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The pitch is rectangular in shape. The longer sides are called touchlines. The other opposing sides are called the goal lines. The two goal lines must be between 40 and 90 m and be the same length. The two touch lines must also be of the same length, and be between 90 and 120 m in length. However, in international matches, the goal lines must be between 64 and 79 m long and the touchlines must be between 100 and 110 m. All lines must be equally wide, not to exceed 12 cm. The corners of the pitch are demarcated by corner flags.
Goals are placed at the centre of each goal-line. These consist of two upright posts placed equidistant from the corner flag posts, joined at the top by a horizontal crossbar. The inner edges of the posts must be 7.32 m apart, and the lower edge of the crossbar must be 2.44 m above the ground. Nets are usually placed behind the goal, though are not required by the Laws.
Grass is the normal surface of play, although artificial turf may also be used, especially in locations where maintenance of grass may be difficult due to inclement weather. This may include areas where it is very wet, causing the grass to deteriorate rapidly, where it is very dry, causing the grass to die, and where the turf is under heavy use. The latest artificial surfaces use rubber crumbs, as opposed to the previous system of sand infill. Some leagues and football associations have specifically prohibited artificial surfaces due to injury concerns and require teams' home stadia to have grass pitches. All artificial turfs must be green and also meet the requirements specified in the FIFA Quality Concept for Football Turf.
The playing area should be smooth and flat and should have a good drainage network.
