Football is such an exciting and intense game! Every time I watch a game, I’m spellbound in awe at the unbelievable plays, hard knocks, and unexpected comebacks. It almost seems like magic – watching these giant men launch themselves through the air, colliding like two ships in the night. Out of all the amazing aspects that come together to create a perfect play, one thing often stands out to me: the goalposts. They’re an integral part of the sport – so how wide are they, exactly?
This question has been on my mind for years – I always considered the goalposts to be a rather precise affair, but I was never totally sure of the measurements. To find out, I did some research, and sure enough, I learned that the distance between the uprights of an NFL football goal post is 18 feet, 6 inches (or 5.64 meters). According to the NFL rulebook, the uprights must be 10 feet above the crossbar and extend at least 35 feet above the ground.
So the goalposts are actually quite wide compared to other sports. For comparison, the National Hockey League mandates a goal size of 4 feet high by 6 feet wide (1.22 meters by 1.83 meters), while the English Premier League specifies a goal size of 8 feet high by 8 feet wide (2.44 meters by 2.44 meters). The NFL definitely takes goalposts seriously – there’s no room to squeeze off a ‘Hail Mary’.
I think goalposts are a crucial element of the game of football. They offer a sense of structure and safety to the field. They remind us that there is a clear objective in sight, and they are the literal framework for the plays that captivate us so much – Funny how such wide posts symbolize a short flight of success in the game.
With 18 feet between the posts, it becomes obvious why a field goal is such an admirable feat. If a kicker manages to make a successful field goal, he needs to display a great deal of precision and confidence. What’s more, that same precision and confidence must be paired with a goalpost wide enough to accommodate the kick.
Goalposts also bring a sense of familiarity to the game for the players as well. If the goalposts were of a different size, players might struggle to adjust – making touchdown passes less likely to reach the endzone. That would add a whole new level of complexity to the game that players, coaches, and spectators would have to grapple with.
In essence, NFL goalposts are wide enough to accommodate calculated kicks, while also providing a sense of familiarity and structure to the game. Without them, each game could offer a vast variety of surprising endings.
Being familiar with the measurements of the NFL goalposts has certainly increased my appreciation for the sport. It numbed me to the amount of work that goes into making each play happen in order to see the desired result. I can’t help but applaud the fact that each movement must be that much more precise, since the posts offer no room for an adventure.
I also marvel at the kind of concentration, confidence, and skill required for each actor in a successful play. One false move, and the post could become a formidable obstacle. On the other hand, a well thought out and precise play has the potential to easily make its way through the posts – a beautiful sight to behold.