Full size football goals are the regulated standard type of goal used for professional leagues. It’s the end goal that many football players aspire to dominate. However, it requires certain skill levels and conditions to utilize it properly.
Check this article and see how you can make the most of a full size football goal.
What to Consider Before Using a Full Size Football Goal?
You can determine whether you are ready for a full size football goal by checking the following considerations:
1. What is the Player's Skill Level?
Every serious football player will end up facing a full size football goal. However, not all skill levels are suitable for it. A full size football goal can be detrimental to a beginner. For inexperienced players, smaller or practice goals can offer better accuracy training than a full size one.
Full size professional football goals are best for pre-game team training and, of course, for official games like the NCAA Division I.
2. Where Are You Planning to Set it Up?
Full size football goals have a typical measurement of 8’H x 24’W. It will take up a considerable space depending on where you’re planning to set it up. Needless to say, it is not friendly for a typical-sized backyard or lawn. It is advisable to only set up this goal on a proper playing field or a vast property.
3. How Much Can You Spend?
Properly branded and standardized full size football goals can come with a hefty price tag. Depending on your budget, it might be wiser to consider buying other alternative goal types.
Checking these criteria can help you determine whether you’re ready for this goal size. And if you’ve decided on the full size, we can now dive into learning more about full size football goals.
4. How Big is a Full Size Football Goal?
The established full size football goal dimension is 8’H x 24’W is used in the NFL. However, dimension variations depend upon the league age group. The following are the standard goal dimensions per age as regulated by FIFA and other football regulating organizations.
|
Age Group |
U13+ |
U12 |
U10 |
U8 |
Futsol |
|
Dimensions |
8’ x 24’ |
7’ X 21’ |
6’ x 18’ |
4’ x 8’ |
6’7” x 9’10” |
Types of Football Goals
Basically, football goals can be classified into three main categories based on the age and skill level of the players. The idea is to introduce the players to bigger goals as they mature and increase the challenge for the goalkeepers.
Children's Goals
These are mini-goals that are used for children between 5 to 8 years of age. The size of these goals is around 4 feet high and 6 feet wide. This goal size can also be chosen based on the team size and is commonly used for 4x4 football matches.
Most coaches choose goals of larger size for players who are 9 years of age or older. These can be 6 feet high and 12 feet wide. The maximum goal width can also be extended to 18.5 feet. For U11 and U12 players, the goal size can be 7 feet high and 21 feet wide.
Other than that, pop-up goals are also used in kid’s football for training purposes. They are small in size and used for recreational play, beach football, and also as backyard football .
While these are portable football goals they are not as per the FIFA regulations meant for professional play. Besides, they are not designed to withstand full-power shots.
Teen and High School Goals
With U12-U14 youth football players, the goal size is usually between 8 feet high and 24 feet wide. These goals can be used for 9v9 or 11v11 football matches.
Adult Goals
For adult players, full size football goals as per FIFA guidelines are used. The distance between the inside of the two vertical posts is kept at 8 yards and the height is 8 feet.
The full size football goals usually come in a box shape. However, some goals have support bars that descend at a 45-degree angle to the cross bars.
Most goalposts are made from aluminum since the material is light and durable. However, steel frames are also used in some cases.
FIFA regulations mention that goals must be firmly secured to the ground. Based on that, they can be classified into three categories.
- Socketed goalposts are fixed by metal sleeves or sockets that are set into a concrete bed placed below the ground. That makes them extremely stable. These are mostly used on school grounds or stadiums where they can be left for an extended time period.
- Freestanding goals come without any anchorage or ground stakes. Since they do not damage the ground, they are often used on artificial surfaces. To prevent these goals from tipping over, some of the models have fixed counterweights and are termed “self-weighted” goals.
- Some indoor football training grounds also use fold-to-wall goals that are supported by hinged arms fixed to a wall. These arms can be folded back when not in use.
Material Types for Full Size Football Goals
1. Steel Football Goal
A steel football goal is your classic choice for a durable goal. It’s heavy-duty and often permanently installed into the ground. Steel goals can be pre-painted or galvanized to increase corrosion resistance.
It is also a cheaper option than aluminum. The only downside of a steel football goal is that it is prone to corrosion, especially if it’s under-maintained.
2. Aluminum Football Goal
Aluminum is the leading material for football goals today. It’s lightweight, corrosion-resistant, and durable.
