Grassroots football in Kent
Kent is a wide county and its grassroots football is organised locally rather than through one county-wide youth league. Some clubs also play in leagues that cross the county boundary into south-east London, which is worth knowing before you go looking for your child's competition.
This page covers how it fits together, and links to the clubs we list.
League structures and club provision change between seasons. Check details with the club or league before relying on them.
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Find a club in Kent
Browse the Kent clubs we list, filtered by age group and by whether teams are boys, girls or mixed. Where information is available you can check it before contacting the club, and anything not shown is worth asking about directly.
Kent FA and the leagues it sanctions
Kent FA says that in Kent there are 30 affiliated and sanctioned leagues (opens in a new tab), covering adult, youth, mini-soccer and disability football. Teams playing in an affiliated league can also enter Kent FA's county cup competitions.
If you want to know which County FA handles your child's team, ask the club. A club's playing ground normally establishes its County FA headquarters, and the league a team enters can affect which affiliation it needs.
It is worth knowing because the County FA handles your club's affiliation and county competitions, and it is also part of the safeguarding escalation route in England.
How youth football is organised in Kent
There is no single youth league covering Kent. Kent FA lists its youth competitions separately, which gives parents a useful starting point when checking which leagues operate around their club.
Kent FA's current youth league list (opens in a new tab) includes the Ashford & District Youth League, East Kent Youth League, Faversham & District Youth Leagues, Kent Youth League, Maidstone Youth Football League, Maidstone Invicta Primary League, Maidstone Minor Football League, Medway District Youth League and North Kent Youth League.
That list is not the whole picture, and this is the part most worth knowing. Leagues do not have to stop at a county boundary, and some Kent clubs play in the South East London & Kent Youth Football League (opens in a new tab), which is not one of the competitions Kent FA lists. If your club's league is not on the County FA's list, that does not mean anything is wrong.
The age ranges differ between competitions, so some run from Under 7 through to Under 18 while others cover a narrower band. Ask the club which league its team plays in and which ages that league runs.
The Kent FA league list is the best place to check the current sanctioned competitions, because leagues and affiliations can change.
Age groups, formats and rules
Kent clubs play under England Football rules, so the formats, ball sizes and heading rules are the England ones rather than anything county-specific.
If you are working out which age group your child is in, England groups players by school year. The England age group rules page sets out the format for each age group for the current season, including the Under 7 3v3 game and the heading rules for Under 7 to Under 11.
That guide explains the national framework. Your child's league can also have competition-specific rules, so check the current league information for anything affecting fixtures or match arrangements.
Girls' football in Kent
Kent clubs may offer girls-only teams, mixed teams or both. Kent FA lists the Kent Girls/Ladies Football League among its women's leagues, and mixed football is permitted in England from Under 7 to Under 18, so a girl who wants to keep playing in a mixed team can.
If you want a girls-only environment, ask how many girls' age groups a club runs rather than only whether it has a team at your daughter's age. A club with a section is offering more continuity than a club with one team. You can also see which Kent clubs list girls' teams.
Tournaments and camps in Kent
Tournaments, festivals and camps in Kent are listed alongside clubs — see what is coming up. Check the organiser-declared details before entering or booking.
New to this?
If you are just starting out, three guides cover most of what people ask.
- When can my child start playing football, if you are working out whether they are old enough.
- How to choose a grassroots football club, if you are deciding between clubs.
- Joining a club, if you have found one and want to know what the season involves.
Common questions
How do I find a club near me in Kent?
Browse the clubs listed here and filter by age group. Contact more than one club, because availability at a particular age group can change during the season.
My club's league is not on Kent FA's list. Is that a problem?
Not necessarily. Leagues do not have to stop at a county boundary, and some Kent clubs play in competitions that also cover south-east London. Ask the club which league it enters and which County FA it is affiliated to.
Are the rules different in Kent?
The core age-group and playing-format rules are England-wide. Leagues and cups can then have their own competition rules, so check those as well.
Does Kent FA run the leagues?
No. Kent FA affiliates and sanctions leagues, runs county cups, and handles discipline and the safeguarding escalation route. Fixtures and competition rules are the individual league's.
