NFL Field Dimensions and Football Specifications

An NFL field is 120 yards long including both end zones, and 53⅓ yards wide. The space between the goal lines is 100 yards; each end zone adds ten yards beyond its goal line.

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Those dimensions explain why a 100 yard field description and a 120 yard overall measurement can both be correct. They measure different areas.

Lines, hash marks and boundaries

Yard lines appear at five yard intervals, with shorter marks identifying individual yards. The sidelines and end lines form the boundary. A player touching a boundary line is out of bounds under the applicable possession rules.

NFL hash marks are 70 feet 9 inches from each sideline, leaving 18 feet 6 inches between them. A ball dead in a side zone is brought to the corresponding inbounds mark for the next snap. The hash mark guide explains how their relatively narrow spacing affects formations.

The goal line is eight inches wide, with its field facing edge marking the plane that a possessed ball must reach for a touchdown, subject to the scoring rules. Television lines are overlays, not painted official markers.

Goalposts

The crossbar is ten feet above the ground and 18 feet 6 inches wide. The uprights extend 35 feet above the crossbar. The goal is positioned at the end line, ten yards behind the goal line.

That placement helps explain field goal distance and scoring: a kick toward the posts must travel beyond the line of scrimmage to the back of the end zone, with the holder also positioned behind the snap.

The football

The official ball is a specified Wilson leather football. Its long axis is 11 to 11¼ inches; long circumference is 28 to 28½ inches; short circumference is 21 to 21¼ inches; weight is 14 to 15 ounces. Inflation is 12½ to 13½ pounds per square inch.

Under the 2026 supply rule, each team makes 12 primary balls,12 backup balls and three specially marked kicking balls available for the referee’s testing no later than two hours and fifteen minutes before kickoff. The referee determines whether they meet specifications.

These are NFL standards. Youth, high school, college and flag football can use different ball sizes, hash spacing or field dimensions.

Keep learning

First downs: Connect the field marks to the line to gain.

The catch rule: Understand why boundary contact matters.

Kicking tees and field marks: Learn another equipment restriction.

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NFL rules reviewed October 10, 2026. 2026 NFL Rulebook. Rules 1 and 2.