The football goal is one of the oldest standardised measurements in the sport, fixed by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) since 1863 at 7.32 metres (8 yards) wide and 2.44 metres (8 feet) high, measured between the inside edges of the posts and the lower edge of the crossbar. This size applies to 11-a-side football at every level — from grassroots pitches to World Cup finals — and has remained unchanged for over 150 years.

Goal posts and the crossbar must be made of approved materials such as wood, metal or other authorised substances, with a circular, elliptical, square, rectangular or half-round cross-section not exceeding 12 centimetres in width or diameter. Both posts and the crossbar must be the same shape, painted white, and securely anchored to the ground so they cannot tip over.

Smaller-sided formats use different goal sizes entirely. FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game specify a 3m × 2m goal for 5-a-side and futsal, while 7-a-side youth and grassroots football commonly uses goals around 6m × 2m, though this is not governed by a single fixed global standard the way 11-a-side and futsal goals are. Net depth is not strictly regulated by IFAB but typically ranges from 1–1.5m at the top to 1.5–2m at the bottom to comfortably contain the ball.