Video:Basics of the Football Field

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Transcript:Basics of the Football Field

Hi, I'm Chris Davis for About.com. Football is America's favorite sport and you can play it just about anywhere, however, to play a regulation game you will need to understand what elements make up an official football field.

The Regulation American Football is Marked in Yards

The overall dimensions of the playing field is 120 yards long by 53 1/2 yards wide. This breaks down to an actual playing space of 100 yards with two 10 yard end zones at either end of the field. The end zones are where each team is trying to get to in order to score points and win the game. There are 4 pylons that mark the four corners of the end zone in which players must stay within to score.The field has marked lines running completely across it every 5 yards. However, only the ten yard intervals are actually numbered on the field. From each end zone you move towards the center increasing the number of yards. 10…20…30 and so on until you reach the center of the field also known as the fifty yard line. You will also see short hashmarks along the outside edge of the field. These hashmarks indicate one yard increases but like the five yard intervals they are not numbered.

The Red Zone Signifies Scoring Position on the Football Field

A crucial area of the field is also known as the Red Zone. Although it is not officially marked on the field nor is it a formal term…the red zone is described as the area that extends from the end zone that the defensive team is currently protecting out to the 20 yard line. The importance of the red zone is that more offensive points are scored within the space than anywhere else on the field. The defense has less field to protect and the offense is close to scoring.

Football Goal Posts are Wider for High School Games

Another important element of a football field is the goal post. The goal posts are placed at the back of the end zone and in the center from each sideline. They are all 20 feet in height with the cross bar at ten feet. One slight variation does exist. High School posts are 23'4" wide while College and Pro goal Posts are 18'6" apart. These dimensions apply to American football. Canadian football fields are slightly longer and wider with deeper end zones.

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