Guides ›
FA FutureFit formats by age group, 2026/27
From the 2026/27 season the FA's FutureFit pathway sets the match format for every youth age group in England. Here's the table, what it means for you, and how to plan a squad around it.
The formats by age group
| Age group | Format | What it means for your squad |
|---|---|---|
| U7 | 3v3 | Tiny teams, lots of touches, rotate constantly. A squad of 8 to 10 keeps everyone playing. |
| U8 and U9 | 5v5 | First proper goalkeeper. A squad of 8 to 10 gives you three subs and a spare keeper. |
| U10 and U11 | 7v7 | Shapes start to matter (2-3-1, 3-2-1). Squad of 10 to 12. |
| U12 and U13 | 9v9 | The big jump: two more outfield players and a wider pitch. Squad of 12 to 14, and positions really start to count. |
| U14 and up | 11v11 | Full-size football. Squad of 14 to 18, and now you need a bench that covers every unit. |
These are the pathway formats, and they're what Team Selector recommends for each age group in England. Pitch sizes, match lengths and ball sizes are set in your county FA's and league's handbook for the season, so check those there rather than here; they're the bit that changes most.
Scotland, Wales and Ireland are different
If you coach outside England, the ladder looks similar but the steps land in different years. Scotland's Player Journey has U11 and U12 at 9v9 and U13 at 11v11. Wales (FAW) starts at 4v4 for U7. The FAI pathway in Ireland moves to 11v11 at U13. Northern Ireland is part way through a new framework. Team Selector has all of these as a per-country table, so pick your football country in the Club tab and the recommendation follows.
What changes when you move up a format
Your keeper situation. At 5v5 and 7v7 a rotating keeper is normal and healthy. By 9v9 you want two players who are happy in goal, because one of them will be on holiday for the cup game. Track it, don't guess it.
Positions become real. At 7v7 a player can be "a defender" and that's enough. At 9v9 and 11v11 the difference between a centre-back and a full-back starts to matter, and so does having cover for both. This is the season to start writing down a preferred position and an alternative for every player.
The bench gets political. Bigger format, bigger squad, more subs, more parents watching the clock. A subs cap you set before the game and a bench you can justify (balanced across positions, or simply your next strongest) saves you a conversation at full time.
Planning a squad for the season
Work backwards from the format. For 7v7 you need 7 on the pitch and, realistically, 3 or 4 subs, so 10 to 12 players who turn up. For 9v9 it's 12 to 14. For 11v11 it's 14 to 18. Fewer than that and one bug going round the school leaves you short. More than that and you're managing minutes, not football.
Then write the squad down somewhere that isn't your head: name, a rating you'd be comfortable explaining, a preferred position, an alternative, and whether they're available this week. That list is the whole job. Once it exists, picking the team is a thirty-second decision instead of a Saturday night one.
A note on the recommendation, not the rule
Your league may run a format one step either side of the table for good reasons (pitch availability, small age groups, a tournament). The pathway is what the FA wants as the default for development, and it's what we recommend in the app. Nothing in Team Selector locks you to it. If your U11s play 9v9 this season, pick 9v9.
Team Selector does this for you
Add your squad once with a rating and a position each. One tap picks the team for your format, one tap balances training, one tap shares the team sheet. Pay once, no accounts, nothing leaves your phone.