The youngest players in English football are starting this season on a different footing. Under the FA’s FutureFit programme, under-7s now begin with 3v3, the move to 11-a-side comes a year later, and the rules around restarts have changed. If you coach, run a club or drive a child to Saturday morning matches, here is what has changed and what has not.
What the FA Has Confirmed
The FA’s official FutureFit pages set out the headline changes for the 2026/27 season onwards:
- Under-7s: 3v3 becomes the entry format.
- Under-14s: 11v11 is introduced at this age.
- Smaller formats for longer: children stay in smaller-sided games for more of their development before stepping up.
- Restarts: game restarts change so the ball stays in play for longer.
- Rules: more complex rules are added as players move into secondary school age.
- Youth Development Framework: a new framework describes the experience the FA wants children to have.
The reason given is simple. Smaller formats mean more physical activity and more touches on the ball for each child, so players stay in them for longer as they progress.
How the Pathway Shifts
According to Team Grassroots‘ summary of the FA’s guidance, each format is introduced one year later than before. Three points on the ladder are clear:
| Age group | What changes |
|---|---|
| Under-7 | Entry format moves from 5v5 to 3v3 |
| Under-13 | Players stay in 9v9 for an extra season |
| Under-14 | 11v11 begins here instead of at under-13 |
The FA’s own pages do not spell out the formats for under-8 to under-12, so check your county FA or the Youth Development Framework for the age group you coach.
What Under-7 3v3 Looks Like
Two separate Team Grassroots summaries of the FA’s guidance agree on these points:
- No goalkeepers and no substitutes
- Recommended matchday squads of 6 to 12 players
- Adult pitch facilitators instead of a referee, with the FA’s guidance calling for DBS-checked adults
- 30 to 40 minutes of playing time per child, with a maximum of 60
- Up to four 3v3 pitches in the space once used for a single 5v5 pitch, with a minimum size of 10m by 15m for each 3v3 pitch compared with 27m by 37m for a 5v5 pitch
- Multiple games running at once, so match results are not expected to be reported
One of the two summaries adds these details, so confirm them with your county FA before planning sessions:
- No heading and no penalty kicks
- Short games of roughly 6 to 10 minutes, with players rotating between pitches
- Games start with a high five, and rock, paper, scissors decides who kicks off
Team Grassroots also reports that some age groups will play three seasons in one format instead of two to ease the transition, and that the same pathway is planned for girls and boys because the FA’s research found no need for separate formats.
Restarts: Keeping the Ball Moving
For restarts from the touchline, corners, goal lines and free kicks, players can dribble or pass the ball back into play. Opponents must stay at least three metres away, and at goal-line restarts the opposition retreats into its own half. The aim is fewer stoppages and more football.
Why the FA Says It Is Doing This
FA Director of Football Development James Kendall described the approach as “evolution, not revolution”, according to Team Grassroots. The changes follow a two-year consultation with the grassroots community and European FAs, along with research by Liverpool John Moores University that studied more than 400 grassroots games from under-6 to under-14.
What Clubs Can Do Now
- Plan your space. Four 3v3 pitches in one 5v5 area means fewer touchline conflicts but more marking out, so check how your venue will be laid out.
- Recruit facilitators. With no referee at under-7, you need adults who can run a pitch calmly and positively. Our guide to what it really costs to run a grassroots club is a useful reality check on volunteer and equipment budgets.
- Brief parents early. The shift away from results at this age is a cultural change as much as a rule change. Explaining it before the first match avoids sideline confusion.
- Check your kit. Our grassroots equipment checklist covers what a club should have to hand, including small goals. Team Grassroots reports that the Football Foundation will offer a 3v3 Goal Support Package, with details due at the League Conference in November, so it may be worth holding off on a large goal purchase until then.
What Has Not Been Decided
The FA says it is still exploring how seasons and competitions are structured and that further consultation is planned. No details have been confirmed, so treat anything you hear about league structures or fixtures beyond the formats above as unconfirmed until the FA or your county FA says otherwise.
For the bigger picture, see our explainer on the FA’s four-year plan for grassroots football.