You are a youth coordinator. This season you have to explain to parents, coaches and referee helpers how youth football, or soccer as it is known in North America, now works for the youngest age groups: why there are now four goals instead of two, why no league table is kept, why a player is substituted after every goal, and why your six-year-old suddenly plays 2v2 instead of 7v7. Perhaps the first match day in the new format is already coming up, perhaps you have to take a position at the next parent evening. You need an overview that sticks.
This article gives you exactly that. You get a breakdown of the DFB game formats for G youth (U6/U7), F youth (U8/U9) and E youth (U10/U11), the reasoning behind the reform, a FAQ section for parent evenings and a four-step transition plan for your club.
What has changed: the DFB children's football reform
The DFB Congress officially adopted the new game formats for children's football on 11 March 2022, following a proposal by the DFB Youth Congress in January of the same year. Since the 2024/25 season the new rules have been binding across Germany. Before that there was a two-year transition period during which clubs and state FAs could introduce the system. By 2026 the reform is no longer a novelty but the standard, with minor regional differences in the implementation regulations of individual state FAs.
The age groups affected are G youth (U6/U7), F youth (U8/U9) and E youth (U10/U11). Each age group has several format options that the club can choose depending on squad size, training level and time of season. The formats at a glance:
- G youth (U6/U7): 2v2 or 3v3 on four mini-goals, no goalkeeper, festival format, no championship round.
- F youth (U8/U9): 3v3, 4v4 or 5v5, on four mini-goals or two small-sided goals. Festival or tournament mode, still no championship round.
- E youth (U10/U11): 4v4, 5v5, 6v6 or 7v7 with a goalkeeper, in practice most commonly 5v5 or 7v7 on two small-sided goals. Festival, tournament or league possible, depending on the state FA.
Only from D youth (U12/U13) onwards do teams play again in fixed squads with a league table, depending on the state FA in 7v7, 8v8 or 9v9. Classic 11v11 with a full table and cup begins in C youth (U14/U15). The reform concept therefore covers G youth through to E youth. Jumping straight into classic competition before that would have been too big a step.
Age-group roadmap: from Bambini to C youth
Where the reform concept ends and competition begins
Source: DFB Youth Regulations, Annex IV (as of 15 July 2024)
Why the reform: four problems the old system had
The reform does not come out of nowhere. Four problems had occupied the DFB and the state FAs for years, and the old system solved none of them. Understanding this lets you explain the reform even to the sceptical club colleague.
1. Too few ball contacts per child. In 9v9 or 7v7 an eight- or nine-year-old touches the ball on average very rarely per match. Weaker players often almost never. A player who does not touch the ball learns nothing. In 3v3 ball contacts per child multiply because fewer players share the space. That is exactly the DFB's main argument: the smaller the groups, the more ball contacts each individual gets.
Ball contacts per child: 11v11 vs. 4v4
In small-sided formats ball actions per child multiply.
Source: Wein, H. (2004). Entwicklung der Spielintelligenz im Fußball.
2. League tables and result pressure too early. Six-year-olds do not understand standings. Coaches and parents do, and that is exactly the problem. Where there is a table, teams play to win, the weaker player stays on the bench, the stronger one becomes the focal point. The festival format without a championship round removes the pressure at the age when it would not have taught anything anyway.
3. Too complex for the age group. Seven teammates, two large goals, a goalkeeper, tactical shifting movements: this exceeds the cognitive capacity of a six- to eight-year-old. They can copy it, but they do not understand it. A game format with a clear task (four goals, two teammates, find the gap) matches the age group.
4. Dropout rate at puberty. Studies by the DFB and the state FAs show the same finding across decades: many children stop playing club football by C youth at the latest, often earlier. One reason is a lack of self-efficacy. Why puberty costs talent and how to retain it is covered in our talent development guide. A child who is substituted on for the third time and then never receives the ball loses interest. More ball contacts and no focus on the table are meant to change exactly that.
The reform is therefore not a pedagogical trend but a direct response to four unresolved problems. Anyone who explains it this way at a parent evening has already won half the discussion.
