Grassroots football guides

Plain-English answers for parents, volunteers and organisers. Free to read, no sign-up.

Not sure where to start?

You are checking a format or an age groupAge group rules across the UK
Your child has not played beforeWhen can my child start playing football
You are weighing up whether an event is right for a teamChoosing the right tournament level
You are running an event and want teams to find itHow to list a football tournament
You run a club and want to take control of its FindMeFootball pageHow to claim your club listing

Rules and formats

If you need to know what format an age group should be playing, start here. The rules are set separately in each of the four UK nations and they are not the same.

Age group rules across the UKA comparison of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and a route into the full rules for each.

England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland

Not sure which age group applies? Use our age group and format checker.

This season: rule changes and key dates

What changed for 2026/27, and the national dates confirmed so far.

Rule changes for 2026/273v3 at Under 7, 11v11 from Under 14, heading, pass-ins, jewellery, time-wasting, injuries and DBS checks.

Key dates for 2026/27Confirmed national dates for the 2026/27 season, including both Silent Support weekends.

The Grassroots Code and touchline behaviourWhat the Code asks of parents and spectators, Silent Support weekends, and when touchline behaviour goes wrong.

On the pitch: formats, heading and safety

The rules that shape a match at each age and keep players safe, for parents and for whoever runs the team.

Mini soccer rulesFormats, retreat line, pass-ins, power play, playing time and kit rules for Under 7 to Under 11.

Youth football from Under 12Formats, ball and goal sizes, pitch dimensions, playing time and substitutions from Under 12 to Under 18.

Heading in grassroots youth footballNo deliberate heading in Under 7 to Under 11 matches, when it returns, and training limits by age.

Playing up an age groupOne age group up, the Under 7 exception, playing down, two teams and daily playing time.

Concussion in grassroots footballHow to recognise it, what to do on the day, the red flags, and the 21-day minimum before competition.

First aid in grassroots footballThe FA first aid courses: cost, format, minimum age, how long each lasts and who needs which.

Goalkeeping

Young goalkeepers: a guide for parentsStaying in goal or playing outfield, what to ask the coach, after a goal goes in, the rules and safety.

Goalkeeper rules in youth footballNo keepers at Under 7, the back-pass rule from Under 8 and at 9v9, and the eight-second rule at 11v11.

Finding goalkeeper coachingWhere to find it, the goalkeeping qualifications explained, and the checks before you book.

The goalkeeping talent pathwayAcademy trials and keeper coaching for boys, The FA’s goalkeeping hubs for girls, and the referral process.

Goalkeeper gloves and kitHow to choose a pair of gloves that fits, what to ask the club first, and what a young keeper must wear.

Starting and joining football

Working out where to begin, and what to ask before committing to a club.

When can my child start playing footballThe age each nation starts at, and the beginner sessions that come earlier.

How to choose a grassroots football clubWhat to look for, and what to ask before committing.

Joining a clubWhat a first season actually involves.

Girls' grassroots footballIncluding how long mixed football runs in each nation.

Safeguarding in grassroots footballAnd who to speak to if something worries you.

Changing football clubsHow registration and moving between clubs works in England.

Which kind of football

Not every club is the same thing, and not every child wants the same thing. What the names mean, and the routes that exist alongside a mainstream club.

Club, academy, football school or development centre?The three questions that tell you what your child is actually joining.

Disability and inclusive footballMainstream clubs, pan-disability and impairment-specific routes, and what to ask.

Also useful here: Girls' football.

Playing, tournaments and opportunities

The things that come up once football is part of the week.

Parent guide to youth football tournamentsWhat to expect on the day, and what to take.

Choosing the right tournament levelSo a team is neither out of its depth nor unchallenged.

Football trialsWhat to expect, and how to check an approach is genuine.

Choosing a holiday football campWhat to check before you book a week of it.

Also useful here: Girls' grassroots football and Safeguarding in grassroots football.

Academies and the talent pathway

How football academies workHow professional academies in England recruit, age limits, travel, costs and what signing means.

The girls' talent pathwayEmerging Talent Centres, Pro Game Academies and how girls are identified in England.

How football scouts find young playersWhere academy scouts watch, how to check a scout or an agent, and the rules on approaches.

Pre-academy and development centresWhat a club's pre-academy or development centre is, and whether your child can keep playing for their team.

Football academy trialsHow long a Premier League or EFL academy trial lasts, who must be told before it starts, and travel limits by age.

Once your child is at an academy

Academy scholarships at 16When a club can offer a scholarship, the 28 days to reply, what one involves and what happens if none comes.

Football agents and young playersWhen an agent can approach a child, signing an agreement, and when an agent can be paid.

If your child is released from an academyWhen decisions are made, what support is available, and how to help your child back into football they enjoy.

Once your child is at a club

Game time, who to raise things with, and when moving on may be the answer.

Playing time in youth footballWhat the rules in England do and do not require, and how to raise it with the club.

The club welfare officerWhat the role involves, the checks and training required, and what changed on 1 September 2026.

Also useful here: Safeguarding in grassroots football and Changing football clubs.

Costs, kit, registration and leagues

The practical questions that come with a season, for families and for the club volunteers who handle them.

What grassroots football costs a familySubs, registration, kit, boots, tournaments and travel, and what to ask before you join.

Kit and equipmentWhat the Laws make compulsory, ball sizes by age group, shin pads, jewellery and what the club provides.

Player registration, FANs and Club PortalWhat your FAN is, how clubs register players, online consent, and why your child shows as Pending League.

How youth football leagues workWhat a sanctioned league is, how a club applies for a place, and what the league expects once you are in.

Bad weather and postponed matchesWho can call off a match, what the referee checks, who to tell, and how rearranged and abandoned matches work.

Club committee rolesThe four key officials The FA requires, what each one does, and the roles clubs add next.

If you coach or manage a team

Most team managers are volunteers doing this alongside a job. These guides focus on the practical decisions around entering and attending a tournament.