North Meadow is the only field in the park where football is permitted — flag and touch only, September through November. Free for a casual game, permitted if you want a regular slot. Here’s how it works.
Field allowed: North Meadow
Season
Permit approval
Pickup games
Any small group can use whatever space is free on North Meadow. Nothing to book, nothing to pay. Turn up with a football and rubber-soled shoes, and get on.
The catch is what kind of football. Cleats aren’t allowed on the meadow, and the game itself has to be flag or touch — tackle football is not permitted anywhere in the park, for anyone, at any time. A permit is the only thing that holds a specific patch of grass at a specific time; large groups, leagues and anyone wanting a regular scheduled slot need one, but a pickup game with friends never does.
North Meadow is the only field in the park where football is permitted. Here’s the ground, the rules, and where to find kit if you’ve turned up without any.
A large, grassy 23-acre meadow mid-park at 97th Street, and the sole field in Central Park where football is allowed. Twelve fields in total share the ground with soccer, touch football, baseball and softball, so space moves depending on what else is booked.
Where
Conditions
Flag football and touch football are the only forms permitted. Tackle football isn’t allowed under any circumstances, and cleats can’t be worn on the meadow — rubber-soled shoes only, to protect the grass and everyone’s ankles.
Where
Conditions
If you’ve arrived without a ball, the recreation centre beside the fields lends a field day kit free of charge on a photo ID. Bring your own football and shoes if you can — but there’s a fallback if you can’t.
Where
Conditions
North Meadow’s twelve fields, shared across four sports. Filled for football-eligible ground, hollow for the rest.
Three different answers depending on what you’re organising. Pick the one that matches your game.
Choose the closest match.
Any small group can use whatever space is free. Nothing to book, nothing to pay — just bring a football and rubber-soled shoes, remember no cleats and no tackling, and play flag or touch. Check the NYC Parks field and court availability map first if you want to avoid a booked slot.
Apply through NYC Parks. Approval usually takes 21 to 30 days, so start at least a month out — most refusals are simply late applications. The Manhattan ballfield permit office is on (212) 408-0234, or apply through the Parks Department’s official website. Remember: football only runs September to November on North Meadow.
Anything beyond playing on the field — catering, equipment, sound, a big group — is handled separately through the NYC special event permit system, not the ballfield permit. Apply for that one instead, and expect a longer lead time.
Football can be played in the park from September to November only. Outside that window North Meadow is given over to the other sports sharing its twelve fields, so a pickup game in July simply isn’t an option here.
Cleats aren’t permitted on North Meadow, whatever the game. Rubber-soled shoes are required, both to protect the turf and because studs on shared grass are a genuine hazard to everyone else using the meadow.
Tackle football is not permitted in Central Park, on North Meadow or anywhere else. Flag and touch are the only forms of the game allowed, no exceptions and no informal workarounds.
The North Meadow Recreation Centre lends a field day kit free of charge — you’ll just need to show a photo ID at the counter. Bringing your own football and rubber-soled shoes is still the better plan, since loan kit is first come, first served.
Any small group can use whatever space is available on North Meadow, no permit and no booking required. The line is drawn at scale and regularity — leagues, large groups and anyone wanting a fixed weekly slot need to go through the NYC Parks system instead.
What’s allowed, what isn’t, and who to call. Worth reading before you cross the park with a ball.
Tackle football is never permitted. Flag and touch are the only forms of the game allowed anywhere in Central Park, on North Meadow or otherwise, whatever the group or the occasion. There is no exception to this rule.
North Meadow only — it’s the sole field in Central Park where football is permitted, of the twelve fields sharing that meadow with soccer, baseball and softball.
Not for a casual game with friends — any small group can use available space without one. A permit is needed for large groups, leagues, or anyone wanting to play at a regularly scheduled time. Apply through NYC Parks or call the Manhattan ballfield permit office on (212) 408-0234.
September through November. Outside that season the meadow is given over to the sports that share its fields, so football isn’t played there in spring or summer.
No. Flag football and touch football are the only types permitted anywhere in the park. Tackle football is not allowed under any circumstances.
No — cleats aren’t permitted on North Meadow. Rubber-soled shoes are required for football played there, whatever the level of the game.
Your own football and rubber-soled shoes. If you don’t have equipment, the North Meadow Recreation Centre lends a field day kit free of charge — you’ll just need to show a photo ID.
Yes, at the North Meadow Recreation Centre, right beside the fields. Field day kits are lent free with a photo ID shown at the counter, first come first served.
Usually 21 to 30 days through NYC Parks. Apply at least a month ahead of when you want to play, and earlier still if it’s for the popular early-autumn weekend slots.
North Meadow & the Great Lawn · free or permit
North Meadow & the Great Lawn · permit
250 acres of lawns & trails · free
Tell us the size of your group and whether you want a regular weekly slot. We’ll tell you whether you can just turn up, or whether it’s worth applying first.
