Football Goal Size Guide: Dimensions for Every Age Group and Format

A standard adult 11-a-side football goal is 24ft x 8ft (7.32m x 2.44m). Youth and mini-soccer goals are smaller and scale with age group. Futsal and goalball use entirely different dimensions, set by their own governing bodies. Use the table below to find the correct goalpost size for your age group, format, or sport.

Goalfix supplies socketed or freestanding aluminium football goalposts, nets and fixings, from full size 11-a-side down to 5-a-side and 3v3 goals. Suitable for different surfaces. Also futsal and goalball goals. All designed and made in UK to the highest safety standards.

*8ft x 24ft goals are also acceptable for U13/U14 where 7ft x 21ft goals aren’t available, though The FA recommends 7ft x 21ft where possible.

 

This illustration is not 100% to scale and is for visual purposes only.

 

What size is a standard football goal?

A standard senior football goal is 24 feet wide by 8 feet high (7.32m x 2.44m, measured to the inside of the posts). This is the size used for adult 11-a-side matches under IFAB’s Laws of the Game, and applies from U15/U16 upward according to The FA’s recommended pitch and goal sizes.

Goal sizes by age group (mini-soccer and youth football)

Goal size increases in stages as players move up through age groups, in line with the larger pitch sizes used at each level. The FA’s recommended goal sizes for England are:

• U7/U8 (5v5 mini-soccer): 12ft x 6ft (3.66m x 1.83m)
• U9/U10 (7v7 mini-soccer): 12ft x 6ft (3.66m x 1.83m)
• U11/U12 (9v9 youth): 16ft x 7ft (4.88m x 2.13m)
• U13/U14 (11v11 youth): 21ft x 7ft (6.40m x 2.13m), with 24ft x 8ft also permitted where 21ft x 7ft goals aren’t available
• U15/U16, U17/U18 and adult (11v11): 24ft x 8ft (7.32m x 2.44m)

Futsal goal size

Futsal uses a single goal size regardless of age or level: 3m wide x 2m high (9ft 10in x 6ft 7in), measured to the inside of the posts, per FIFA’s Futsal Laws of the Game. This is roughly the footprint of a household doorway. It’s much smaller than an outdoor 11-a-side goal, which reflects futsal’s faster, closer-range style of play. Futsal goals are typically flat-backed rather than box-shaped. The goalposts and crossbar must be a contrasting colour to the court.

Goalball goal size

Goalball is the Paralympic sport for blind and partially sighted athletes. Its goals span the full width of the court: 9m wide x 1.3m high, with a minimum depth of 0.5m, as set by the International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) Goalball Rules and Regulations. Because the goal runs the entire width of the court, there’s no missing the target sideways the way there is in football. The goalkeeper’s challenge is about positioning and reacting to the sound of the ball. Goalball will feature again at the LA 2028 Paralympics.

Why goal sizes vary by age group

Smaller goals for younger players keep shot-stopping and scoring proportionate to pitch size and player ability. The FA’s youth goal sizes scale up from 12ft, to 16ft, to 21ft, to 24ft. They track the parallel increase in pitch dimensions across 5v5, 7v7, 9v9, and 11v11 formats. A common mistake clubs make is keeping U11/U12 squads on a 12ft x 6ft goal after they’ve moved up to 9v9 football, when they should already be on the 16ft x 7ft size.

Measuring your goal correctly

Goal width is measured from the inside of the posts, not the outside. Goal height is measured from the ground to the underside of the crossbar. This matters when buying replacement nets or checking a goal against league regulations. Outside-edge measurements will always read a few centimetres larger than the regulation inside measurement.

FAQ

Q: What size is a standard football goal? A: A standard senior football goal is 24 feet wide by 8 feet high (7.32m x 2.44m), measured to the inside of the posts. This is the size used in adult 11-a-side football under IFAB’s Laws of the Game.

Q: What size goal do U11 and U12 players use? A: U11/U12 players in 9v9 football use a 16ft x 7ft (4.88m x 2.13m) goal, per The FA’s recommended goal sizes.

Q: What size is a futsal goal? A: A regulation futsal goal is 3m wide x 2m high (9ft 10in x 6ft 7in), the same size at all ages and levels under FIFA’s Futsal Laws of the Game.

Q: What size is a goalball goal? A: A goalball goal spans the full 9m width of the court and is 1.3m high, as set by IBSA, the sport’s international governing body.

Sources

• The FA: Goalpost and Pitch Sizes and Line Marking
• IFAB: Laws of the Game
• FIFA: Futsal Laws of the Game
• IBSA: Goalball Rules and Regulations