Usually, it’s silvery-white in appearance. Manufacturers love it because it’s easy to transport, assemble and store. Powder-coated or color-treated aluminum is commonly used to produce the white color as standardized.
Aluminum is a famous material for portable football goals since it is lightweight and durable. You can quickly assemble and secure this goal type using screws and washers.
3. Plastic Football Goal
Now, if your primary goal requirement is to be lightweight, portable, and economical, then go for a plastic goal. This goal type is your best alternative to aluminum in terms of portability.
However, plastic types tend to have shorter life spans. Furthermore, it does not even come close to the durability of steel and aluminum.
Plastic goals can quickly wear out, and lower quality plastics have tendencies to deform under extreme heat. These are meant for temporary use and are your best option for training and backyard games.
Beyond that fiberglass football goals are a relatively new product that are often used in pop-up goals.
How Much Does a Football Goal Cost?
The price of a football goal will depend on the goal size, the type of material used, and the quality of the football net. In case there are additional goal accessories like rebounders included in the package, the price will be higher.
A small training goal for practice and warm up for kids can cost anywhere between $60 and $170. Youth football goals can cost between $600 and $1,800, depending on the size. However, picking cheap football goals is not the best option.
For a regulation-size football goal, you may need to pay between $1,100 and $3,500 depending on the quality and the brand. The price of futsal football goals also depends on the size. The price of futsal goals from a brand like Forza can be between $170 to $1900.
Beyond that, there are high-quality football goals used for professional matches. For example, the Pro Premier® European Match Football Goal from KwikGoal is priced at $4550.
Installation Types for Full Size Football Goals
All football goal types are either portable, detachable, or installed permanently. We can apply these methods depending on the conditions of the playing field. Below we have enumerated the common installation types of full size football goals and the most suitable applications.
Permanent
Permanent goal installation is installed by driving the frame post below ground. It is the traditional installation type before technology gave way to other methods.
This installation is durable and establishes a sense of “territoriality” in the place it is located.
The process involves digging down the earth where a concrete footing will be poured. The frame posts are then driven into the concrete while fresh.
Workers will meticulously level them since the installation will be permanent after the concrete is cured. The concrete footing serves as a stabilizer and prevents the direct contact of the frame posts to the earth.
The remaining dug portions of the earth shall then be filled and then graded. You can also cultivate grass seeds to replace the damaged grassy patches.
You can then use the newly installed football goals after it has cured for around 48 hours. This type of installation is used for adequately established football playing fields.
Portable
Full size portable football goal installation is the commonly used type today. Advances in technology continue to produce more lightweight and mobile designs of football goals.
This type of installation is most suitable for a multi-purpose playing field. It can be assembled during games and disassembled again during the off-season.
This type of installation is practical for backyard-set plays. Thus, making football accessible to all enthusiasts. Washers and screws are the bread and butter of this type of installation.
Detachable
Detachable football goals are provided with a “ground sleeve.” These ground sleeves are usually concrete footing with casted holes to where post frames are to be mounted.
Other versions of this type can instead use washers and screws to mount the posts to these ground sleeves. This installation type is considered the earlier version of portable goals.
During the off-season, ground sleeves are ‘capped,’ and people can utilize the playing field for different purposes. Detachable installation is the most unpopular among these types since it falls under the gray area of permanence and portability.
Professional Football Goal vs. Amateur Football Goal
The primary difference between professional and amateur football goals is in quality and price. Professional football goals are used for football leagues and professional games on full sized football fields. Amateur football goals are mostly used for kid’s football training and recreational gameplay.
In addition, there are some other differences that are mentioned below.
- Amateur football goals are not designed to match the dimensions of a regulation football goal. Also, their design is not based on the NFHS specs. They have round edges with a better finish that offers more safety for the players.
- Professional football goals use top-grade materials like powder-coated aluminum poles and free-hanging net support that prevent the football ball from rebounding. They also use thicker football goal net materials that are more durable and last long. The typical net thickness for a pro football goal is between 3mm and 4.5mm. Amateur football goals come with a lower thickness of 2.5 mm.
- Since they come with better quality, pro football goals also have a longer warranty. Also, the included accessories like carry bags, net clips, and anchors are of better quality.
- Many professional football goals are designed with wheels to offer better portability. Amateur goals do not have such advanced features.
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