Grassroots football in Surrey
Surrey has a large grassroots football scene, with clubs spread across the county and several different youth leagues. That is the main reason finding the right club here takes a bit more than searching for the nearest one.
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 Surrey
Browse the Surrey 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.
Which County FA covers the club?
County FA boundaries around Surrey and London are not always obvious from a postal address. The FA's current rules (opens in a new tab) define London FA's area as twelve miles from Charing Cross, and Surrey County FA's area as the County of Surrey, overlapped by London FA.
Those rules also provide that a club's playing ground constitutes its headquarters, with limited exceptions, and that a club can hold membership with more than one association where areas overlap. If you are unsure which County FA a club belongs to, ask the club rather than assuming from its postcode.
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 Surrey
There is no single youth league covering every Surrey club. Surrey FA's current youth-league list (opens in a new tab) includes the Epsom & Ewell Youth League, South Surrey Youth Football League, Surrey Primary Youth Football League, Surrey Youth Football League and Surrey County Women's and Girl's League.
The boundaries are not neat. Surrey FA's own list also includes leagues affiliated elsewhere: the Tandridge Youth Football League through London FA, the North East Hants League through Hampshire FA and the Horsham District Youth League through Sussex FA. That is why two nearby Surrey clubs may play in different competitions.
The Surrey FA league directory is the best place to check the current list, because competitions and affiliations can change between seasons.
Age groups, formats and rules
Surrey 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.
Girls' football in Surrey
Surrey has a dedicated county women's and girls' league, and many clubs run girls' teams alongside their mixed sections. 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 Surrey clubs list girls' teams.
Tournaments and camps in Surrey
Tournaments, festivals and camps in Surrey are listed alongside clubs, on our Surrey 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.
Common questions
How do I find a club near me in Surrey?
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.
We live in a London borough but the club says it is a Surrey club. Is that right?
Quite possibly. County FA areas around Surrey and London overlap, and a club's playing ground constitutes its headquarters rather than its postal address deciding it. Clubs can also hold membership with more than one association. Ask the club if you want to be sure.
Which league will my child play in?
That is decided by the club rather than by you. Ask which league its teams play in at your child's age group, and what a typical away trip looks like.
Are the rules different in Surrey?
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.
