What's changing this season

If you've been involved in grassroots football before, you may notice some changes this season under the FA's updated Future Fit framework — our general Future Fit guide covers the overall logic; this is specifically about what's CHANGED for 2026-27.

The headline changes

  • A new 3v3 entry format for U7s — the youngest organised format, designed as a gentle first step into team football.
  • 11v11 moves from U13 to U14 — players spend an extra year in 9v9 before the jump to full-size football (see our U12-U13-U14 guides for what this means for coaching each age).
  • Heading phased out for U7-U11 — heading isn't part of training or matches at these ages (see our headers guide for the full detail).
  • New ball-size mapping — ball sizes for each age group have been updated; check with your club/league for the specific size now recommended for your child's age.

Why now?

Frameworks like Future Fit get periodically reviewed and updated based on ongoing research into player development and welfare — the heading change in particular reflects the same player-welfare research that's been an active area of focus across football (see our headers guide). Changes like the 11v11 timing shift reflect ongoing thinking about what format suits players at each stage of development.

What this means for your child specifically

If your child is moving into an age group affected by these changes (U7, U13-U14, or any age where heading guidance applies), the practical things to know: the FORMAT they'll play (check with your club for exact age-group mappings this season), and — for U7-U11 — that heading simply isn't part of what they'll be doing, which needs no action from you, just awareness.

Questions parents often ask

"Does this mean my child is behind/ahead compared to older siblings at the same age?" — No — frameworks change over time, and "what U12 looked like" naturally differs between cohorts a few years apart. This isn't a reflection of your child specifically.

"Do I need to buy new equipment because of the ball-size change?" — Possibly, depending on your child's age and what they currently have — check the new mapping for their specific age group (your club can confirm) before assuming either way.

Where to check official details

For the definitive, current specifics — exact age-group format mappings, ball sizes, any further detail — your club and county FA are the authoritative sources. This guide (and our broader Future Fit guide) explain the THINKING behind the framework; your club confirms exactly how it applies to your child's specific age group this season.

If your child has played under the old framework before

A player moving up an age group this season may notice the format or rules feel different from what an older sibling or teammate experienced at the same age a year or two ago — worth mentioning to your child directly if they bring it up, so they understand it's simply how the framework has evolved, not something unusual about their specific season or team.

What to do if you disagree with a change

Coaches and parents don't always love every framework change on first encounter — that's normal, and worth separating from whether to follow it. The FA and county FAs do take feedback through official channels (your county FA website is the place to start), which is a more useful outlet than raising disagreement on the touchline, where it mostly just confuses players who have no say in the framework either way.

Explaining a mid-season change to your child

Most Future Fit changes take effect at the start of a season rather than mid-year, but where a club does introduce something partway through (a new piece of guidance, a locally-applied rule), a short, matter-of-fact explanation works better than a long one — children generally accept "the rules for our age changed a bit" without needing the full research background that's aimed more at adults following the framework.

If your club seems slower to adopt a change than others

Different clubs and leagues sometimes roll out framework updates on slightly different timelines depending on facilities, volunteer capacity, or simply when their season's fixtures were already set — this doesn't necessarily mean your club is doing something wrong, though it's reasonable to ask your committee directly if you notice a clear and lasting gap between what the framework says and what your child's team is actually doing.