Moving up
Moving from 7v7 to 9v9
Two more players, a much bigger pitch and offside for the first time. A lot also stays the same, and that's the place to start.
- Bigger: the recommended pitch has about two-thirds more grass.
- New rules: offside, heading and throw-ins; no retreat line.
- Same game: support, space, protect the goal, decide.
Other moves
Moving Up will cover each step between formats. 5v5 to 7v7 and 9v9 to 11v11 are planned and not written yet.
5v5 → 7v7 · Coming soon9v9 → 11v11 · Coming soon
What changes7v7 → 9v9
What changes
The game
- Recommended pitch
- 55 × 37m (minimum 46 × 27m) → 73 × 46m (minimum 64 × 37m)
- Goals
- 12 × 6ft → 16 × 7ft
- Ball
- Size 3 → Size 4
- Match length
- Up to 50 min → Up to 60 min
Official rule verified · 19 October 2026 Season 2026/27. Check with your league for local rules.
New rules
- Offside
- None → Introduced
- Heading
- Not allowed → Allowed
- Sideline restarts
- Pass or dribble in (U10), throw-ins (U11) → Throw-ins
- Retreat line
- Yes → No
- Powerplay
- Yes → No
Official rule verified · 19 October 2026
- England Football Learning: How to play and manage 9v9 games (opens in a new tab)
- England Football Learning: How to play and manage 7v7 games (opens in a new tab)
Competition
- Competition
- Trophy events → League tables and cups
- Rolling substitutes at both formats
- Rolling (no change)
Official rule verified · 19 October 2026 Season 2026/27. Check with your league for local rules.
What stays familiar
What stays familiar
- Rolling substitutes at both formats: Rolling
- Best practice: every player gets at least half of each game
- Let players try different positions
- Maximum formats are a ceiling: smaller games are fine and give more touches
FA guidance checked · 19 October 2026
- England Football Learning: How to play and manage 9v9 games (opens in a new tab)
- England Football Learning: What are the game formats in football? (opens in a new tab)
Choosing a 9v9 shape
Picking a starting shape
England Football's 9v9 guidance shows example shapes rather than a single correct one. Our 9v9 formation guides set out a few possibilities, each with four simple rules and a job for every position.