G youth (U6/U7): 2v2 or 3v3 with four mini-goals
The G youth game formats are the most radical change compared with the old system. Instead of structured games with coach guidance there is a festival format with minimal adult involvement.
Pitch and goals. Several small pitches in parallel: in 2v2 approximately 16 by 20 metres, in 3v3 approximately 25 by 20 metres. Per pitch four mini-goals (two per team to defend), maximum 2 by 1.2 metres. Anyone without mini-goals marks them with cones or poles. No goalkeeper, no penalty area, no corner flags.
Shooting zone. In 2v2 the halfway line is the shooting zone, goals only count if a player shoots the ball from the opposing half. In 3v3 a 6-metre shooting zone applies in front of the goals. This ends goal-sprinting. Anyone who wants to score must bring the ball into the right zone with composure.
Playing time and auto-rotation. In 2v2 up to seven rounds of maximum 5 minutes each, in 3v3 seven rounds of 7 minutes each, with three minutes' rest in between. Rotation after every goal: each team automatically substitutes one player in a pre-agreed order. Maximum one rotation player in 2v2, maximum two in 3v3. This gives every child roughly equal playing time, and the stronger child cannot stay on the pitch for the whole match. From E youth onwards auto-rotation no longer applies; playing-time distribution then rests with the coach. Distributing playing time fairly in youth football shows four age-appropriate models and seven difficult cases from everyday club life.
Pitch sizes per format, to scale
From the reform Bambini pitch to D youth in real DFB dimensions. 4v4 and 5v5 share the small pitch, 6v6 and 7v7 the medium pitch.
Source: DFB Youth Regulations Annex IV (as of 15 July 2024); BFV Spielkonzept Minifußball
Festival format. On a match day several pitches stand side by side, ranked from "weakest" to "strongest". After each round the winner moves up one pitch, the loser moves down one pitch. On a draw the team with the last goal wins; in the rare case of a 0-0 result rock-paper-scissors decides. This automatically creates balanced fixtures because winners meet winners and losers meet losers.
What parents often misunderstand. Parents watch a G youth festival and think it is not "real football". It is exactly that: football for six-year-olds is not what adults experience as football. It is a motor and social learning format that leads into classic football, the full-sided soccer adults picture, later on. Not keeping a table in G youth has not taken anything away from the children; it has spared them pressure.
F youth (U8/U9): three possible formats
In F youth there is genuine choice for the first time. The club chooses from three formats, depending on squad size and development level.
Format 1: 3v3 without a goalkeeper. Pitch approximately 25 by 20 metres (range 25 to 28 by 20 to 22 metres), four mini-goals, 6-metre shooting zone as in G youth. Up to seven rounds of maximum 10 minutes each, rotation after every goal. Clear DFB recommendation: the preferred format in F youth because every child gets the most ball actions.
Format 2: 4v4. Pitch approximately 40 by 25 metres, either on four mini-goals with four outfield players or on two small-sided goals with three outfield players plus goalkeeper (3+1). Transition step between 3v3 and 5v5. Rotation after every goal or at the latest after 3 minutes.
Format 3: 5v5. Pitch approximately 40 by 25 metres (range 40 by 22 to 25 metres), either on four mini-goals with five outfield players without a goalkeeper or on two small-sided goals with four outfield players plus goalkeeper. Transition format to E youth, often in the second half of the U9 year. Rotation after every goal or at the latest after 3 minutes.
Playing time, mode and fairness rule. In 3v3 up to seven rounds of maximum 10 minutes each, in 4v4 and 5v5 six rounds of 10 to 12 minutes, longer than in G youth because the attention span grows. Three minutes' rest between rounds. Festival format with promotion/relegation or tournament mode with a fixed schedule. Still no championship round. A recommended fairness variant: if one team leads by 3 goals the trailing team may bring an additional player onto the pitch until the score gap closes.
