The Field

The playing field itself, sometimes called the pitch, must be a rectangle of specific size. The field must have clear lines marked on it, particularly touchlines (the sidelines), the goal lines (the endlines), the halfway line, the center circle, the goalkeeper box, the penalty box, penalty spot, and the corner arcs.

The field of play must be rectangular.  The length of the field is typically between 100 and 130 yards (90 and 120 meters) and the width is typically between 50 and 100 yards (45 and 90 meters).  The size of field varies for the level of play.

The Penalty Area

As a goalkeeper, you should probably know a little about the penalty area, since this is where the majority of the action happens for you.  The penalty area is the area around the goal where the goalkeeper can use her hands.

It extends 18 yards (16.5 meters) from each goalpost toward the middle of the field.  Inside each penalty area, you'll see the penalty mark made 12 yards (11 meters) from the net. Around this, you'll see a partial arc, which marks the radius of 10 yards from the penalty mark, where player need to remain while the penalty kick is taking place.

The Goalie Box

The goalie box marks the rectangular area closest to the goal where goal kicks are taken from. The ball must be placed anywhere along the top of the goal box before it is kicked. * Note the ball does NOT have to be on the corner of the goal box for a goal kick!

The Goal

The standard goal is 24 feet across and 8 feet high.  Sometimes it feels huge, but if you hone your skills and learn to own the space, both the plane in front of your goal and the vertical plane that is the goal itself, you can be a very effective goalkeeper.