The Junior Premier League (JPL) explained

What a JPL season looks like

These are the JPL’s own descriptions. Formats differ by age group and division, so ask the club what applies to your child’s team.

• Ages. The JPL’s about page (opens in a new tab) describes a league from Under 7 to Under 18.
• Younger age groups. The JPL’s 2026/27 application page (opens in a new tab) lists Under 7 to Under 11 Central Venue Fixtures, held on Saturdays at central locations. Confirm the arrangement for Under 11 with the club, as other JPL descriptions differ.
• Match format. The JPL says its use of playing periods creates natural breaks for coaches to give feedback. Its about page describes three periods for Under 10s and below and four for older ages, but its application page gives different detail for Under 11. Ask the club which match format applies to your child’s division.
• Divisions. The application page describes regional Premier divisions with promotion and relegation, a National Premier Conference for clubs wanting more competitive leagues, and regional Championship and League 1 divisions below the Premier leagues.
• Playing time. The about page says “every player selected for a matchday squad is guaranteed to play at least 50% of the game”. The application page states the 50% rule for Premier matchdays. Ask the club how its team applies it, and whether it applies in cup matches or other competitions the team plays in.
• Travel. The JPL’s pages do not say how far teams travel. Ask where away matches and central venues are for your child’s division.

What the JPL asks of coaches and clubs

The JPL’s 2026/27 application page (opens in a new tab) says:

• “All clubs must be England Accredited”.
• “All teams MUST have 2 coaches per team with necessary safeguarding, emergency aid and DBS documents in date.”
• “The lead coach must be at Least an FA level 2 coach.”

The about page says all JPL coaches are required to hold a minimum of a Level 2 qualification. An older, undated league criteria page (opens in a new tab) on the JPL’s site words some of this differently, including allowing clubs “working towards” accreditation. The application page is the one for 2026/27, so if you run a club and are thinking of entering a team, confirm the requirements with the JPL for your season and division. These are the JPL’s requirements, not FA rules.

JPL Warriors, for girls

JPL Warriors is the JPL’s separately branded girls-only league. The JPL Warriors page (opens in a new tab) describes it as running from Under 12s to Under 18s. That is the range for Warriors. Whether a girl, at any age, can play in a club’s other JPL teams is a question for the club and its age group. Our guide to girls’ grassroots football covers the wider choices for girls.

How a child gets into a JPL team

Through a club. Find a club that has a team in the JPL at your child’s age group, and join that club in the same way as any other: contact it, go to a training session or a trial if it runs them, and register.

How the JPL compares with a local league

We do not rank leagues. Under The FA’s competition regulations (opens in a new tab), a league whose clubs are all in one County FA’s area is sanctioned by that County FA, and one spanning several counties applies to the County FA that has the majority of its clubs in membership. Our guide to how youth football leagues work explains local leagues. The JPL says its sanctioning came from The FA itself and describes itself as a national league.

For a family, the differences that matter are the ones above: where matches are played, how the season and divisions are organised, the playing time rule and what it costs. Compare the specific team, not the league’s name. If no club near you has a JPL team, the same questions apply to any club you are considering.

A club can enter different teams in different leagues. Ask which league your child’s age group plays in, and whether that could change next season.

Questions to ask a JPL club

These are our suggestions, not rules. Our guide to choosing a grassroots football club has more.

1. Which JPL division does my child’s age group play in, and where are the away matches or central venues?
2. Which day are matches, and does the team play in any other league or cup? Does the playing time rule apply in those matches too?
3. How does the team apply the JPL’s minimum playing time rule, and how are positions shared?
4. What coaching qualifications do my child’s coaches hold?
5. What does a season cost, and what does that cover?
6. Who is the club’s welfare officer?

Our guide to playing time in youth football explains what to do if the minutes your child gets do not match what you were told.

Finding a club in the JPL

Our Junior Premier League page lists clubs whose public information names the JPL. That information may be incomplete or out of date, and a listed club may not have a JPL team in every age group, so check with the club which league its team plays in.