All levels of organized soccer use the same types of markings, but field sizes might vary between leagues. Typically a soccer field is between 50 and 100 yards wide and between 100 and 150 yards long. The most basic delineation is the border of the field, which creates a large rectangle. At either end of the field is a soccer goal. The midfield line lies halfway between the goals.
Borders
The long edges of the rectangle are called the touch lines. If the ball passes over the touch lines, a player throws in the ball to put it back in play. The short edges of the rectangle are called the goal lines. If the ball passes over a goal line and the last touch was by a defensive player, an offensive player performs a corner kick from the area within a corner arc to inbound the ball. If the last touch was by an offensive player, the goalkeeper performs a goal kick to inbound the ball.
Goal Region
The penalty box is a large rectangle in front of each goal. Its forward edge is 18 yards away from the goal line. Within each penalty box is a smaller rectangular box that extends 6 yards outward from the goal line. This is the goal area, and a goalkeeper must place the ball somewhere within it to perform a goal kick.
Penalty Kicks
If a team on the defense performs a foul within its own penalty box, a penalty kick is the punishment. Penalty kick marks typically are 12 yards from the goal line and in the middle of the field. In the event of a penalty kick, a player will shoot from here. Other players must wait outside the penalty arc, which is a small arc at the forward edge of the penalty box. The penalty arc helps referees ensure no players other than the kicker are closer than 10 yards to the ball.
Center Circle
At the start of a game, there's a kickoff. One team begins with possession of the ball, and both teams must stay on their respective sides of the midfield line. The center circle, which has a radius of 10 yards, delineates the area that the team without the ball must not enter until a player touches the ball.
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