Youth football rules by age group in England, 2026/27
Match format, ball size, heading and how many adults, for every age from U5 to U18 and for adult teams, under the FA's rules in England. Bibs On builds every plan from this same table, and the sources at the end link to the FA pages behind it.
Last updated: 26 October 2026
U5 and U6
- Match format
- Games, not matches
- Ball
- Size 3
- Heading in training
- None
- Restarts
- Pass-in or dribble-in
- Adults
- One for every six players
The FA doesn't allow matches for children under six, so a session ends with a game, never a match.
U7
- Match format
- 3v3
- Ball
- Size 3
- Heading in training
- None
- Restarts
- Pass-in or dribble-in
- Adults
- One for every six players
3v3 has no goalkeepers and no substitutes. Games last 6 to 10 minutes, and a goal only counts from the other team's half.
U8 and U9
- Match format
- 5v5
- Ball
- Size 3
- Heading in training
- None
- Restarts
- Pass-in or dribble-in
- Adults
- One for every six players
Pass-ins or dribble-ins replace throw-ins, and nobody can score straight from one. With one adult for every six players, 12 players need two adults and 13 need three.
U10 and U11
- Match format
- 7v7
- Ball
- Size 3
- Heading in training
- None
- Restarts
- Pass-in or dribble-in
- Adults
- One for every eight players
U12 and U13
- Match format
- 9v9
- Ball
- Size 4
- Heading in training
- One session a week, up to 5 headers, unopposed
- Restarts
- Throw-in
- Adults
- One for every eight players
U14 to U18
- Match format
- 11v11
- Ball
- Size 5
- Heading in training
- One session a week, up to 10 headers, light ball
- Restarts
- Throw-in
- Adults
- One for every 10 players
Adult teams
- Match format
- 11v11
- Ball
- Size 5
- Heading in training
- One session a week, up to 10 headers
- Restarts
- Throw-in
- Adults
- No ratio
The ratios are for children. A 16 or 17-year-old in an open-age squad is still a child for safeguarding, so count them when you work out the adults.
Every youth session needs at least two DBS-checked adults, whatever the ratio says.
What changed for 2026/27
The FA's FutureFit formats apply from 2026/27: 3v3 at Under 7, 5v5 at Under 8 and 9, 7v7 at Under 10 and 11, 9v9 at Under 12 and 13, and 11v11 from Under 14. Older pages may still show last season's formats.
Deliberate heading has now left matches up to U11, one age group at a time: U7 to U9 in 2024/25, U10 in 2025/26 and U11 in 2026/27. From U12, heading is part of the game.
A format is a ceiling for match-style games. It isn't a rule for every practice, and smaller games in training are often better.
Questions coaches ask
- Can U10s head the ball?
- No. FA guidance is no heading in training until U12, and deliberate heading left U10 matches in 2025/26.
- What size ball does U12 use?
- Size 4 at U12 and U13, then size 5 from U14.
- How many adults do I need for 14 U9s?
- Three. U9 is one adult for every six players, so 14 players need three once you round up, and never fewer than two.
- Where are pitch sizes and match lengths?
- On the FA's FutureFit pages, linked below. This page lists only the rules Bibs On plans with, so it shows no figure we haven't checked.
- Do these rules apply in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland?
- No. These are the FA's rules, and the FA runs football in England. The Scottish FA, the Football Association of Wales and the Irish FA set their own formats and rules, so check with your league.
Sources
FA guidance on adult to child ratios
England Football: how to play and manage 3v3 games
Bibs On is not affiliated with The FA. Your league can add rules of its own, so check its handbook too.