From the 2026-27 season onwards, The Football Association (FA) will make changes in England to maximise children’s experience of the game.

These changes include:

Introduce 3v3
3v3 will be the entry format for players at U7s so they get to be more involved in the play and have the best introduction to football.

Maintain Smaller Formats
Smaller formats make players move more, in more technical ways. 11v11 will now be introduced at U14s so players get to play smaller formats for longer.

Evolve the Laws of the Game
We’ll adjust game restarts so there’s more ball in play time, and more complex rules will be added as players go into secondary education. This way, the rules are age appropriate for the right format and support every child’s development.

You can read more about the changes here: