Parent's Guide to England Football Disability Football Ages 5-18 2026/27

Pan-disability football is for players with a broad range of impairments and health conditions playing together. It is the largest disability football pathway in England and where most competitive disability football happens: there are over 2,000 affiliated disability teams and more than 40 local pan-disability leagues.

• Ability banding: where there are enough teams, leagues band teams by ability so everyone has a suitable level to play at.
• Small-sided: leagues are usually small-sided. England Football's guidance doesn't set one national team size or match length, so check your league's format.
• Junior age bands: junior leagues use age bands of up to four years, typically Under 8, Under 12 and Under 16.
• Adults: no-one under 16 can play in adult pan-disability football.
• Women and girls: where there is no women-specific competition, The FA allows mixed adult competitions by dispensation.

Deaf players, players with cerebral palsy and frame users can all play pan-disability football as well as their impairment-specific format.

Yes. England Football runs national programmes that are open to disabled players:

To find a session or club near you, use England Football's Find Football tool (find.englandfootball.com). If you can't find a suitable opportunity, contact your County FA.

Yes. England Football lists mainstream clubs and leagues as one of the routes for disabled players, alongside pan-disability and impairment-specific football. Some rules help:

• Age group: a disabled child can apply for a dispensation to play in a younger age group where playing in their own age group would put them at a substantial disadvantage.
• Hearing aids and cochlear implants: deaf players may wear them in mainstream football. The player and/or their parents decide, not the referee. If one comes loose, the referee asks the player to leave the pitch to secure it.
• Prostheses: a prosthesis must be approved in advance for mainstream football; contact your County FA.
• Discrimination: The FA's Rules of the Association forbid any participant from discriminating by reason of disability, and abusive or insulting behaviour that refers to disability is an "aggravated breach" of the rules.

Yes, if The FA grants a dispensation.

The default rule: a child's age group is set by their age on 31 August (a child aged 7 on 31 August is Under 8 for that season). Under 15s can't play in a match where another player is two or more years older or younger. A child may "play up" one age group, but not down.

The exception: The FA's Rules of the Association 2026/27 (Rule C161.1) let The FA allow disabled children to play outside their birth-date age group, including "playing down", under its Dispensation Policy. The policy covers any child who:

• has a disability;
• has a mental disorder or chronic illness;
• has a significant physical developmental delay; or
• is schooled no more than one year behind their age group and would be at a substantial disadvantage in it.

(There are also pilot categories for lack of a local opportunity and for talent development, assessed by County FAs.)

When deciding, The FA must make sure no-one gains an unfair advantage, the system isn't abused, and the safety of all children comes first.

In youth disability football itself, leagues can use age bands of up to four years (for example Under 8, Under 12 and Under 16) rather than the usual two-year limit.

Applying: a parent or carer applies online through myaccount.thefa.com, using the child's FA Number (FAN) record, and submits the evidence with the application.

Evidence for a disability, mental health condition, chronic illness or significant physical developmental delay: a letter from a medical practitioner or other specialist, dated within the last 18 months, which:

1. identifies the child's condition;
2. identifies the characteristics of it that are relevant to playing outside their age group;
3. explains how those characteristics would put the child at a substantial disadvantage in their own age group;
4. explains how playing in another age group would remove or reduce that disadvantage;
5. identifies any increased or reduced risk to the child or other players; and
6. explains why it won't endanger the health and safety of the child or anyone else.

The FA recommends giving these six points to whoever writes the letter. Applications without clear evidence may be returned or closed.

Who decides: The FA's medical adviser assesses disability, mental health, chronic illness and developmental delay applications. The FA emails the outcome to the parent or carer and the County FA.

Small for their age? Being small alone does not qualify. The policy covers only children with a recognised disability, significant physical developmental delay, or who are schooled below their age group.

Under The FA's Dispensation Policy:

• Length: a dispensation is granted for a stated period, usually one football season, and may come with conditions. You may need to reapply for the next season.
• Changing teams: a dispensation granted for disability, mental health, chronic illness, significant physical developmental delay or schooling can transfer if your child moves between teams and clubs within the same age group. Tell The FA's first line triage team through the Grassroots Technology support pages.
• Own age group as well: your child can still play for a team in their own (birth-date) age group, and also for any team in the age group the dispensation covers.
• Only for your child: a dispensation can't be transferred to another child.

Clubs don't have to do a formal risk assessment when a player gets a dispensation, though The FA says updating the club's risk assessment is good practice. The County FA should tell its insurers about granted dispensations.

Yes, in youth football, and in some adult disability football.

• Under 7 to Under 18: The FA's Rules of the Association (2026/27, Rule J3) allow mixed matches in all youth age groups, including disability football.
• Under 17 and above in disability football: under Rule C170, The FA may grant a dispensation so a team at Under 17 level or above can field both male and female players, in line with its dispensation policy.
• Adult pan-disability football: where there are no women-specific opportunities, The FA allows mixed adult competitions by dispensation, so women still have somewhere to play.
• Powerchair football: players of all ages and genders play together.

