Comparison of American Football and Rugby League - The Field

The Field

American football is played on a rectangular field 120 yards (110 m) long by 53+1⁄₃ yards (49 metres) wide. Near each end of the field is a goal line; they are 100 yards apart. A scoring area called an end zone extends 10 yards beyond each goal line. Yard lines cross the field every 5 yards, two rows of hash marks run parallel to the side lines near the middle of the field. At the back of each end zone, there are two goal posts that are 18.5 feet apart (24 feet in high school). The posts are connected by a crossbar 10 feet from the ground, and may be in the shape of the letter 'H' or the letter 'Y'.

A rugby league field is very similar, it is 120 metres (130 yards) long and about half that in width, there is a line across the field every ten metres. An in-goal area extends six to twelve metres beyond each goal-line. At the goal line are a set of goal posts in the shape of the letter 'H', used for other forms of point scoring: drop goal, penalty goal and conversion.