TouchlineOne of the two longer boundary lines, along the sides.
Goal lineOne of the two shorter boundary lines. A goal stands at its center.
Halfway lineIt divides the field into two halves.
Center circleA circle marked around the center mark.
Penalty areaThe larger box in front of each goal.
Goal areaThe smaller box in front of each goal, inside the penalty area.
GoalTwo posts and a crossbar at the center of each goal line.
Corner flagA flag on a post at each corner of the field.
Lines and marks 2
Center markThe mark halfway along the halfway line.
Corner arcA quarter circle marked inside the field at each corner.
Around the goal 5
Penalty mark (penalty spot)A mark in the penalty area. It is in front of the middle of the goal.
Penalty arcAn arc outside the penalty area, drawn around the penalty mark.
GoalpostOne of the two upright posts of a goal.
CrossbarThe bar across the top. It joins the two goalposts.
NetIt hangs behind the goal. The rules allow a net and do not require one.
How this list was compiled: Read 2026-10-03; a printed name is kept only where two sources use it. (1) The International Football Association Board, Laws of the Game, Law 1, The Field of Play, https://www.theifab.com/laws/latest/the-field-of-play/ (the two longer boundary lines are touchlines and the two shorter are goal lines; the halfway line; the center mark at its midpoint and a circle of 9.15 m around it; the goal area, 5.5 m from each goalpost and 5.5 m deep; the penalty area, 16.5 m from each goalpost and 16.5 m deep; the penalty mark 11 m from the midpoint between the goalposts and an arc of 9.15 m around it outside the penalty area; the corner area, a quarter circle of 1 m from each corner flagpost; a flagpost with a flag at each corner; a goal of two vertical posts joined by a horizontal crossbar at the center of each goal line; nets may be attached; the lines belong to the areas they bound; a touchline of 90 to 120 m and a goal line of 45 to 90 m). Law 1 marks the circle and the arc without naming them: 'centre circle' is in Law 10, https://www.theifab.com/laws/latest/determining-the-outcome-of-a-match/, and 'penalty arc' on the page of Law 14, https://www.theifab.com/laws/latest/the-penalty-kick/. Law 1 says 'corner arc' once and heads its section 'corner area'. (2) Wikipedia, Football pitch, text only (goal lines and touchlines; corner flags; goals of two upright posts and a crossbar, with nets usually placed behind though not required; the goal area and the penalty area as two rectangular boxes in front of each goal; the penalty mark; the penalty arc; the center circle and center mark; the half-way line; the arcs in the corners; a ball on the touchline is still in play). (3) Cambridge Dictionary, the entries touchline and penalty spot (touchline: one of the two lines along the long edges of the area where soccer is played; penalty spot: in soccer, the spot a penalty kick is taken from). 'Penalty spot' is in Wikipedia and the dictionary and not in the Laws. 'Sideline', 'end line' and 'corner area' each had one source or none for soccer, so they are accepted as answers and not printed. Licence: own work
The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-10-03 from plain geometry to the measurements of Law 1 of the Laws of the Game; nothing traced. Marks, flags and corner arcs are larger than life. Licence: own work
How it works
A soccer field diagram with labels on every line and area marked on the field, from the touchline and the halfway line to the penalty arc.
Read the full guide
The lines of the field
The two long boundary lines are the touchlines and the two short ones are the goal lines. The halfway line splits the field in two, with the center mark at its midpoint and the center circle around it. A corner arc and a corner flag mark each corner.
In front of each goal
Two boxes sit in front of each goal: the small goal area inside the large penalty area. The penalty mark is inside the penalty area and the penalty arc curves outside it. The second view shows a goal from the front: two goalposts, a crossbar and the net.
The lines belong to the areas they mark, so a ball on the touchline is still on the field.
Questions and answers
What are the lines on a soccer field called?
The long sides are touchlines and the short sides are goal lines. The halfway line crosses the middle. Other lines mark the center circle, the two penalty areas, the two goal areas, the penalty arcs and the corner arcs.
What is the box in front of the goal called?
There are two. The smaller one is the goal area. The larger one around it is the penalty area, which has the penalty mark inside it and the penalty arc on its outer edge.
Is this soccer field labeled diagram to scale?
The lines follow the measurements in the Laws of the Game, which allow a range of field sizes. The corner arcs, the corner flags and the marks are drawn larger than life so that you can find them.
What is the difference between a touchline and a goal line?
Touchlines are the two longer boundary lines, along the sides. Goal lines are the two shorter ones, at the ends, and each has a goal at its center.