Until recently, this was a minefield of inconsistency and varied according to region and league rules. Now the FA have issued a ruling to ensure consistency of application across the whole country. Essentially the age group that a player joins is determined by his or her date of birth – this also mirrors the school year. The key date is 31st August and the chart below shows which age group applies for the current season.

Age as of 31/08/2023	School Year in Sept 2023	Football Age Group for 2023/24 Season
Below 6	Year 1	Under 6
6	Year 2	Under 7
7	Year 3	Under 8
8	Year 4	Under 9
9	Year 5	Under 10
10	Year 6	Under 11
11	Year 7	Under 12
12	Year 8	Under 13
13	Year 9	Under 14
14	Year 10	Under 15
15	Year 11	Under 16
16 or 17	Year 12 or 13	Under 18

FA rules do permit a child to “Play Up” a year (an Under 9 can play for Under 10’s) but under no circumstances can a child play for the age group below.

As a club, Burnbridge Wanderers JFC require that, for any player wishing to play up a year, a consensus of agreement is reached between both age group managers, the childs parents and, of course the child themselves. We always try to consider what is best for the child, taking into account factors such as ability and physical development.

Any further questions can be answered either by age group managers or our Membership Secretary all which can be access via our Contact Page.