, due to their still-developing bodies, to minimize tiredness and injuries.
With a length of between 30-40 yards long, and a width of between 20-25 yards wide, a soccer field for players aged 8 and under is designed for maximum enjoyment and minimum risk. These soccer games are designed to be played by 5 vs 5, which allows children to interact, have fun, and still try to be competitive.
The soccer ball used is smaller and lighter than that of an adult, a size 3 ball is used rather than a size 5, again to make it as easy as possible for this age group to be able to pass, shoot, and dribble while still being able to enjoy the game.
For Under-10s soccer, the size of the soccer field increases slightly, as does the number of players used. A 7 vs 7 system is used, on a soccer field measuring between 60-70 yards long and 40-50 yards wide. A slightly larger ball is used for this age group, as they progress onto a size 4 soccer ball.
As we can see, the soccer field increases in size marginally as the age group increases, and this is a theme throughout youth soccer as players slowly ready themselves for adulthood, and playing on a full-size pitch.
Youth Soccer: From Under-11s To Under-12s
| Age | Field Width (Min-Max) | Field Length (Min-Max |
|---|---|---|
| U11 | 40-50 Yards | 70-80 Yards |
| U12 | 40-55 Yards | 100-105 Yards |
The next development stage of youth soccer is the progression from mini soccer to youth soccer, the teams get bigger, as do the soccer fields on which they learn to play.
Under-11s and Under-12s are the last time youth players do not play as an 11 vs 11 formats, as this group plays a 9 vs 9, and the soccer field dimensions are between 80-86 yards long, and 50-56 yards wide.
One reason for this still relatively small field and a smaller squad size is puberty, the players are still smaller and more prone to fatigue, and a smaller pitch allows this age group to still see a lot of the ball, without the need for long periods of running.
Under-11 and Under-12 soccer also use a slightly smaller ball, again using a size 4 ball with which to play.
The lessons learned by soccer coaches who spent time studying Futsal, and the massive increase in skills when learning to play using a smaller ball in closer confines, is prevalent throughout youth soccer today, the realization that simply throwing 22 children onto a soccer field and hoping they develop is a thing of the past.
Under-13 Field Dimensions
| Age | Field Width (Min-Max) | Field Length (Min-Max) |
|---|---|---|
| U13 | 50-60 Yards | 100-110 Yards |
By Under-13, players are now moving into what fans recognize as soccer, an 11 versus 11 team game on a soccer field that has plenty of open spaces.
For U13 teams the soccer field jumps up in length and width, from anything between 100-110 yards long, and 50-60 yards wide, but with the additional players now on the field, this is less of a problem.
The size of the goal also jumps at this level too, at 7 feet high and up to 21 feet wide a youth goalkeeper in this league needs to be mobile and has to adjust to a much larger net to protect.
These sized nets are now fully adult-sized, it is only the pitch itself that still increases slightly as they progress in age group. The players are now developing into an age that is more comfortable on the ball while being slowly introduced to an almost full-sized soccer field.
Stamina is less of a concern, and with a full complement of 11 players, passing, movement, and ability are all increased.
The Transition To Full-Size Pitches
The final stage of youth players’ development happens for players aged 14 and older, as they finally move into a full-sized soccer field. By this point, players should be comfortable dealing with less time on the ball as their positions on the field become more relevant, the game has now become a sport.
The soccer field dimensions for a full-sized pitch are between 110-120 yards long, and 70-80 yards wide. This can be a large amount of space to cover, and so tactics are much more important at this level than in previous age groups. The need to keep each zone of the soccer field covered is vital to keep opponents at bay.
A full-sized net is also a part of this age group’s challenges, and at 8 feet tall and 24 feet wide, goalkeepers must be agile and have excellent movement.
Natural Progression Through The Ranks
The move by schools and soccer clubs to this method of youth development has seen a huge rise in skill levels, and in the overall popularity of soccer for children. Getting to spend more time actually playing soccer, and having fun, is vital at a young age as it keeps children wanting to play.
The progression through the age groups gently eases players into slowly building up their skill levels, all the while moving up in pitch size as they learn their positions on ever-increasing in size soccer fields.
Youth players are now making it into professional soccer teams having exceptional ball control skills, a real desire to take ownership of the ball, and the positional sense of players much older than them, thanks to a youth system that saw the benefits of having youth soccer fields at the perfect sizes for each age group.
