Are Premier League football pitches different sizes?
Are football pitches different sizes? And if so why are football pitches different sizes?
To answer the question, no they are not all the same size, in fact they can vary massively! So much so that the largest ‘legal football’ pitch would be over double the size of the smallest potential size!
IFAB (The International Football Association Board) states that a football pitch must be rectangular and can span anywhere from 50-100 yards in width and 100-130 yards in length.
In English Football the FA has a their own comprehensive set of rules for the sizes of football pitches for Adult, Youth & Mini football games. The FA do supply guidelines and suggest that for Adults football the pitch should be 110yards x 70yards (not including the run off) but they leave it up to each club to decide at the beginning of each season.
For the 22/23 Premier League season 14 of the 20 football clubs have chosen a 115yards x 75 yards pitch. Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Everton, Fulham and Liverpool have all opted for a smaller pitch. While Nottingham Forrest have opted for a significantly larger pitch. While some stadiums have the space to massively change their pitch size others, will be limited due to the positioning of stands and dugout areas.
But why does it matter that football pitches are different sizes?
Home advantage has a massive impact in football, in fact, in the Premier league during the 21/22 season 15 teams had a higher Points Per Game (PPG) at home than away. Although there are numerous factors to playing better at home, the home atmosphere, the constant of the home dressing room and the lack of traveling time to and from games. But don’t under estimate the pitch size will have on a team, It will be perfectly set to suit the teams style of play so that the 11 can use every inch of the pitch to their advantage.
Take the Ethiad for example, they have the second biggest pitch in the league covering 7,140m in volume. By having such a large pitch it allows them to create more space out wide and stretch the opposition. In the contrary, teams such as Fulham, Crystal Palace & Everton tend to play with a more narrow defensive line and shuffle across the pitch, hence them having the smallest pitches in the league.
How do Premier League teams football pitch sizes compare?
| Club | Stadium | Length | Width |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal | Emirates Stadium | 115 | 74 |
| Aston Villa | Villa Park | 115 | 74 |
| Bournemouth | Dean Court | 115 | 74 |
| Brentford | Gtech Community Stadium | 115 | 74 |
| Brighton and Hove Albion | Falmer Stadium | 115 | 74 |
| Chelsea | Stamford Bridge | 113 | 74 |
| Crystal Palace | Selhurst Park | 110 | 74 |
| Everton | Goodison Park | 110 | 74 |
| Fulham | Craven Cottage | 110 | 71 |
| Leeds United | Elland Road | 115 | 74 |
| Leicester City | King Power Stadium | 115 | 74 |
| Liverpool | Anfield | 110 | 74 |
| Manchester City | City of Manchester Stadium | 115 | 74 |
| Manchester United | Old Trafford | 115 | 74 |
| Newcastle United | St. James’ Park | 115 | 74 |
| Nottingham Forest | City Ground | 115 | 77 |
| Southampton | St Mary’s Stadium | 115 | 74 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | Tottenham Hotspur Stadium | 115 | 74 |
| West Ham United | London Stadium | 115 | 74 |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | Molineux Stadium | 115 | 74 |
What are the rules in other European leagues regarding football pitch sizes?
La Liga’s rules request that a pitch should be between 98yards long x 45yards wide & upto 131 yards x 98 yards. Just like Premier League clubs, they are given the choice of size.
The Bundesliga allow football pitches to be different sizes, their rules states that a pitch should be 115yards x 74 yards with a minimum of 119yards x 70yards being allowed in certain circumstances. Unlike La Liga or The Premier league they are, in most cases, required to play on a specific pitch size.
Ligue 1 appears to be even more strict and commands all clubs to have a playing field of 115yards x 75 yards.
European Competitions see each stadium categorised from 1 – 4. A stadium that is categorised as 1 or 2 requires the pitch to be between 109–115 yards × 70–74 yards. If it’s deemed to be a category 3 or 4 stadium it must be 115 yards × 74 yards.
*Meters have been converted into yards during these calculations where appropriate to fit in with how the majority of FA’s reference their pitch dimensions.
What’s the smallest a premier league pitch can be?
The rules are very clear on how small a football pitch can be for a competitive game. They must be at least 50yards wide and 100 yards long to comply with regulations.
What’s the largest a premier league pitch can be?
A Premier League pitch must not be larger than 100 yards in width and 130 yards in length according to rules set out by IFAB (The International Football Association Board).
Why do football pitches have different sizes?
The size of a football pitch can vary due to a combination of factors. In English football, the Football Association (FA) provides guidelines for different levels of the game, but ultimately leaves the decision to individual clubs. Factors such as available space in the stadium, club preferences, and playing style can influence the choice of pitch size.
