As young players within Leicestershire and Rutland get older, the format of football they play changes. 5v5 moves on to 7v7, which in turn develops to 9v9 before transitioning to 11v11

Although the changing format in youth football is absolutely right for player development, it can cause some challenges for teams wishing to make the transition to the next format of the game, especially teams with a low squad numbers. In the past, this has commonly been those teams at Under-10 and Under-12.

Shaun Waite, Football Development Officer (Participation) said, “As a County FA, we want to support those teams that are enduring challenges to transition into the next format of football, and in turn prevent the potential drop-out of young players age these age groups.”

At present, the changing formats in relation to youth football are as follows:

With this in mind working with Leagues and Clubs, the County FA has produced a “Youth Transition Recruitment” document, which outlines a list of teams actively looking for players at u10 U u12 in advance of next season, 2018-19.

If you are a club looking to signpost players where they are most needed, or a parent or player looking for a team at this age group, this list of team would be a strong starting point.

To download the “Youth Transition Recruitment” document, please click here.

For more information, or to add your club’s name to the list requiring additional players, please email Shaun Waite, Football Development Officer (Participation), shaun.waite@leicestershirefa.com, 0116 284 4951.