Rugby / Law 01
The ground
World Rugby · 2026In short
Pitch dimensions, markings and the referee’s safety inspection.
Dimensions and lines
The field of play is 94–100 m long and 68–70 m wide; each in-goal is 6–22 m long. Variations require approval from the relevant union for domestic competitions or World Rugby for internationals. Solid lines mark the boundaries, try lines, halfway and 22-metre lines. Dashed lines identify distances used for restarts and positioning.
Posts and safe surroundings
The posts are 5.6 m apart, with the crossbar 3 m above ground. Permitted surfaces include grass and compliant artificial turf. The playing surface must be safe. Teams should raise ground objections before kick-off; the referee attempts to resolve them and must not start if any part of the ground is unsafe.
Independent explanations and translations, not official federation publications. Based on the supplied World Rugby Laws of the Game Rugby Union 2026. Under-19, sevens, tens and Game-on variations are explained separately. Elite-only exceptions are labelled; these are not Rugby League rules. References use physical PDF pages, 2 above printed page numbers.
Sources & approach ↗
Sources & approach ↗