Funino as conceptual heritage. The 3v3 format with four mini-goals goes back to German coaching educator Horst Wein, who made it known mainly during his time in Spain as "Funino". The DFB rarely uses the term in official documents, but in everyday club life and the coaching scene "Funino" is the common shorthand for the DFB format "three-versus-three with four mini-goals". The practical training details are in the Funino coaching guide: eight game-format variations, coaching cues and a parent-email template for the parent evening.
Why four goals. With two goals play concentrates in the centre of the pitch, and the strongest player runs straight through. With four goals the attacker has to decide: left or right? Which goal is less defended? This trains perception, decision-making and game intelligence, exactly what children at this age group should be building.
Why four mini-goals train perception
Two goals force a sprint, four goals force a decision, which goal is open?
Concept by Horst Wein, adopted by the DFB in Annex IV of the 2024 Youth Regulations
Anyone looking for training content that fits the 3v3 logic will find concrete drills per age group in the article on dribbling drills for U9, U10, U11.
E youth (U10/U11): 5v5 or 7v7
In E youth the classic format feeling returns for the first time. Goalkeeper, two small-sided goals, first team tactics. But with a continuing reformative approach: rotation, balanced fixtures, optionally still festival format.
Format 1: 4v4 or 5v5. Same dimensions and logic as in F youth (approximately 40 by 25 metres), often used as a gentle introduction in the U10 year. On four mini-goals or small-sided goals, goalkeeper optional. Six rounds of 10 to 12 minutes, rotation every 3 minutes by central whistle. Substitute players train 2v2 or 3v3 with mini-goals in parallel on a side pitch.
Format 2: 7v7. Pitch 55 by 35 metres, six outfield players plus goalkeeper, two small-sided goals standard size (5 by 2 metres). In league or tournament mode with two teams 4 times 15 minutes or alternatively 2 times 25 minutes playing time, with substitutions from the side pitches every 7 minutes. Ideal is a four-team tournament with playing times of 2 times 12 minutes. In 7v7 children introduce the ball after it goes out for the first time with a throw-in.
What happens to players on the bench. A central innovation of the reform: substitute players do not sit on the bench but play 2v2 or 3v3 in parallel on a side pitch with mini-goals. This means every child gets continuous playing time instead of waiting to be substituted on. Logistically this requires a second set-up and a second helper, but it is the pedagogical core of the reform.
What carries over from G and F youth. Festival character in the first E youth year, often still without a continuous league table. Rotation now every 3 minutes by central whistle instead of after every goal. Focus on 1v1, lots of dribbling and ball contacts. First league modes are possible but not mandatory.
What is new. Goalkeeper role (often rotated: every outfield player takes a turn in goal), first passing geometry and shifting movements, simple team tactics ("when we have the ball, we make the pitch wide"). But: still a focus on 1v1, still plenty of dribbling. E youth is not a miniaturised professional game but a learning stage.
Warm-up drills suited to E youth that need no equipment are in the article on warm-up drills for U11 without aids.
What changes for training content
The game formats are one thing, training content another. Anyone who has players competing in 3v3 with four goals cannot train classic 11v11 tactics in sessions. The reform forces an adjustment of training content, and this is exactly where it fails in many clubs.
More 1v1, less team tactics. In small-sided formats almost every goal is decided by 1v1. Training sessions should spend 30 to 50 percent of the time in 1v1 or 1v2 situations. Team tactics (shifting movements, pressing lines) belong at the earliest in D youth.
Dribbling and passing as the focus. Whoever can keep the ball wins in 3v3. Whoever cannot loses. Dribbling drills, passing drills under pressure, small-sided games with opposition are the building blocks. Frontal instruction without opposition is the exception.
Implications for coach training. As youth coordinator you must ensure that your coaches know what fits the new formats and what does not. A coach training session per season, optimally at the start of the season, is essential. If your G youth coach is still trying 9v9 tactics with six-year-olds, the reform becomes an administrative exercise rather than an improvement.
Cones, mini-goals and training bibs should be in every coach's equipment bag. As a club, invest where the real need lies: not in more large goals but in mini-goals, cones and pitch markings.
