Young goalkeepers in England: a guide for parents

The goals get bigger as your child does

Under 8 to Under 11 play with 12ft by 6ft goals, in 5v5 and then 7v7. England Football’s formats move to 16ft by 7ft goals at Under 12 and Under 13, recommend 21ft by 7ft goals at Under 14, and recommend 24ft by 8ft from Under 15. Each step up can take some adjusting to for a keeper. Our England age group rules page has the full table.

Staying in goal or playing outfield

England Football’s guidance on trying different positions (opens in a new tab) says being “dead set on playing in goal” is “not a bad thing”, and suggests playing keepers outfield in training and matches so they develop their ability on the ball. Its guidance on developing a skilful goalkeeper (opens in a new tab) tells coaches to avoid pigeonholing players into set positions, especially in younger age groups. Neither gives an age for staying in goal full time.

What that means for you depends on your child. These are our suggestions, not rules:

• If your child loves goal and does not want to rotate, ask the coach how they balance time in goal with time outfield, and let your child hear the reason. Outfield time is part of becoming a better keeper, not a punishment.
• If your child does not want to go in goal, say so to the coach. England Football’s guidance on coaching goalkeepers (opens in a new tab) recognises that some children find it daunting.
• If your child worries about mistakes, see “After a goal goes in” below.
• If the club does no goalkeeper work, ask what the keepers do in training. England Football’s guidance criticises leaving keepers to face shots for a whole session, and tells coaches to plan keepers into their practices.

Playing time is a separate question. For Under 8 and above, The FA recommends equal playing time, with at least half as best practice. That is guidance, not an individual guarantee of minutes in every match. Our guide to playing time in youth football explains it.

What to ask your child’s coach

These questions follow England Football’s coaching guidance. They are for a conversation, not a test, and the answers will differ between clubs:

1. How do you balance my child’s time in goal and outfield, in training and in matches?
2. Are the keepers part of the main training practices, or mainly facing shots?
3. How do you share the goalkeeper role across the team, and does playing time stay fair for whoever is in goal?
4. What happens if my child wants to stay in goal, or does not want to go in at all?
5. How do you talk to a keeper after a mistake?

After a goal goes in

A keeper’s mistakes can end up in the net, in front of everyone. England Football tells coaches to praise a keeper’s intent over the execution, because that encourages them to try again and builds confidence. The same approach can help from the touchline: notice a brave decision to come for the ball, even if it did not work. Later, if your child wants to talk about it, a question like “What did you see when the striker came through?” can open a conversation about the decision rather than the goal. If they would rather leave football behind for a while, respect that too.

Rules for keepers at younger ages

In the 5v5 and 7v7 formats, The FA’s format guidance (opens in a new tab) has a retreat line: the team without the ball at a goal line restart must go back to its own half until the ball is in play. That means the other team drops back before a keeper restarts play. The FA adapts other rules for each format, so ask the club how matches at your child’s age are run.

In the full Laws of the Game, the 2026/27 Laws (opens in a new tab) say a keeper may not handle the ball when a team-mate deliberately kicks it to them, or throws it to them straight from a throw-in, and a keeper who holds the ball in their hands for more than eight seconds gives away a corner. Ask the club whether these apply in your child’s league.

In affiliated grassroots matches up to Under 11, deliberate heading is not allowed in 2026/27. Our guide to heading in youth football explains the rule, where it applies and the training guidance.

Kit

Under Law 4 of the Laws of the Game (opens in a new tab), a keeper must wear colours that stand out from the other players and the match officials, and shin pads like every player. Gloves are allowed, not required, and keepers may wear tracksuit bottoms. A league or club can set its own kit rules, so ask the coach what the team uses for a keeper’s top. Our guide to kit and equipment covers the rest.

Safety

• Goals. The FA’s goalpost safety guidance (opens in a new tab) says goals must always be anchored securely to the ground or have a weighted back bar, and no one should climb on or swing from them. A keeper plays close to the goal, so it is fair to ask the club how its goals are secured.
• Head injuries. If a keeper has a suspected concussion, the UK guidance for grassroots sport is “If In Doubt, Sit Them Out”. The FA’s concussion guidelines (opens in a new tab) build a return in stages, and at one stage say goalkeeper activities should avoid diving and any risk of the head being hit by a ball. Our guide to concussion in grassroots football covers the full return to play.
• Fingers. The NHS broken finger page (opens in a new tab) says to go to A&E if a finger is pointing at an odd angle, looks blue or feels numb, or a bone is showing, and to get help from NHS 111 if it is painful, swollen, bruised or stiff.

If you are thinking about paying for private goalkeeping coaching, our guide to private football coaching for children covers the checks to make first.

If your child is noticed as a keeper

For girls, England Football runs a goalkeeping talent programme (opens in a new tab) within the women’s talent pathway. It says it wants to hear about any player, from anywhere, at any time, and asks people involved in the game to nominate girls. Our guide to the girls’ talent pathway explains how the pathway works. If a scout or an academy approaches your child, our guides to how football scouts find young players and football academy trials explain what the rules say and how to check an approach.