One of the first questions a new grassroots coach asks is a simple one. How many players are on the pitch for my age group? It sounds basic, but it decides your squad size, the goals you need, the ball you buy and how you set up training. This is the plain version for the 2026/27 season, and it matters more than usual this year because the FA has changed the ladder.
Age groups in youth football run by school year, not birthday. Your team's age band is the age the oldest players will be at the end of the season, so a team of children in school Year 3 plays as under 8s. Once you know your band, the format follows from it.
What is changing for 2026/27
The FA announced a set of youth football changes back in February, rolling out nationwide from the 2026/27 season under the name FutureFit, with some leagues adopting parts of it early. Two things are worth knowing up front. Under 7s now start on a brand new 3v3 format instead of 5v5, and 11v11 has been pushed back a year so it now begins at under 14s rather than under 13s. The thinking is the same across both: keep children in smaller formats for longer so they get more touches of the ball and more time actually playing. You can read the full detail on the FA's FutureFit hub, but here is the format ladder as it stands for the new season.
Under 7s: the new 3v3
This is the big change. The youngest players now start on 3v3, three against three, with small goals and no goalkeepers. There are no substitutes and no offside. Rather than one fixture, a matchday is built around several short games running at once, so every child plays as much as possible. The FA recommends a matchday squad of between 6 and 12 players and around 30 to 40 minutes of playing time each. There is no expectation to report results, and instead of a referee each pitch has a Pitch Facilitator, usually a coach or parent, keeping it safe and helping the children learn the rules as they go. The good news on kit is that you do not need permanent pitches. Up to four 3v3 pitches fit in the space of a single 5v5 area, and you can mark them out with cones or disks week to week. The Football Foundation has said it will offer a 3v3 goal support package, with details due at the League Conference in November.
Under 8s and under 9s: 5v5
Five against five, played on a small pitch with small goals, and still no offside at this age. This is where ball mastery and confidence get built, so keep sessions simple and let them play. Squads are usually around eight or nine, so everyone gets a proper share of game time. 5v5 has not gone away with the arrival of 3v3, it just now sits one rung up the ladder.
Under 10s and under 11s: 7v7
Seven against seven, and this is where goalkeepers come into it properly. The pitch is bigger, the games start to look more like the adult version, and you can begin introducing simple shape without drowning the players in tactics. Still no offside at 7v7. A lot of coaches find this the sweet spot for teaching the basics of positions while the game is still small enough for every child to be involved.
Under 12s and under 13s: 9v9
Nine against nine on a bigger pitch again, and this is the point where offside comes in. 9v9 is the bridge to the full game. Players get used to a back line, wide areas and a bit more distance to cover, but without the full 11v11 pitch being too much too soon. Under FutureFit some age groups now spend three seasons at a format rather than two, which is part of keeping children in the smaller games a little longer.
Under 14s and up: 11v11
Full 11v11 on a full pitch, with the standard Laws of the Game. This is the change at the top end. Where teams used to move up to the full game at under 13s, that now happens a year later at under 14s. From here up through under 15s, 16s and into youth and open age, it is the game you see on a Saturday afternoon, just on pitches sized for the age group.
Ball sizes by age
As a rough guide, the youngest age groups up to under 11 use a size 3 ball, under 12s and under 13s move to a size 4, and a full size 5 comes in from under 14 alongside the 11v11 game. Leagues can vary the exact detail, so check your league handbook before you order a set, but that is the shape of it. Buy for the age group you are actually coaching next season, not the one you had last year.
If your team is moving up a format
Stepping up a format, from 5v5 to 7v7 or 7v7 to 9v9, is one of the bigger jumps in youth football. Bigger pitch, more players, new demands. The mistake is to load them with tactics on day one. Give them a few pre-season weeks to get used to the extra space and the extra bodies, keep the messages simple, and let the game teach them. If you are moving into a new format for the first time, your league and county FA will have run sessions on the FutureFit changes, so it is worth asking what support is going before the season starts.
Once you know your format and your fixtures land, the admin is the same job it always is. Getting the season's games into one place, letting parents know where to be, and keeping the squad organised. That is the part Trac was built to take off your plate, and if your league runs on FA Full-Time you can import your fixtures in one go rather than typing them out. And if you are starting out with a young age group, our under 9s session plans are a simple place to begin. Sort the format, then get the boring bits done early, and pre-season will feel a lot calmer.