What you need to explain to parents and referee helpers
Parents and referee helpers see the new format on the touchline and ask questions. Here are the most common ones, with answers you can use word for word at a parent evening or on the touchline.
"Why are there four goals?" So that the children have to make decisions. With two goals everyone runs to the centre and the fastest wins. With four goals the attacker has to look: which goal is open? This trains perception and game intelligence, which at this age are more important than shooting power.
"Why is there no league table?" To remove the pressure. Six-year-olds play better when they are having fun, not when they are eyeing first place. The table motivates the parents, not the children, and it sorts out the weaker players because the coach has to play for a win. Without a championship round everyone plays.
"Why is a player substituted after every goal?" So that every child keeps playing throughout. Auto-rotation is the reform's fairness mechanism: after every goal each team automatically substitutes one player. This means no child can stay on the pitch for the whole match, and substitute players get active before they lose interest.
"Why are the playing times so short?" Because the attention span of a six- to nine-year-old is limited. Four to seven minutes of full concentration, then a rest or a substitution. Longer playing times result in children just standing around from minute five onwards. Short matches mean many intense phases and less dead time.
"My child is very talented; will they be challenged in this format?" Yes. In 3v3 with four goals the talented player gets significantly more ball contacts and decision situations per match than in 7v7. The reform develops top players and broad participation simultaneously because both get more playing time. What disappears is status: the talented player is no longer automatically the star of the team but one of many who play.
These five answers are enough for 90 percent of parent conversations. The rest you can refer to your state FA, which has published detailed justifications for every question.
Transition plan: how the switch succeeds in the club
As youth coordinator you are responsible for ensuring that the transition in your own club does not fail. Here is a four-step plan that works in most clubs.
Step 1: Check state FA implementation regulations. Every state FA applies the DFB reform with minor differences. Pitch sizes within the permitted range, playing times at the upper or lower end, league mode in 7v7 yes or no. Download the current implementation regulations of your state FA, read them all the way through once, and clearly distinguish between the DFB framework and the state FA detail. If anything is unclear, ask the competition manager.
Step 2: Organise coach training. At least once per season an internal training session, ideally before the season starts. Content: what are the new formats, what does a training session look like, what are typical beginner mistakes. If you have no internal presenter for this, ask your state FA. Many associations offer club training sessions free of charge.
Step 3: Parent evening with a clear message. Before the first match day of the new season. One hour is enough. Content: what is new, why, what does it look like. Use the FAQ from the previous section word for word. Meet parents where they are, take their concerns seriously, but hold your position. A parent evening that goes well saves you arguments on the touchline for the whole season. If you also want to communicate the scouting training plan, this guide to scouting sessions in youth football is a good companion article to pass on.
Step 4: Adapt home-match operations. In concrete terms: acquire or build mini-goals, adjust pitch markings, brief referee helpers, plan side pitches for substitute players. Mini-goals can also be marked with cones or poles if the budget is tight. Referee helpers (often parents) need a briefing: with four goals every shot counts, no offside, no league table, auto-rotation after every goal. Plan this transition at least four weeks before the first home match day.
Once these four steps are in place the first season runs surprisingly smoothly. The greatest resistance is not from the children but from the adults, and steps 2 and 3 address exactly that.
Organising game formats, and when a tournament tool helps
Anyone who wants to run a G or F youth match day in their own hall or on their own ground has different demands than at a classic tournament with a table. Here are the key points. For the indoor season from D youth onwards, futsal is the regulations-compliant alternative to classic indoor football, details in the futsal practical guide for youth coaches.
Multiple pitches in parallel. Three to five pitches side by side, ranked from "weakest" to "strongest". Per pitch two teams, then promotion or relegation depending on the result. This is organisationally simpler than it sounds: one set-up, one schedule, one whistle every seven minutes for the change. The key is that all pitches kick off simultaneously and change simultaneously, otherwise waiting time builds up.
Festival scoring instead of a table. Each team plays on various pitches over the course of the day, depending on promotion and relegation. At the end, the final pitches produce a ranking; the winner of the strongest pitch is the day's winner. But no points are tallied, no goal difference, no classic table. The children receive a badge or a certificate at the end saying "you played today".
