9v9 Soccer Field Dimensions

9v9 soccer field size in yards, feet and meters

US Soccer's small-sided standards (the Player Development Initiatives) give the 9v9 field size for U11 and U12 as a range, so leagues can fit the space they have. AYSO uses the same range for its U11 and U12 divisions. The middle of the range, 75 × 50 yards, is the calculator's starting size.

US Soccer calls these recommended dimensions, so a league can set its own size. If yours publishes one, use it. For 4v4, 7v7 and full 11v11 sizes, see the soccer field dimensions guide.

9v9 field markings and diagram

These are US Soccer's recommended 9v9 field markings; AYSO lists the same numbers. Widths run along the goal line and depths run out into the field.

If you're measuring with a tape in feet or meters, here are the same markings converted:

The 9v9 penalty area is half again as wide as the 7v7 box (36 yards against 24) and 2 yards deeper, but the penalty mark and center circle stay the same as in 7v7. A full-size 11v11 penalty area is 44 × 18 yards.

Is there a build-out line in 9v9?

No. US Soccer's FAQ answers the question directly: build-out lines are not required for 9v9. The build-out line, with its retreat rule and its ban on goalkeeper punts and drop kicks, is part of the 7v7 standard for U9–U10 only, and AYSO uses it only at U9 and U10 too.

That changes offside as well. In 9v9 the normal offside law applies from the halfway line, while in 7v7 offside can only be called between the build-out line and the goal line. Some leagues add their own rules at U11, so check yours. The 7v7 build-out line rules explain how the line works where it is used.

9v9 goal size

US Soccer recommends a 6.5 × 18.5 ft goal for 9v9: 6'6" tall and 18'6" wide, about 1.98 × 5.64 m. The maximum is 7 × 21 ft (about 2.13 × 6.40 m). US Soccer's FAQ says its goal sizes are maximums, so a smaller goal is fine. AYSO lists the same sizes for U11 and U12.

Because 6.5 × 18.5 ft is also the largest 7v7 goal, one set of goals can serve U9 through U12. Our soccer goal size guide covers every age group in feet and meters.

9v9 ball size, roster and game rules

The field is only part of the format. Here's the rest of US Soccer's 9v9 standard for U11–U12:

Check your child's age group with the youth soccer age groups finder. To line up a team on this field, see 9v9 soccer formations, and print a 9v9 substitution chart for the bench.

Moving up from 7v7 to 9v9: what changes

The field grows faster than the team. A mid-range 9v9 field (75 × 50 yards) has about 56% more space than a mid-range 7v7 field (60 × 40), but only four more players share it. Divide the area by the players on the field and you get this:

Each 9v9 player has about a fifth more ground to cover than in 7v7, on longer halves. Shorter shifts on the field help, and the substitution planner can build them for any roster.

How to lay out a 9v9 soccer field

You need a long tape measure, cones or flags, string and field paint. These steps use a 75 × 50 yard field; swap in your own numbers from the calculator.

1. Mark the first touchline. Set a corner flag, measure 75 yards (225 ft) along the side of your space, set a second flag and run a string between them.
2. Square the corner with the 3-4-5 rule. From the corner, measure 30 ft along the touchline and 40 ft along the line where the goal line will go. Move the second mark until the diagonal between the two marks is exactly 50 ft.
3. Mark the goal lines and the far touchline. Measure 50 yards (150 ft) along each goal line and join the two far corners.
4. Check the diagonals. Corner to opposite corner should be 90.1 yards (270 ft 5 in) both ways. On a 70 × 45 field the diagonal is 83.2 yards (249 ft 8 in); on an 80 × 55 field it's 97.1 yards (291 ft 3 in).
5. Mark the halfway line and center circle. The halfway line is 37.5 yards from each goal line. The center circle has an 8-yard (24 ft) radius.
6. Mark the boxes. Center them on the goal. On a 50-yard-wide field, the penalty area's sides start 7 yards in from each touchline and run 14 yards out. The goal area's sides start 17 yards in and run 5 yards out. Put the penalty mark 10 yards out, and draw the 8-yard penalty arc outside the box.
7. Set the goals. Center each goal on its goal line (an 18.5-foot goal leaves 65 ft 9 in to each touchline), then stake or weight it so it can't tip over.

There are no build-out lines to paint on a 9v9 field.

Fitting 9v9 fields on a full-size field

Turned crosswise, a 9v9 field's 70–80 yard length has to fit across the width of the full-size field, so you need a big field at least 70 yards wide. Each 9v9 field then takes 45 to 55 yards of its length.

The spare yards are what's left between the touchlines of the smaller fields for gaps, benches and spectators. Check your facility's own spacing rules.