English football shifts to three-a-side for under-sevens to boost skills

Young players in England are now playing three-a-side matches instead of five-a-side at the under-seven level under a new format introduced by the Football Association.

The New Format

The updated format removes goalkeepers and referees from under-seven matches to increase how often children touch the ball and score goals. This change follows two years of research by the FA alongside Liverpool John Moores University, which included analyzing over 400 games ranging from under-six to under-fourteen levels. John Folwell, the FA's head of grassroots coach development, stated that research shows players get more involved, make more choices, and stay physically active since nobody sits on the sidelines as a substitute or stands still in goal.

Challenges and Concerns

Coaches and parents have pointed out practical difficulties with the new setup. Michael Bland, who coaches the under-seven team at Collingham FC in Nottinghamshire, noted that running multiple small pitches at once creates monitoring challenges when parents are at work, alongside issues with self-officiating and teaching safe tackles. Longtime youth coach Mick Goodwin raised worries that a single dominant player might hog the ball and shoot from the halfway line, though he acknowledged the concept just needs some fine-tuning. Other parents noted that kids are learning better passing and defense without a fixed goalie, while some players mentioned open goals make scoring easier.

Context

This shift addresses long-term concerns about English teams lacking the ball control seen in nations like Spain, Argentina, or Brazil. By reshaping how children learn the game at the grassroots level, the FA hopes to alter the core style of English football over time.