Grassroots football in London

Find a club in London

Browse the London 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.

Why County FA boundaries in London overlap

This is the part that surprises people, and it is worth understanding because it affects county competitions and the safeguarding escalation route.

London football sits across six geographically defined County FA areas: London FA (opens in a new tab) itself, whose area is a circle twelve miles in radius with Charing Cross at its centre, plus areas belonging to Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Middlesex and Surrey (opens in a new tab) that overlap it.

The Amateur Football Alliance is different. It operates across England rather than having its own geographical area, so London clubs can also have AFA membership while remaining in membership with their County Association.

A club's playing ground normally establishes its County FA headquarters, but London sits within overlapping association areas and clubs can have membership with more than one association. The league a team enters can also affect which affiliation it needs. If you want to know which County FA handles your child's team, ask the club.

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 London

There is no single youth league covering the capital. London clubs play across a wide range of youth competitions, and which league a team enters depends on the club, the age group and the competitions available to it.

London FA publishes the current list of leagues in its area, and the other associations that overlap London publish their own. Those directories are the place to check, because competitions and affiliations change between seasons.

Before joining, ask which league your child's team plays in and what a typical away journey looks like.

Age groups, formats and rules

London clubs play under England Football rules, so the formats, ball sizes and heading rules are the England ones rather than anything specific to the capital.

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.

Girls' football in London

London clubs may offer girls-only teams, mixed teams or both. 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 London clubs list girls' teams.

Tournaments and camps in London

Tournaments, festivals and camps in London are listed alongside clubs, on our London events page. 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.

Surrey's area overlaps London's, so if you are in the south of the capital our Surrey clubs page may also be worth a look.