# Football fields as measurement **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 22, 2014, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-fields-as-measurement/686711 "2014-04-22T20:20:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2014, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-fields-as-measurement/686711/21 "2014-04-23T12:58:56Z")
> [@MrKnowItAll](#): > > Actually, Canadian football fields are 150 yards, Loach. 110 yards from goal line to goal line, and two endzones of 20 yards each. Damn. Forgot about that weird centerline extra ten yards in the middle. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2014, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-fields-as-measurement/686711/22 "2014-04-23T14:39:11Z")
And over here a football \*pitch \*is 105 metres ± 5 ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2014, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-fields-as-measurement/686711/23 "2014-04-23T15:02:01Z")
Don’t forget that in the US for very large things we also have the Texas. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2014, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-fields-as-measurement/686711/24 "2014-04-23T19:10:19Z")
For sizing tumors in the body, is using various fruits as comparison universal or just a US thing? ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-fields-as-measurement/686711/25 "2014-04-24T03:15:22Z")
There is a whole underworld of whimsical units of measure. My favorite is the Sheppey: A measure of distance equal to about 7⁄8 of a mile (1.4 km), defined as the closest distance at which sheep remain picturesque. [List of humorous units of measurement - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_humorous_units_of_measurement) Entirely scholarly articles have been written about the Eohippus, the ancestor of the horse that was said to be “dog-sized”, a comparison that disregarded the fact that dogs vary in size by a couple of orders of magnitude. ---
**Author:** ![j\_sum1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8baadc/32.png) [@j\_sum1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j_sum1)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-fields-as-measurement/686711/26 "2014-04-24T05:43:41Z")
Rugby fields are 100m long and 50 wide if my memory serves me correctly. So exactly half a hectare. Last week I was using some construction adhesive. The instructions said to use walnut sized globules and to place the “walnuts” a certain distance apart. Of course everything written is just a rule of thumb. Let’s not get started on Smoots. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-fields-as-measurement/686711/27 "2014-04-24T05:50:01Z")
I like the “Smoot”. As it turns out, Oliver Smoot, who was the standard, later became chairman of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-fields-as-measurement/686711/28 "2014-04-24T09:50:18Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Here in the U.S., when trying to convey a large area, we say “x number of football fields,” and most people can imagine the size. But for other countries that don’t play American football, what unit of measurement to they use? Obviously a soccer field can be used, but what about places where they don’t have a handy reference? Just to point out further - in addition to soccer, there is also rugby that uses a roughly football sized field. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-fields-as-measurement/686711/29 "2014-04-24T10:04:27Z")
> [@xizor](#): > > For sizing tumors in the body, is using various fruits as comparison universal or just a US thing? I thought those were always either grapefruit sized or golf ball sized. Other handy units: Weight is measured in elephants. Explosive force (asteroids, volcanoes, unusually powerful farts, etc.) is X times the Hiroshima bomb. An actual, honest-to-goodness unit that doesn’t see enough use is the BED, the [banana equivalent dose](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana_equivalent_dose). This is the dose of radiation you get from eating one banana (yes, bananas are very slightly radioactive). ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-fields-as-measurement/686711/30 "2014-04-24T10:32:44Z")
We do use ‘candlepower’ though: (defined as the light produced by a pure spermaceti candle weighing one sixth of a pound and burning at a rate of 120 grains per hour). It is obsolete as an SI unit, but does crop up from time to time, as do its relatives, Lumens and Lux. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-fields-as-measurement/686711/31 "2014-04-24T15:33:12Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > I like the “Smoot”. As it turns out, Oliver Smoot, who was the standard, later became chairman of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). How many Altuves is that? ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-fields-as-measurement/686711/32 "2014-04-24T15:39:13Z")
> [@bengangmo](#): > > Just to point out further - in addition to soccer, there is also rugby that uses a roughly football sized field. Wow, that’s a tiny field. And oddly shaped. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-fields-as-measurement/686711/33 "2014-04-24T15:50:45Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > There is a whole underworld of whimsical units of measure. My favorite is the Sheppey: A measure of distance equal to about 7⁄8 of a mile (1.4 km), defined as the closest distance at which sheep remain picturesque. [List of humorous units of measurement - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_humorous_units_of_measurement) > > Entirely scholarly articles have been written about the Eohippus, the ancestor of the horse that was said to be “dog-sized”, a comparison that disregarded the fact that dogs vary in size by a couple of orders of magnitude. One of my favorite pieces by Stephen Jay Gould is The Case of the Creeping Fox Terrier Clone, in which he traces the origin of Eohippus being described as being the size of a fox terrier. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-fields-as-measurement/686711/34 "2014-04-24T17:44:45Z")
> [@xizor](#): > > For sizing tumors in the body, is using various fruits as comparison universal or just a US thing? Fetuses also take a tour of the produce department. This week Tater is the weight of, but not the size of, a large mango. Last week he was the size of a spaghetti squash. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-fields-as-measurement/686711/35 "2014-04-24T18:25:08Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > Wikipedia [says](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soccer_pitch) the dimensions can vary, but not to the point of becoming fractals. I laughed out loud at this. Thanks for making me almost lose my sandwich. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-fields-as-measurement/686711/36 "2014-04-24T18:28:39Z")
> [@xizor](#): > > For sizing tumors in the body, is using various fruits as comparison universal or just a US thing? Golf balls. Tumors are very often the size of golf balls. And many things are as big as a house, often times in reference to a women’s rear area. Said women’s dresses are said to be as big as a tent. Peaches, coconuts and melons are also units of measure for a women’s anatomy. And the amount of suction required to move a golf ball thru a garden hose is a measurement of vacuum. These measurement comparisions were made necessary because men are often mistakenly estimating things to be a foot long when they are actually barely half of 12 inches. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-fields-as-measurement/686711/37 "2014-04-24T18:47:17Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > Golf balls. Tumors are very often the size of golf balls. Hail is commonly described, at least in North Texas, in terms of sports balls and produce. As in, “Pea sized hail” “Bean sized hail” “Grape sized hail” “Ping-pong ball sized hail” “Golf Ball sized hail” “Tennis Ball sized hail” “Baseball sized hail” “Softball sized hail” Above that, I’m not 100% sure (extraordinarily rare!) but I’d guess it would be volleyball or cantaloupe sized hail. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-fields-as-measurement/686711/38 "2014-04-24T18:50:21Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > Fetuses also take a tour of the produce department. This week Tater is the weight of, but not the size of, a large mango. Last week he was the size of a spaghetti squash. Wait til Tater hits watermelon-size! :eek: (We can all hope for a small watermelon.) ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-fields-as-measurement/686711/39 "2014-04-24T18:55:13Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Hail is commonly described, at least in North Texas, in terms of sports balls and produce. > > As in, > > “Pea sized hail” > “Bean sized hail” > “Grape sized hail” > “Ping-pong ball sized hail” > “Golf Ball sized hail” > “Tennis Ball sized hail” > “Baseball sized hail” > “Softball sized hail” > > Above that, I’m not 100% sure (extraordinarily rare!) but I’d guess it would be volleyball or cantaloupe sized hail. Indeed, a large cantaloupe. [8 inch diameter.](http://www.noaa.gov/features/02_monitoring/hailstone.html) ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-fields-as-measurement/686711/40 "2014-04-24T19:11:52Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > I laughed out loud at this. Thanks for making me almost lose my sandwich. Happy to help! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-fields-as-measurement/686711.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-fields-as-measurement/686711.md?page=3)