The rugby union field
The dimensions and markings of a rugby union pitch — the field of play, the in-goal areas, the 22-metre and 10-metre lines, the goal posts, and what the Laws fix versus what they leave open.
Overview
A rugby union pitch is longer and more heavily marked than most team-sport fields, and almost every line on it does a specific job in a specific law. The 22-metre line changes what a kick does; the 10-metre line governs the kick-off; the 5-metre and 15-metre dashes govern the lineout.
Law 1 sets maximums rather than a single size. The field of play does not exceed 100 m in length and 70 m in width, and each in-goal does not exceed 22 m in length. The practical minimums are a 94 m field of play, 68 m width and a 6 m in-goal.
The lines and what each one does
Solid lines mark the halfway line, the 22-metre lines, the try lines, the touchlines, the dead-ball lines and the touch-in-goal lines. Dashed lines sit 5 m and 15 m from each touchline and 10 m either side of the halfway line.
The 5 m and 15 m dashes define where a lineout is formed and how far it may extend. The 10 m dashes mark how far a kick-off must travel. A single 0.5 m line intersects the centre of the halfway line, marking where the kick-off is taken.
In-goal is not the same as the try line
The in-goal is the area between the goal line and the dead-ball line, bounded by the touch-in-goal lines. It includes the goal line itself, but it does not include the dead-ball line or the touch-in-goal lines.
That inclusion rule is what makes a try grounded exactly on the line a try, and a ball grounded exactly on the dead-ball line not in play. Where practicable, the distance from goal line to dead-ball line should be not less than 10 m.
Posts, padding and surface
The goal posts stand 5.6 m apart with the top edge of the crossbar 3.0 m from the ground, and the posts themselves are a minimum of 3.4 m high. Where padding is attached, the distance from the goal line to the outer edge of the padding must not exceed 0.5 m.
Permitted surfaces are grass, sand, clay, snow or artificial turf conforming to World Rugby Regulation 22. At least fourteen flag posts, a minimum of 1.2 m high, mark the intersections of the field's lines.
Good to know
- The field of play is a maximum, not a fixed size: up to 100 m by 70 m.
- In-goal includes the goal line but excludes the dead-ball and touch-in-goal lines.
- Dashed lines at 5 m and 15 m from touch govern the lineout.
- Goal posts are 5.6 m apart with the crossbar at 3.0 m.
- Artificial turf must conform to World Rugby Regulation 22.
Where it’s used
Sports that use the rugby union field:
Sources
The rules, dimensions and specifications on this page were read from these documents.
- Laws of the Game: Rugby Union — World Rugby, Law 1 — The ground (read 2026-09-12)
How it connects
The meaning-bearing relationships that place The rugby union field in the wider knowledge graph — each one with the reason it exists.
Foundation of
These build directly on this one.
Explains
Covers the underlying "why" for these.
Frequently learned together
Taught side by side in the same stage of a learning path.
- Football boots (cleats)Both are taught in the “What you’ll need” stage of the Rugby learning path.
- MouthguardBoth are taught in the “What you’ll need” stage of the Rugby learning path.
- The rugby union ballBoth are taught in the “What you’ll need” stage of the Rugby learning path.
- Artificial turfBoth are taught in the “What you’ll need” stage of the Rugby learning path.
- GrassBoth are taught in the “What you’ll need” stage of the Rugby learning path.
Explore across the knowledge base
Follow the threads that connect The rugby union field to the rest of SocialSportHub.
Tactics
- Territory versus possessionRugby union's central strategic trade — when to keep the ball and when to kick it away — and why the 22-metre line makes field position worth more than possession in some parts of the field.
- Breakdown strategyThe contest that decides most rugby union matches — when to commit players to a ruck and when to leave it, what a jackal is trying to do, and why the counter-ruck is a gamble.
- Offside trapA defensive football tactic where the back line steps up together to leave an attacker offside.
- High pressA football tactic where a team hunts the ball high up the pitch to win it back close to the opponent’s goal.
- Rugby union defensive systemsHow a rugby union defence organises fifteen players across the width of the field — the drift, the blitz and the umbrella — and the specific weakness each system accepts.
Rules
- The lineoutHow rugby union restarts play after the ball goes into touch — where the lineout forms, how many players it may contain, the throw requirements, lifting, and the 10-metre offside line.
- Offside in rugby unionRugby union's most context-dependent law — where the offside line sits in open play, what an offside player must not do, the 10-metre rule after a kick, and how a player is put onside.
- The tackleWhat the Laws require of both players in a rugby union tackle — the height limit, the release obligations on the tackler, what the tackled player must do, and how the offside line is created.
- The ruckHow a ruck forms in rugby union and what changes the moment it does — the offside line, the ban on handling, the requirement to join from behind, and how a ruck ends.
- Innings and oversHow a cricket match is structured — what an innings is, why an over is six balls, how the bowling end alternates, and which parts of the structure the Laws fix and which a competition sets.
Equipment
- Football boots (cleats)Studded footwear that grips the pitch for football and other field sports.
- MouthguardA moulded guard worn over the teeth in contact and combat sports, cushioning the teeth and jaw against impact. Fit is what makes it work.
- The rugby union ballThe oval ball that shapes how rugby union is passed and kicked — its weight, air pressure, construction and the provision that lets younger players use a smaller one.
- The padel netThe net that divides a padel court — its two different heights, the maximum post height, the white strip that tops it, and why the posts sit at the lateral limits.
- The tennis net, posts and singles sticksThe net's two heights and the hardware that holds them — post height and position, the singles sticks that convert a doubles net, and the strap and band that finish it.
Playing surfaces
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- Content updated
- 2026-09-01
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