CP football is for ambulant players with cerebral palsy, meaning they can move unaided. It uses the 11-a-side laws with adaptations.

Classification

• Players are classed from FT1 (significant impairment) to FT3 (minimal impairment), based on range of movement and where the impairment is.
• Each team must field at least one FT1 player. If it has none, it plays with one fewer player.
• No more than one FT3 player may be on the pitch at a time.

Rule adaptations

• No offside.
• Throw-ins or roll-ins are allowed; roll-ins help players with hemiplegia (paralysis of one side of the body).

CP players can play in mainstream football, pan-disability football or the National CP Football League (monthly fixtures, supported by CP Sport). Talented players can progress through the England Talent Pathway.

Powerchair football is an indoor game for players who use a powered wheelchair, or who have limited movement in a manual wheelchair. Players of all ages and genders can play together.

Rule adaptations (otherwise the IFAB Laws of the Game apply)

• Push-ins replace throw-ins.
• Only two defenders may be in their own penalty area at once (no limit on attackers).
• Two-on-one rule instead of offside: only one player from each team may be within 3m of the ball during play (except the goalkeeper in their own penalty area).
• Tackling is only allowed front guard to front guard. Contact with other parts of the chair, or ramming, isn't allowed.

Classification: in national league and international play, players are classed PT1 (more significant impairment) or PT2, and at least two PT1 players must be on court at all times. Regional and local competitions usually don't use classification.

The Wheelchair Football Association (WFA) runs the competitions, including a national league, six regional leagues and the WFA Cup.

Both are adapted versions of futsal, played 5 v 5 (maximum squad of 10) over two halves of 20 minutes, with the clock stopped when the ball is out of play. Goalkeepers are fully sighted.

Blind football

• Eligibility: B1 sight classification internationally. Domestically, the National Blind Football League also has a B1b class for players with a low B2 classification.
• All outfield players wear eye patches and an eye mask, so everyone plays on a level field.
• Players track a ball that rattles, and kickboards produce echoes that help them locate it.
• Players must shout "voy" before challenging an opponent.
• The goalkeeper stays in a small restricted area; if they distribute the ball to a team-mate in the opposition half, it must bounce before the halfway line.
• A team can commit up to 5 fouls per half; every foul after that gives an 8-metre penalty.
• Pitch 40m x 20m. Spectators must stay silent so players can hear the ball and instructions.

Partially sighted football

• Eligibility: B2 or B3 internationally; domestically B4 and B5 players can also take part.
• The ball must contrast in colour with the pitch and lines, there are no other markings on the playing area, and lighting must be even across the whole area for the whole match.
• The goalkeeper stays in the penalty area, and the same bounce rule applies when they distribute into the opposition half.

Hearing aids and cochlear implants

• Mainstream football: deaf players may wear hearing aids or cochlear implants. The player and/or their parents decide, not the referee. If a device comes loose during play, the referee should ask the player to leave the pitch to secure it.
• Domestic deaf football: hearing aids can be worn.
• International deaf football: players must remove hearing aids during matches.

Deaf-specific competition

• Eligibility: a hearing loss of at least 55 decibels (pure tone average) in the better ear.
• Laws: the 11-a-side laws apply, with one adaptation: the referee carries a flag, raised at the same time as blowing the whistle, so players have a visual signal.
• National Deaf League: 11-a-side, with national, north and south divisions, run by England Deaf Football.

Deaf players can also play in mainstream clubs and in pan-disability football. UK Deaf Sport is the national disability sports organisation for deaf athletes.

Frame football is for players with a physical impairment, such as cerebral palsy, stroke or an acquired brain injury, who use a posture walker (frame), cane or crutches to walk or run.

Rules

• Based on the futsal laws.
• Players must use a frame: either their own prescribed frame or a Game Frame designed for frame football (CP Sport runs a Game Frame rental service).
• Players can use the front wheels of the frame to help control the ball.
• Two-on-one rule: only one player from each team may be within 3m of the ball during play (the goalkeeper in their own penalty area is exempt).

Best played indoors on a flat, smooth surface, but grass and artificial pitches can be used. It is a developing format with no international pathway yet; several clubs run frame teams, and frame players can also join pan-disability football.

Amputee football is for players with an amputation or limb difference.

Players

• Internationally, outfield players are single-leg amputees who play without a prosthesis, using aluminium wrist crutches; goalkeepers are single-arm amputees.
• Domestically, players may choose to wear a prosthesis, and arm amputees can play outfield.

Rule adaptations

• No offside.
• Kick-ins replace throw-ins.
• No slide tackles.
• Striking the ball or another player with a crutch, or an outfield player touching the ball with their residual limb, is a direct free kick.
• The goalkeeper must stay in the penalty area; saving with the residual limb gives a penalty kick.

The England Amputee Football Association (EAFA) runs the England Amputee Football League (two divisions). In mainstream football, a prosthesis must be approved in advance; your County FA can explain how.