How High Is a Football Goal Post? Expert Guide to Dimensions and Standards

Introduction

If you have ever watched an NFL game, a college football matchup, or even a high school Friday night game, you have likely noticed the towering yellow uprights at the back of each end zone. These goal posts play a crucial role in determining field goals and extra points — but how high is a football goal post exactly?

This question might seem simple, yet the answer varies depending on whether you are talking about the NFL, NCAA, or high school football. To make things even more interesting, international soccer goal posts have completely different dimensions. In this guide, we will break down football goal post height, crossbar placement, width, and other measurements so you will never be confused again.

Standard Football Goal Post Dimensions

A football goal post has two main components: the crossbar (the horizontal bar at the bottom) and the uprights (the vertical posts extending upward from the crossbar).

So, how high is a football goal post?

• The crossbar is 10 feet (3.05 meters) above the playing field.

• The uprights extend 20–35 feet (6.1–10.7 meters) above the crossbar, depending on the level of play.
  This means the total height of a football goal post can range between 30–45 feet (9.1–13.7 meters).

According to the NFL Rulebook 2025 update, the uprights must extend at least 35 feet above the crossbar to accommodate modern long-range kickers.

How High Is a Football Goal Post Crossbar?

The crossbar is always set at 10 feet high from the ground in all levels of American football — NFL, NCAA, and high school. This measurement ensures standardization across the sport, so kickers always face the same challenge no matter the league.

NFL Football Goal Post Height

In the NFL, the rules are very strict:

• Crossbar height: 10 feet (3.05 m)

• Upright height: 35 feet (10.7 m)

• Total height: 45 feet (13.7 m)

• Width between uprights: 18 feet, 6 inches (5.64 m)

The NFL increased upright height in 2014 (from 30 feet to 35 feet) after several controversial field goal attempts where referees could not determine if the ball passed inside or outside the posts.

For example, in 2013, New England Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski hit a field goal that barely cleared the old uprights, leading to a rule change the following season.

College Football Goal Post Height

College football goal posts are slightly different:

• Crossbar height: 10 feet (3.05 m)

• Upright height: 20 feet (6.1 m)

• Total height: 30 feet (9.1 m)

• Width between uprights: 18 feet, 6 inches (5.64 m)

While the width matches the NFL, the uprights are shorter, which sometimes makes officiating harder in college games.

High School Football Goal Post Dimensions

High school football has its own set of measurements:

• Crossbar height: 10 feet (3.05 m)

• Upright height: 20 feet (6.1 m)

• Total height: 30 feet (9.1 m)

• Width between uprights: 23 feet, 4 inches (7.11 m)

The wider goal posts at the high school level give young kickers more margin for error before transitioning to college or professional levels.

Football Goal Post Height in Feet vs. Meters

Soccer Goal Post Height vs. American Football

Many fans confuse American football goal posts with soccer goals. Soccer goal post height is 8 feet (2.44 m), and the width is 24 feet (7.32 m). Compared to football goal posts, soccer goals are shorter but much wider.

Football Goal Post Width: Why It Matters

The width between the uprights defines how difficult kicking is:

• NFL & College: 18 ft 6 in (tight target)

• High School: 23 ft 4 in (wider target)

This explains why even elite high school kickers sometimes struggle when moving to the NCAA or NFL — the narrower posts require much more precision.

History and Evolution of Goal Post Heights

• 1869: The first documented football game (Rutgers vs. Princeton) used soccer-style goals.

• 1927: Crossbar standardized at 10 feet.

• 1966: NFL moved goal posts to the back of the end zone.

• 2014: NFL extended uprights from 30 to 35 feet.

Each change aimed to improve fairness, safety, and officiating clarity.

Engineering and Safety Standards

Modern football goal posts must:

• Withstand wind speeds up to 90 mph (144 km/h)

• Be anchored securely to prevent tipping

• Use durable materials like galvanized steel or aluminum

• Feature padding at the base to reduce injury risks

According to the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS, 2025 guidelines), any damaged or leaning goal post must be replaced immediately for player safety.

Case Study: Accuracy vs. Height in NFL Kicking

In the 2024 NFL season, kickers attempted 1,150 field goals.

• Successful kicks: 84.6% (NFL official stats)

• From 50+ yards: 67.9% success rate

Higher uprights make it easier to judge these long attempts, especially with modern kickers regularly drilling 60-yard field goals.

Conclusion

So, how high is a football goal post?

• The crossbar is always 10 feet off the ground.

• NFL uprights extend 35 feet above the crossbar.

• College and high school uprights extend 20 feet above.

• Soccer goals, by comparison, stand only 8 feet tall.

Knowing these measurements helps fans, players, and coaches appreciate the precision and skill required to kick through the towering uprights.

FAQs

Q1: How high is the crossbar on a football goal post?
The crossbar is 10 feet above the ground at all levels of play.

Q2: How tall is a high school football goal post?
High school posts are 30 feet tall in total — 10-foot crossbar plus 20-foot uprights.

Q3: How wide are NFL football goal posts?
NFL goal posts are 18 feet, 6 inches wide between uprights.

Q4: How tall is a soccer goal post compared to football?
Soccer goals are 8 feet tall, much shorter than American football goal posts.

Q5: Why did the NFL extend goal post height in 2014?
To make officiating more accurate after controversial kicks that passed above the old 30-foot uprights.

Author: Sportzzworld