9v9 soccer field dimensions
The last small-sided step before the full game. Eight field players and a goalkeeper, full offside, punting allowed again, no build-out line required. US Soccer mandates it for U11 and U12.
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Field and equipment
| Age groups | U11U12 |
|---|---|
| Players | 9 per side: 8 field players and a goalkeeper. |
| Length | 70 to 80 yd (64 to 73.2 m) |
| Width | 45 to 55 yd (41.1 to 50.3 m) |
| Penalty area | 14 by 36 yd (12.8 by 32.9 m) |
| Goal area | 5 by 16 yd (4.6 by 14.6 m) |
| Penalty mark | 10 yd (9.1 m) from the goal line |
| Penalty arc | 8 yd (7.3 m) radius from the mark |
| Center circle | 8 yd (7.3 m) radius |
| Build-out line | None |
| Corner arc | 1 yd (0.9 m) radius |
| Goal | No larger than 7 ft high by 21 ft wide (2.13 by 6.4 m). US Soccer recommends a 6.5 by 18.5 ft goal (1.98 by 5.64 m) for this age. |
| Ball | Size 4. |
Rules at 9v9
What changes from the full game at this format. Where US Soccer and US Youth Soccer print different rules, or where the standard leaves it to the competition, the row says so and your league's rules decide.
- Goalkeeper
- Yes.
- Offside
- Yes, the full Law 11 across the attacking half.
- Build-out line
- Not required by US Soccer, whose standard uses the line only at 7v7. Check your league.Varies by league
- Heading
- US Soccer's standard: no deliberate heading in U11 games (indirect free kick), allowed in U12 games, with practice heading capped at 30 minutes and 15 to 20 headers per player per week. US Youth Soccer's 2025 policy is written by age and lets 11 and 12 year olds head in games with a 25 headers per week practice cap. Check your league.Varies by league
- Goalkeeper punts
- Allowed. US Soccer still encourages keepers to throw, roll or pass out.
- Penalty kicks
- Yes, from a mark 10 yards out.
- Game length
- Two 30 minute halves, no added time.
- Halftime
- 10 minutes.
- Roster
- No more than 16 players.
- Players
- 9 per side: 8 field players and a goalkeeper.
- Minimum to play
- The game cannot start or continue with fewer than 6 on a team.
- Substitutions
- Unlimited, at any stoppage.
- Referees
- One referee with at least US Soccer's entry-level certification. Assistant referees at the competition's discretion; club linesmen who only signal ball in and out of play are fine.
- Restarts
- Opponents stay 8 yards from the ball on kick-offs, free kicks and corners.
Who plays 9v9
The 2026-27 birth windows under the August 1 to July 31 rule that US Youth Soccer, US Club Soccer and AYSO use from 2026-27. A league on the old birth-year rule groups differently; its chart wins.
The directory lists youth leagues, clubs and fields by city, with the ages each one takes when the league publishes them. Ask a listing a question from its page: when we hold an address for the club the message goes to them, otherwise to the SoccerMapd team, who pass it on.
The formats either side
9v9 questions
How big is a 9v9 soccer field?
70 to 80 yards long and 45 to 55 yards wide (64 to 73 by 41 to 50 meters). The penalty area is 14 yards deep and 36 wide, the goal area 5 by 16, the penalty mark 10 yards out and the center circle has an 8 yard radius.
What size goal for 9v9 soccer?
No larger than 7 feet high by 21 feet wide. US Soccer recommends 6.5 by 18.5 feet for U11 and U12, the same goal the 7v7 standard allows as a maximum.
Is there a build-out line in 9v9?
Not under US Soccer's standard: the line is a 7v7 rule and is not required at U11 and U12. A league's own rules decide, so check yours.
Can U11 players head the ball?
Not under US Soccer's standard, where deliberate heading is banned in U11 games and restarts with an indirect free kick. US Youth Soccer's 2025 policy allows heading at 11 with a practice cap, so check your league. At U12 heading is allowed in games, with practice heading limited.
How long is a 9v9 game?
Two 30 minute halves with a 10 minute halftime and no added time, so 60 minutes of play. In US Youth Soccer tournament play a tie can go to two 10 minute overtime halves.
Sources
Every figure on this page was read from one of these documents on September 4, 2026. The federations revise them; if your league's chart says otherwise, the league is right.
- Player Development Initiatives, small-sided standards (February 2017) · US Soccer, hosted by US Youth Soccer
- PDI Small-Sided Games referee manual (August 2017) · Cal North Referee Administration
- Small-Sided Games Manual, modified rules and diagrams (revised January 2017) · US Youth Soccer, hosted by Washington Youth Soccer
- Policy on Players and Playing Rules (December 5, 2025) · US Youth Soccer
- Player Development Initiatives FAQ (October 2017) · Florida Youth Soccer Association
- Head Injuries: US Soccer concussion initiative heading rules · US Club Soccer