Playing time and rotation. Matches last a maximum of 5 minutes in 2v2, 7 minutes in 3v3, 10 minutes in F youth 3v3 up to 12 minutes in 4v4 or 5v5, with three minutes' rest for the change in between. Rotation in G and F youth 3v3 after every goal, in F youth 4v4 and 5v5 after every goal or 3 minutes, in E youth every 3 minutes by central whistle. A match day with eight teams and four pitches gives every child a great deal of real playing time, significantly more than in any classic tournament with a league format.
What you prepare as organiser. Mini-goals (home-made, borrowed or marked with cones), clearly marked pitches and a schedule. In addition: a referee helper per pitch, a central whistle for the change signal, a drinks station and badges or certificates for all children. In E youth 7v7 a side pitch for substitute players is added. Parent refreshments should be separate from the pitch so that children are not caught between sausages and the match.
When a tournament tool becomes worthwhile. In pure festival mode (G youth and small F youth) no classic tournament tool is needed: the schedule arises from promotion and relegation, there is no table. As soon as the format switches to tournament mode with a fixed schedule, administration quickly becomes demanding. This can apply from F youth 5v5, is standard in E youth (5v5 or 7v7), and applies to D youth 9v9 just as much as to classic 11v11 from C youth. A schedule spanning several hours, a points table with tiebreaker rules, semi-final draws, waiting times between matches: this is where a tool like AreaCopa helps, because schedule, table and sorting logic can no longer be managed in your head or via a spreadsheet. The point at which the switch becomes worthwhile is therefore not only from D youth but wherever a festival becomes a tournament with a table.
A detailed step-by-step guide for setting up a classic tournament, from 5v5 to 11v11, is in the football tournament checklist with a 12-week timeline.
For the organisational side, schedule, table and live link by age group, head to the youth tournament schedule app.
Concrete schedule modes for 5, 7 and 10 teams are in the article schedules for 5, 7 or 10 teams.
Anyone building a girls' section alongside the reform transition in their club will find a 6-month roadmap including player recruitment, coach search and a 12-point self-audit for club standards in the guide founding a girls' team.
Plan our next tournamentFree and no sign-upSources
All pitch dimensions, playing times, rotation requirements and format options in this article come from the official DFB rulebook:
- Deutscher Fußball-Bund (as of 09/2024). Leitfaden für die Implementierung neuer Wettbewerbsformen in den Altersklassen U6–U11 (G- bis E-Jugend). DFB-Bereich Entwicklung Vereine, Ehrenamt und Spielbetrieb. Detailed implementation booklet per age group, including pitch diagrams, playing times, rotation logic and festival set-up. Binding from the 2024/25 season.
- Deutscher Fußball-Bund (as of 15 July 2024). Jugendordnung, Anhang IV — Bestimmungen für Spiele auf Kleinfeld für Juniorinnen und Junioren. Frankfurt am Main. Formal framework for pitch sizes, player numbers, playing duration and format options per age group (G, F, E, D youth).
- Deutscher Fußball-Bund (31 May 2022). FAQ zu den neuen Spielformen im Kinderfußball. Source for the background to the reform, the festival concept with promotion and relegation, and the rationale behind the four-goal principle.
- Deutscher Fußball-Bund (11 March 2022). Beschluss des DFB-Bundestags: Neue Spielformen im Kinderfußball. Following a proposal by the DFB-Bundesjugendtag in January 2022. Source for the reform's entry into force and the transition period until the 2024/25 season.
- Wein, H. (2004). Entwicklung der Spielintelligenz im Fußball. Institut für Jugendfußball / Carolus-Sportverlag, ISBN 3-927570-60-5. Conceptual heritage of the 3v3 with four mini-goals ("Funino"), adopted by the DFB for the F youth reform.
Anyone who needs concrete values for their state FA will find the regionally binding implementation regulations on the websites of the state FAs (e.g. BFV, WFV, NFV, FVR, SBFV). These implement the DFB framework within the permitted ranges with minor differences.
