Section 3: Playing Area
Surface (Law 1, Section 1). The pitch surface must be flat, smooth and non-abrasive, preferably wood, and must never be dangerous to participants. Artificial turf is permitted only in exceptional cases, for domestic competitions, and only where the competition rules specify it.
Dimensions (Law 1, Section 3). All boundary lines are 8cm wide, and the touchline must always be longer than the end line. For non-international matches, the touchline (length) must be between 25m and 42m, and the end line (width) between 16m and 25m. For international matches, the touchline must be between 38m and 42m, and the end line between 20m and 25m.
Centre circle (Law 1, Section 2). A halfway line divides the pitch into two halves. The centre mark has a radius of 6cm, and a centre circle of 3m radius is marked around it.
Penalty area and marks (Law 1, Section 4). The penalty area is formed by quarter circles of 6m radius drawn from the outside of each goalpost, joined at their upper ends by a 3.16m line running parallel to the goal line. The penalty mark sits 6m from the midpoint between the goalposts, equidistant from each. A second mark — the 10m mark, informally the "second penalty spot" — is placed 10m from the midpoint between the goalposts; it is the reference point for a direct free kick beginning with a team's sixth accumulated foul in a period (Law 1, Section 5).
The goals (Law 1, Section 9). A goal stands at the centre of each end line. The inside distance between the goalposts is 3m, and the distance from the lower edge of the crossbar to the floor is 2m. Goalposts and the crossbar share the same width and depth as the boundary lines (8cm) and must be a different colour from the pitch. Goals must not be fixed to the floor, since this could endanger participants, but must have an adequate stabilising system, such as rear weighting, to prevent them overturning.
Substitution zones (Law 1, Section 6). Each team's substitution zone is 5m long, situated on the touchline in front of its technical area, 5m from the halfway line, on the side of the pitch the team is defending. The zones switch sides at half-time.
Corner area (Law 1, Section 7). A quarter circle with an 8cm-wide line and a 25cm radius is drawn inside the pitch from each corner.