The Football Association has brought in a new three-versus-three match structure for under-seven players across England, replacing the previous five-a-side game as part of an effort to increase technical engagement at grassroots level.
The change, introduced this season, eliminates goalkeepers, referees and substitutes, ensuring that all participants remain constantly involved in the action. The decision follows two years of research conducted by the FA alongside Liverpool John Moores University, which examined more than 400 youth matches from under-six to under-14 levels.
"All of the research done demonstrates that those players having more touches of the ball are more engaged in the game," said John Folwell, the FA's head of grassroots coach development. "They are also making more decisions and are engaged in more physical activity, so that is the thinking behind it."
Under the FA guidelines, football for children under seven is intended to prioritise enjoyment over competitiveness or tactical instruction. Goalkeepers will be reintroduced at the under-eight level, when children advance to five-a-side matches. The governing body argued that early positional specialisation is unnecessary, pointing out that players still develop defensive and blocking instincts, while citing England goalkeeper Hannah Hampton as an example of a player who started outfield.
Grassroots coaches have nonetheless reported practical challenges during the initial rollout. At Collingham FC in Nottinghamshire, under-seven coach Michael Bland noted that running multiple smaller pitches simultaneously tests supervision, saying: "It is the self-officiating, dangerous tackles flying in and trying to teach the kids what a safe tackle is." Mick Goodwin, another youth coach, warned that a single dominant child could take control of matches, though he believed the format could work well once refined.
The change mirrors youth development systems already in place in countries such as Germany, the Netherlands and Norway. The debate over English technical development recently resurfaced after national team manager Thomas Tuchel noted following a World Cup loss to Argentina that dominating possession was "maybe not in our DNA like it is in the Spanish DNA or Argentinian or Brazilian DNA".
