Regulation soccer goal size, by age and by level
A full-size goal is 7.32 m by 2.44 m (24 x 8 ft), measured inside the posts and under the crossbar (IFAB Law 1). Below that one shared figure, England and the United States publish different ladders: the same 9v9 age group plays into a 16 x 7 ft goal under the FA chart and up to 21 x 7 ft under US Soccer's development rules, and the two markets even write the dimensions in opposite order. This page puts both official charts side by side, adds the other sports' goal rules, and ends with the four measurements that size a replacement net.
| Measurement | Imperial | Metric |
|---|---|---|
| Width, inside post to inside post | 24 ft (8 yd) | 7.32 m |
| Height, ground to underside of crossbar | 8 ft | 2.44 m |
| Depth, front to back | Not fixed by the Law. It is an equipment choice, and it is what most net sizing errors come from. | |
"How long is a soccer goal" almost always means the width, 24 ft. The goal has no regulated length: what varies front to back is the frame depth, which the Laws do not specify at all.
What size is a full-size football goal?
IFAB Law 1, quoted: "The distance between the inside of the posts is 7.32 m (8 yds)" and "the distance from the lower edge of the crossbar to the ground is 2.44 m (8 ft)". Two details matter for netting. The measurements are inside the frame, which is the same convention net sizes use. And the Law says of nets only that they "must be properly supported and must not interfere with the goalkeeper": everything else about net shape and depth is equipment practice, not law.
Goal sizes by age in England: the FA goalpost table
From the FA's Goalpost and Pitch Sizes and Line Marking table (Rules of the Association, 2025-26); goals below are width x height, the UK convention; pitch sizes are maximums without run-offs, and the FA recommends a 3 m run-off all around:
| Age group (format) | Goalposts | Pitch (L x W) |
|---|---|---|
| Mini-Soccer U7/U8 (5v5) | 12 x 6 ft (W x H) | 40 x 30 yd |
| Mini-Soccer U9/U10 (7v7) | 12 x 6 ft | 60 x 40 yd |
| Youth U11/U12 (9v9) | 16 x 7 ft | 80 x 50 yd |
| Youth U13/U14 (11v11) | 21 x 7 ft recommended; 24 x 8 ft acceptable | 90 x 55 yd |
| Youth U15/U16 (11v11) | 24 x 8 ft | 100 x 60 yd |
| Youth U17/U18 and adult (11v11) | 24 x 8 ft | 110 x 70 yd |
Goal sizes by age in the US: the Player Development Initiatives
From US Soccer's Player Development Initiatives as published by US Youth Soccer (stated as maximum goal sizes; many leagues run smaller):
| Age group (format) | Maximum goal size | Ball |
|---|---|---|
| U6 to U8 (4v4, no goalkeeper) | maximum 6 ft wide x 4 ft high | Size 3 |
| U9/U10 (7v7) | maximum 18.5 ft wide x 6.5 ft high | Size 4 |
| U11/U12 (9v9) | maximum 21 ft wide x 7 ft high | Size 4 |
| U13 and older (11v11) | 24 ft wide x 8 ft high (IFAB Law 1) | Size 5 |
The 9v9 trap: 16 x 7 in England, up to 21 x 7 in the United States
Both figures are official and both are current: the FA's U11/U12 9v9 goal is 16 x 7 ft, US Soccer's U11/U12 9v9 maximum is 21 x 7 ft, a full 5 ft of width apart for the same age label. The practical consequence for anyone ordering nets across both markets, or importing goals, is that "a 9v9 net" is not a specification: the chart the league follows is. The same trap exists in writing order: US publications list height x width, UK publications width x height, so "8 x 24" and "24 x 8" are the same goal and "16 x 7" and "7 x 16" the same frame. We write width first with units on this page, and both orders in quotes where the source does.
High school and college soccer in the US: the honest answer
Both play on the full-size goal, 24 ft by 8 ft. What is worth knowing is that you cannot check that against a free primary source, and almost every page that answers this question hides the fact.
The NFHS soccer rules book and the NCAA soccer rules book are not published openly: the NCAA sells its rules book as a paid download. So the pages that rank for "high school soccer goal dimensions" and "college soccer goal size" are, in practice, equipment sellers restating a figure. We checked two of them on 2026-07-29 and both refused the request outright, which tells you how much of that chain is verifiable.
What you can verify is the figure itself, because it is the same one: IFAB Law 1 defines 7.32 m by 2.44 m, and US high school and college soccer are played on that goal. So for a net order at either level, specify against Law 1 and confirm with your state association or conference, which is the body that can actually answer if a local rule differs. That is a shorter chain of trust than a seller page, and it is the only one we can put our name to.
