How Far Apart Are NFL Goalposts?
Contents
How far apart are NFL goalposts? The answer may surprise you!
Introduction
The National Football League (NFL) is the professional American football league in the United States, composed of 32 teams. The goal posts used in NFL games are 18 feet, 6 inches wide and are located in the end zone. The uprights are 10 feet tall, with a crossbar that is also 10 feet tall.
The History of the NFL Goalpost
The goalpost is one of the most iconic images in American football. It is also one of the oldest pieces of equipment used in the game, dating back to its earliest days in the late 19th century.
The first recorded instance of a goal being used in a football game came in a game between Yale and Columbia University in 1873. The game was played using Yale’s “new” rules, which included the use of a crossbar and two upright posts.
The crossbar was originally placed 10 feet off the ground, but it was quickly raised to 20 feet after it was discovered that players were able to kick the ball over it too easily. The uprights were also increased in height, first to 30 feet and then to 40 feet, where they remain today.
The distance between the uprights has also changed over time. The width of the field has remained essentially constant since 1873, but the goalposts have been moved inward several times. They were originally placed at the edge of the field, but they were moved to the back of the end zone in 1927. They were moved again in 1974, this time to the front of the end zone, where they remain today.
So how far apart are NFL goalposts today? The answer is that they are 23 feet and 4 inches apart from each other, with the crossbar 10 feet off the ground.
The Current NFL Goalpost
The current NFL goalpost is 18 feet, 6 inches wide. The goalpost was originally narrowed in 1915 from 23 feet, 4 inches to the standard 10 yards (30 feet). It wasn’t until 1974 that the NFL increased the width of the goalposts to 18 feet, 6 inches.
How Far Apart Are NFL Goalposts?
The goal posts in the National Football League are 18 feet, 6 inches apart from each other.
Conclusion
The regulation distance between the uprights in the NFL is 18 feet, 6 inches. However, in recent years, some teams have experimented with wider goalposts, which may become the new standard in the league.
