Coach's Guide to England Football Under 12-Under 13 9v9 Football 2026/27

The FA's Standard Code of Rules (2026/27) changes these rules when players move from 7v7 (Under 10-Under 11) to 9v9 (Under 12-Under 13):

Unchanged: goalkeepers, referees, corners, free kicks, the back-pass rule and rolling substitutes.

The 9v9 laws are The FA's Guide to 9v9 Football, which applies the Laws of the Game except where it says otherwise.

Yes. Offside comes in at Under 12 and applies in all 9v9 and 11v11 football. The FA's 9v9 laws use Law 11 of the Laws of the Game unchanged, so there is no special offside zone or line:

• A player is in an offside position if any part of their head, body or feet is in the opponents' half (not counting the halfway line) and nearer the opponents' goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent.
• Being in an offside position isn't an offence in itself. It's only penalised if the player becomes involved in active play when the ball is played by a team-mate.
• There's no offside offence directly from a goal kick, throw-in or corner kick.
• The restart is an indirect free kick where the offence happened.

There's no offside in mini-soccer (Under 7-Under 11), so for many Under 12 players this will be new.

• Matches must have equal halves. The two clubs can agree a shorter match with the referee before kick-off.
• At round-robin or tournament events, the maximum per half can't be exceeded, but the minimum can be shortened.
• The daily maximum covers every match a player plays that day (for example at a tournament or when playing for two teams).
• Kick-off times are set at the league's AGM and can only be changed by agreement between the two clubs, with notice to the league.

From The FA's Standard Code of Rules (2026/27), for Under 12 and Under 13:

• Overhead netting is not allowed for affiliated 9v9 matches.
• 3G pitches can be used only if they're on The FA's Register of Football Turf Pitches and have been tested by a FIFA-accredited test institute within the last three years.
• Complaints about pitch or goal dimensions are only considered if a protest is lodged with the referee before kick-off.

Under The FA's Standard Code of Rules (2026/27):

• Substitutions at Under 12 and Under 13 are rolling (return) substitutions: a substituted player becomes a substitute again and can replace any player, following Law 3. England Football's 9v9 guidance describes roll-off, roll-on substitutions at any time with the referee's permission.
• Each league sets how many substitutes a team may use, from 3 up to a maximum of 7. So the largest possible matchday squad is 16 (9 + 7).
• Substitutes must be named to the referee before kick-off, by the deadline in the league's rules. A player not named can't take part.
• A named substitute who doesn't get on isn't counted as having played.
• You need at least 6 players to play a 9v9 match.

The FA's best-practice recommendation from Under 8 upwards is equal playing time, with at least 50% for every player.

In matches: yes. Under 12 is the transition point where heading comes back into the game, as players move to secondary school. The deliberate-heading ban (FA Rule O) only covers Under 7 to Under 11.

In training, The FA's heading guidance for Under 12 and Under 13 says heading remains a very low priority:

• No more than one session a week that includes heading.
• No more than 5 headers per player in that session.
• Use light balls.
• Deliveries should be self-served or over short distances.
• Heading practice should always be unopposed.
• Focus on introducing correct technique.

For comparison, from Under 14 to Under 16 the limit rises to one session a week with up to 10 headers per player.

Under The FA's Standard Code of Rules (2026/27):

• Age group is set by age at midnight on 31 August: aged 11 = Under 12 (Year 7), aged 12 = Under 13 (Year 8).
• Players may play up one age group. Girls in all-girls teams may play an age group down in a mixed competition with approval.
• Two-year rule: a player under 15 on 31 August can't play in a match where any other player is two or more years older or younger than them.
• Every player must be registered through The FA's Player Registration System and approved by the league. Registrations last one season.
• A player can't play for two teams in the same age group in a league in one season without a transfer.
• Players registered with a Premier League or EFL academy can't play in grassroots leagues at this age (only Under 11 and below, with consent). FA Emerging Talent Centre or Professional Game Academy players can play, subject to those programmes' rules.
• Each team needs at least 9 registered players before the season starts, and at least 6 to play a match.
• School football takes priority, and a child's availability must be cleared with their head teacher (except for Sunday leagues).

Yes. League tables start at Under 12. The ban on publishing results and grading tables only covers Under 7 to Under 11.

Under The FA's Standard Code of Rules:

• Rankings are decided on points: 3 for a win, 1 for a draw. Matches can't be played for double points.
• If teams finish level on points, the league can hold a deciding match or let them share the position.
• Results must be reported to the league by the deadline and method it sets (for example FA Full-Time or FA Matchday), with players' names. Late or missing results can be fined.
• If a team withdraws before completing 75% of its fixtures, all its results are expunged.
• Playing an ineligible player costs the points from that match (up to 12 points in total) and a fine.

Promotion, relegation and play-offs are set in each league's own rules.

Sin bins (dissent): used in all grassroots football, including youth. The referee shows a yellow card and points to the touchline. In youth football the player sits out for 8 minutes with your bench and can only come back on at a stoppage; once the time is up you can bring on a substitute instead. A sin bin counts as a caution. If a sin-binned player commits another cautionable offence, it's a second yellow and a red card.

Cautions add up across the season (FA Disciplinary Regulations, 2026/27):

Sending-offs bring automatic suspensions, for example 1 match for a second caution or denying a goal-scoring chance, 2 for offensive, insulting or abusive language, 3 for serious foul play or violent conduct, and 6 for spitting. Each previous sending-off that season adds a match.

• Suspensions start on the seventh day after the offence.
• Players under 18 can't be fined by the league; where The FA or County FA fines a youth player, the club pays.
• An admin fee applies to each caution or sending-off notification, collected through the club.

From The FA's Standard Code of Rules and England Football's 9v9 guidance:

• Shin pads are compulsory, fully covered by knee-length socks.
• Footwear must suit the surface; no metal studs on 3G or artificial grass.
• No hoodies; no jewellery (Law 4).
• Shirts must all be numbered differently. A club can be fined up to £10 per shirt (maximum £30).
• Youth players' names must not appear on shirts.
• Goalkeepers wear colours that distinguish them from all other players and the officials. No player, including the goalkeeper, may wear black or very dark shirts.
• Shirt and shorts colours are registered with the league, and changes during the season need the league's permission.

Home team provides goal nets, corner flags and at least two size 4 footballs fit for play. Overhead netting is not allowed for affiliated 9v9 matches.

Anyone aged 16 or over in a potentially unsupervised role with under-18s, including grassroots coaches and managers, must hold an FA-accepted DBS Enhanced Criminal Record Check with Children's Barred List.

• Clubs and leagues must make sure the check was issued within the last three years.
• New coaches must have an accepted check before working unsupervised with children.
• When you renew, you can keep coaching once the renewal has been submitted to the DBS and shows as "in progress" on the FA Club Portal.
• Under The FA's Safeguarding Children Regulations, anyone who fails to comply with the safeguarding process is immediately suspended from football activity.