Coach's Guide to England Football Under 8-Under 11 Mini-Soccer 2026/27

• Leagues set their own match length up to the maximum, and the two clubs can agree a shorter game with the referee before kick-off. Halves must be equal.
• Matches for Under 8 to Under 11 can be played in halves or quarters; the league's rules say which.
• Half-time should be no more than 5 minutes.
• At round-robin or trophy events, the maximum per half can't be exceeded.
• The daily maximum covers every game a child plays that day. The club and/or the parent or carer is responsible for not exceeding it.

• Rolling substitutions: any number, at any time, with the referee's permission. Players come on only during a stoppage, and a player who has been substituted can go back on.
• Matchday squad: no more than double the team size: 10 for 5v5 (Under 8-Under 9) and 14 for 7v7 (Under 10-Under 11).
• Minimum to play: 4 players for 5v5, 5 for 7v7.
• Playing time: The FA's best-practice recommendation is equal playing time, with at least 50% of each game for every player.

If you have big numbers, The FA recommends splitting into smaller games where facilities allow. For example, two Under 8 teams of 7 registered players each could play a 4v4 and a 3v3 instead of a 5v5 with two subs each. Outside trophy events, coaches can be flexible with formats.

The retreat line applies in all mini-soccer (Under 7 to Under 11) in 2026/27.

• When a goal kick is taken, the team without the ball must retreat into its own half (the halfway line is the retreat line) and stay there until the ball is in play.
• The ball is in play when it is kicked and clearly moves. The defending team can then press to win it back.
• A goal kick can be taken from anywhere in the penalty area and by any player on the team with the ball, not just the goalkeeper.
• There's no offside in mini-soccer, so players can be anywhere on the pitch at any time except when the retreat line is in force.

The FA's reasoning: giving the team in possession time and space encourages them to play out from the back rather than kick long. The FA's insights show it increases passing sequences and technical involvement.

The retreat line stops at Under 12 (9v9).

Throw-ins are not used for Under 7 to Under 11. When the whole of the ball crosses the touchline (on the ground or in the air), the other team restarts with a pass-in or dribble-in:

• The ball must be stationary on the touchline where it went out. Only the kicker may be off the pitch.
• All opponents must be at least 5 yards from the restart point in 5v5 and 7v7 (3 m in 3v3).
• The ball is in play when it is kicked and clearly moves.
• The player taking a pass-in may touch the ball again before anyone else does, so they can dribble straight in.
• A goal can't be scored directly from a pass-in.

The FA's coaching guidance is to let players choose between passing and dribbling based on the situation, rather than instructing them from the sideline.

Power Play is an optional FA-approved rule that mini-soccer leagues can adopt so an imbalance in ability doesn't spoil the game. It only applies where the league has adopted it, and only in 5v5 and 7v7 (never 3v3).

• A team losing by 4 goals can put on one extra player (5v5 becomes 6v5; 7v7 becomes 8v7).
• If it goes on to be losing by 6 goals, it can add a further player (7v5 or 9v7).
• When the gap drops back below the trigger, the team takes a player off. It doesn't have to be the player who came on.

The FA's worked example (Red v Blue):

From the Laws of Mini-Soccer in The FA's Mini-Soccer Handbook (2026/27):

• Free kicks: all free kicks are direct, except for a deliberate header (indirect). Opponents must be 5 yards from the ball.
• Back-pass rule: the goalkeeper can't pick up a ball deliberately kicked to them by a team-mate. The free kick is taken on the penalty area line closest to where it happened.
• Penalty kicks: given for a foul by a defender in their penalty area. Everyone except the kicker and goalkeeper must be outside the penalty area and at least 5 yards from the penalty mark. The ball must be kicked forward.
• Kick-offs: from the centre mark, in any direction, with opponents 5 yards away in their own half. A goal can't be scored directly from a kick-off or a dropped ball.
• Corners: defenders stay 5 yards away until the ball is in play; the taker can't touch it again until another player has.
• Offside: there is no offside in mini-soccer.

In matches: no deliberate heading for Under 7 up to and including Under 11 (FA Rule O, every affiliated league must apply it).

• A deliberate header gives the opposition an indirect free kick where it happened.
• A deliberate header inside the player's own penalty area is restarted with an indirect free kick to the opposition on the nearest line of the penalty area.
• There's no disciplinary sanction unless a player persistently heads the ball deliberately, which could be a caution.

In training: The FA's guidance is that heading should not be introduced in training sessions for Under 5s to Under 11s. Use the time on ball mastery and other skills instead.

Heading is introduced in matches from Under 12, with limited, unopposed heading practice in training (no more than one session a week and five headers).

No league tables for Under 7 to Under 11. Leagues and clubs may collect results but must not publish results or grading tables for these age groups. A club that does can be fined (up to £50 under the Standard Code fines tariff).

Trophy events are allowed, up to 3 per season:

At trophy events, trophies or mementos can be awarded and the event's results can be published. In round-robin or trophy formats, the maximum time per half can't be exceeded, though the minimum can be shortened.

Outside trophy events, The FA encourages flexible fixtures in different formats, such as two small-sided games instead of one 5v5.

• Where the league hasn't appointed a referee, the two clubs agree on one. That person has the full powers of a registered referee for the match.
• Anyone who referees mini-soccer can apply the Laws of Mini-Soccer even if they are not a qualified referee.
• Assistant referees are not required in mini-soccer.
• Nobody under 14 may referee or run the line in any league match. Referees aged 14-16 can only officiate age groups at least one year younger than themselves (for example, a 15-year-old can referee Under 14 and below).
• Referees should help the players learn by explaining their decisions.
• Match officials must have done a Respect briefing run by The FA, County FA or the league.

At Under 7 (3v3) there is no referee, just an adult facilitator.

Home team (FA Standard Code of Rules):

• Provide goal nets, corner flags and at least two footballs fit for play (size 3). The referee reports unsuitable balls to the league.
• Tell the opposition and referee the venue, kick-off time and kit colours (including goalkeeper) in advance, and advise on footwear when confirming the fixture.
• Goals are 12ft x 6ft for 5v5 and 7v7. Overhead netting is allowed for mini-soccer only if it is at least 6 m high.

Players:

• Shin pads are compulsory, fully covered by knee-length socks.
• Footwear suitable for the surface; no metal studs on 3G or artificial grass.
• No hoodies; no jewellery (Law 4).
• Goalkeepers wear a different colour from team-mates and officials. No player may wear black or very dark shirts.
• Shirts must all have different numbers.

If both teams' colours clash in the referee's opinion, the team named in the league's rules changes.

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

• Age group is set by the player's age at midnight on 31 August: aged 7 = Under 8, aged 8 = Under 9, aged 9 = Under 10, aged 10 = Under 11.
• A player may play up in the age group above, whatever the format, and the age-group rules apply to training as well as matches. Girls in all-girls teams may play an age group down in a mixed competition with approval.
• 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 without a transfer.
• Before the season, each team must have at least 5 registered players for 5v5 or 7 for 7v7.
• Players registered with a Premier League or EFL academy can only play in grassroots leagues at Under 11 and below, and only with consent from the Premier League or EFL (which can be withdrawn). Trial players aren't affected.
• Players aged 10 and over crossing borders (including from Wales, Scotland and Ireland) need international clearance.

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.