How to Lay Out a Soccer Field
Starting with One Sideline
Items Required:
2 people
2 tape measures (300')
3 stakes (or screwdrivers)
1 can of paint
1 field diagram of the correct size
This Guide is for people who are “marking the corners” of a field so that a crew of “stripers” can
come along in the future to pull strings and stripe the lines for the first time.
Time for two people: approximately 30 to 45 minutes.
This Guide assumes that you know where to put the first sideline. The field will be “square’ to
the first sideline, but will fit properly in the space only if the first sideline is put in a good place.
When you finish, the field will have these marks painted on it, and will
be ready for someone to “pull strings” and stripe lines.
Laying Out a Soccer Field Starting with One Sideline
Step 1:
Find base line
Insert stake (1). Have other person pull tape toward other end
When they reach the correct distance, they insert stake (2) and you insert
stake (3) at the mid line
Use paint to mark corners and mid line
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Hint:
If you do not have a Field Diagram, the distance from the mid line to
the corner can be found with a calculator because it is a “right
triangle”. Hypotenuse = sqrt( SideA2 + SideB2 )
SideA is the Goal Line and SideB is half the length of the field.
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Original Sideline
Everything is “square” to this
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Step 2:
Put 2nd tape measure on stake (3) and pull
both tapes toward corner
Where tapes meet at point on diagram,use
paint to mark corner
Step 3:
Walk along end line and put paint marks at
each penalty area, goal area, and center of
field (based on diagram) Pull the tape
behind you so you can roll it up when you
get to stake (1)
At the same time person 2 moves tape 2
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Laying Out a Soccer Field Starting with One Sideline
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Step 5:
Walk along end line and put paint marks at each
penalty area, goal area, and center of field
(based on diagram)
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Step 4:
Pick up the tape along the end line and move it to the
other end.
Swing the other tape over to the other corner
Where the tapes cross as per the diagram, mark the
corner
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Swing tape 2 from left corner to right corner----à
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2
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Move tape 1 from left side to right side --à
Penalty
Step 6:
Roll up the tapes and pick up the stakes (2) and (3)
Place one tape at the penalty mark on one end line and
pull it across to the penalty mark at the other end
Goal
Goal
Center
Step 7:
Once the tape is tight each person walks out and paints
a mark for the corner of their penalty area using the
distance indicated in the field diagram
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Goal
Penalty
Penalty
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Penalty
Laying Out a Soccer Field Starting with One Sideline
Penalty
Step 8:
Move the tape measure up to the Goal Area mark, pull tight,
and each person mark the corner of their goal area
Penalty
Goal
On regular fields, goal areas are always 6 yards (18 feet) out
from the goal line. (Under 6, 7, 8 are different)
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Penalty
Penalty
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Step 9:
Move the tape measure up to the Center mark, pull tight,
and each person marks the penalty spot and one person
marks the kickoff spot in the middle of the field
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Laying Out a Soccer Field Starting with One Sideline
Penalty
Step 10:
Move the tape measure up to the other Goal Area mark, pull
tight, and each person marks the corner of their goal area
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Center
Center
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Step 11:
Move the tape measure up to the other Penalty Area mark, pull
tight, and each person marks the corner of their Penalty Area
Goal
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Center
Goal
Goal
Penalty
Penalty
Laying Out a Soccer Field Starting with One Sideline
Second sideline
Penalty
Goal
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Step 12:
Move the tape measure up to the other sideline, pull tight, and
one person marks the center of the field.
Goal
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Center
Goal
Penalty
If this sideline is a LOT different length than the base sideline
(more than a foot), you can move the corners back a little bit to
make it exactly the same length.
Goal
Penalty
Penalty
Here’s the finished product.
Anyone can come along and pull strings from mark to
mark and stripe the field.
No measuring required!
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Penalty
Goal
Goal
Center
Center
Goal
Goal
Penalty
Penalty