Other sports: official goal dimensions
| Sport | Official dimensions | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Futsal | 3 m wide x 2 m high (inside measurement) | FIFA Futsal Laws, Law 1 (via The FA) |
| Rugby union (posts) | 5.6 m between posts (inside), crossbar top edge at 3.0 m | World Rugby, Law 1 |
| Field hockey | 3.66 m wide x 2.14 m high (inside), 1.2 m deep, net mesh maximum 45 mm | FIH goal and net specifications |
| Handball | 3 m wide x 2 m high (inside), internal diagonals 360.5 cm | IHF Goal Regulations |
| Gaelic games | 6.5 m between posts, crossbar at 2.5 m | GAA Official Guide, Part 2 |
How to measure a goal for a replacement net
The published fitting guides agree on the method and disagree only on writing order. Four measurements, in the US convention "height x width x depth x base" (Kwik Goal's formulation) or UK-first width: width inside post to post; height from the ground to the underside of the crossbar; top depth from the crossbar to the rear of the top support; base depth from the goal line to the rear ground bar. First Team's guide makes the same point: "seek out nets with three or more dimensions". Then match the net shape to the frame: the UK guides distinguish standard nets (goals with a top runback), straight-back nets (no runback) and box nets (supporting back stanchions), and note that a net slightly deeper than the frame is acceptable while a shallower one is not. Net twine on goal nets runs from 1.6 mm garden grades to 5 mm elite grades in the published ranges: our twine gauge chart covers how those figures compare.
Once you hold the four figures, our net size calculator turns them into the developed net area, panel by panel and with the arithmetic in the open. It is worth doing before ordering, because the three panels are three different shapes: the roof is the width by the top depth, the two sides are trapeziums, and the back slopes, so it is always longer than the goal is high. It carries no default depth, for the reason this page gives above.
How we compiled this page
The FA table and the US PDI document were read in the original PDFs and are linked; IFAB, FIFA futsal (via the FA), World Rugby, FIH, IHF and GAA dimensions were read on or from the governing bodies' own published documents, linked in the table. Measuring conventions are quoted from the published fitting guides of goal and net sellers (Kwik Goal, First Team, Net World Sports, itsagoal), credited by name and not linked where they compete with us. One set of figures circulating in UK guides (standard runback depths) could not be verified on the original page and is deliberately omitted. US PDI values are cited with a link rather than reproduced in full.
Frequently asked questions
What is the regulation size of a soccer goal?
24 ft wide by 8 ft high, that is 7.32 m by 2.44 m, measured inside the posts and under the crossbar. IFAB Law 1 states it as "the distance between the inside of the posts is 7.32 m (8 yds)" and "the distance from the lower edge of the crossbar to the ground is 2.44 m (8 ft)". The same size applies to adult and professional football, and to US high school and college play. There is no regulated depth: the front to back dimension is an equipment choice, and it is where most replacement net errors start.
What size goal does high school soccer use in the US?
The full-size goal, 24 ft by 8 ft. It is worth knowing that you cannot verify this against a free primary source: the NFHS rules book is not published openly, and the NCAA sells its own as a paid download, so the pages that answer this question are equipment sellers restating the figure. The figure you can check is IFAB Law 1, which defines the same 7.32 m by 2.44 m. Specify against Law 1 and confirm with your state association if a local rule might differ.
What size goal does college soccer use?
The same full-size goal, 24 ft by 8 ft (7.32 m by 2.44 m). As with high school, the NCAA rules book is behind a paywall, so no free primary source states it and we do not pretend otherwise. For a net order, the dimension to specify against is IFAB Law 1, and the body to confirm with is the conference.
How long is a soccer goal?
The question almost always means the width, and the answer is 24 ft (7.32 m) between the inside faces of the posts. A goal has no regulated length: what changes front to back is the frame depth, which the Laws do not specify. That is exactly why a net cannot be ordered on width and height alone, and why the measuring section below asks for four figures rather than two.
What size is a full-size football goal?
Under IFAB Law 1, the distance between the inside of the posts is 7.32 m (8 yd) and the distance from the lower edge of the crossbar to the ground is 2.44 m (8 ft): the familiar 24 x 8 ft goal. Both dimensions are measured inside the frame, which is also how replacement nets are sized.
What size is a 9v9 goal?
It depends which side of the Atlantic you are on, and both answers are official: 16 ft x 7 ft in England (the FA goalpost table for U11/U12) and a maximum of 21 ft x 7 ft in the United States (US Soccer Player Development Initiatives for U11/U12). Check which chart your league follows before ordering a net.
What size goal does U10 soccer use?
In the US, the published maximum for U9/U10 7v7 is 18.5 ft wide by 6.5 ft high (US Soccer PDI). In England, U9/U10 mini-soccer uses 12 ft x 6 ft goals (the FA goalpost table). The two systems differ, so the age label alone is not enough to size a net.
What size net do I need for a 12 x 6 goal?
A 12 x 6 net: net sizes match the goal frame sizes, measured inside the posts and under the crossbar. What varies is the depth: nets are listed as height x width x top depth x base depth (US convention) or width x height first (UK convention), and a net with slightly larger depth measurements than the frame is acceptable, as the published fitting guides note.
How do I measure a goal for a replacement net?
Four measurements: width inside post to post, height from the ground to the underside of the crossbar, depth at the top (crossbar to the rear of the top support), and depth at the base (goal line to the rear ground bar or backstay). Then match the net shape to the frame type: box goals, goals with a top runback, and straight-back goals take different nets.
Ordering replacement nets in quantity?
Clubs, councils and installers replace nets in batches, not one at a time. Send us the goal sizes from the charts above, the frame types and the twine grade you want, and we reply within 2 business days with the documented specification in writing. See the goal and court netting family, the Spec Finder, or go straight to the quote form. Ordering in batches also runs into supplier minimums, which is a subject of its own: our guide to the three minimums behind one MOQ explains which one you are actually being quoted.
We reply within 2 business days with questions or a documented quote.