The NFL's Neutral Zone Is Exactly One Football Long

The neutral zone gets mentioned on every broadcast. Its actual size almost never does.

The definition

The NFL's glossary calls the neutral zone 'a virtual area that runs from sideline to sideline bounded by the forward and backward points of the football after it has been made ready for play.'

Bounded by the forward and backward points of the football.

Forward point to backward point is the length of one football. That is the depth of the zone - not a yard, not a gap negotiated between the lines.

Where the line of scrimmage sits

The same glossary defines the line of scrimmage as 'a virtual line that extends from sideline to sideline that passes through the forward point of the ball after it has been made ready for play.' The line of scrimmage is therefore the front edge of the neutral zone, and each team has its own.

• 01The neutral zone runs the full width of the field, sideline to sideline
• 02Its depth is bounded by the forward and backward points of the ball
• 03That depth is the length of one football
• 04The line of scrimmage passes through the ball's forward point