What's behind the FA’s 'FutureFit' strategy?

Source: England Football

When will the changes happen?

The changes will come into place from the 2026-27 season.

The table above depicts what these changes will look like for each age group from the current season, through to the 2029-30 season. 

Note that the U4s-U6s will remain the ’play phase’, in which players don’t play matches.

Why is the FA making these changes?

The FA cites two influencing themes that are driving these changes. They are:

• Championing children’s rights 
  ’Together we recognise that all children have rights and it’s our responsibility as adults to continually honour these for all children who play football’
• Promoting the spirit of the game
  ‘Equally, importantly, we will uphold the spirit of the game; not all football looks the same, but there’s a spirit that exists whatever the format of play.
  ’That spirit is built around the basics of the game, two teams respectfully competing, trying to stop their opponent from scoring, while themselves trying to score.
  ’The emotions we feel and the lessons we learn are a shared experience’.

The Football Association feels the changes brought about in the FutureFit scheme address these themes by:

• Maximising engagement and providing the best introduction to football, including:
  - Giving all children lots of chances to play the game in a variety of different ways
  - Developing coaches who approach learning and teaching in a way that grows the person and player through the games they play
  - Creating safe, fun and inclusive spaces for all children, both on and off the field
  - Helping parents, carers and families make football the best place for all children
• Giving players more time on the ball, more time on the pitch and increasing their physical activity levels
• Allowing players to move more in more technical ways.

Future plans

Over the course of 2025 and 2026, the FA will be working with coaches, clubs and leagues across England to ensure they understand all of the changes.

They have published the following schedule:

• March 2025
  - Begin sharing the changes
  - FutureFit online event
  - FutureFit County FA roadshows
• September 2025
  - Share a full plan with all audiences, so they know when the relevant support and resources will be made available
• September 2026
  - Roll out of changes

All resources, tools and updates will be shared through the FutureFit Digital Content Hub.

Beyond these changes, the FA is planning future consultations as it continues to assess how it structures seasons, delivers competition and uses the soccer formats to keep players playing for longer.