Picked a club already?
What happens at a first session, and one game to practise at home first.
See the first session guideHow to Choose a Football Club for Your Child
Confident Beginners
Most clubs look friendly on the first visit.
How to choose a football club for your child comes down to a few questions you can ask in five minutes and a session you can watch from the touchline.
For a long time I thought the club with the smartest kit would have the kindest coaches. We chose the first one we saw, because it was ten minutes from the house and had a tea hut by the pitch. I did not ask who the welfare officer was until the second term. It turned out fine. I still should have asked on day one.
Start here
How to Choose a Football Club for Your Child: The Short Answer
To choose a football club for your child, check three things before the first session. If you are choosing a football club for a 6 year old, ask which age group your child would join. First, safeguarding: a named Club Welfare Officer, coaches with in-date DBS checks and safeguarding training (England Football's guide to finding football for your child, the FA's guidance on DBS checks in football). Second, format: in the 2026/27 season the Under 7s play 3v3 and the Under 8s and 9s play 5v5, and results and tables are not published for those ages (England Football's 3v3 guidance, England Football's 5v5 guidance, the FA's Standard Code of Rules for youth competitions). Third, welcome: a well-run club welcomes your questions (the NSPCC's parent charter for choosing a sports club), and in my view it should let you watch a session first. Use the checklist below, then watch one session before you sign.
- Make a shortlist of two or three clubs through Find Football and your County FA, which is how you find the right football club for your child (England Football's guide to finding football for your child).
- Ask each club the same short list of questions.
- Watch one session without your child joining in.
- Let your child try one taster before you pay or sign.
England Football says accredited clubs meet FA criteria and renew every year. For a provider that is not accredited, it says to check the coaches' qualifications, the ratio of coaches to children, DBS checks and safeguarding training (England Football's guide to finding football for your child).
None of the sources I read defines "academy", so a club with that word in its name gets the same questions as any other. No source tells a parent which kind of club suits a beginner best, so the checklist is a list of things worth checking, not a ranking.
If your child has not had a first go at all, start with football for beginners. Once you have chosen, see what happens at a first club session.
Copy this to your phone
What to Look for in a Kids Football Club: The Checklist
Print this or copy it into your phone and tick it off club by club. Each row says what good looks like and where the advice comes from, and the rows marked "my judgement" are mine, not a rule.
| Check | What good looks like | Where this comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Looked after properly | ||
| Named Club Welfare Officer | A name and contact details given on the club's page or when you ask. | England Football says accredited clubs must have a trained one (England Football). The NSPCC says every organisation should have a named welfare officer and promote their details (NSPCC). |
| DBS checks for coaches | Every coach, manager and club driver has an in-date FA DBS check, renewed every three years. | The FA lists these roles as needing an enhanced check with a Children's Barred List check, valid for three years (the FA). |
| Safeguarding and first aid training | Coaches have the FA Safeguarding Children course. Each team has a named person with first aid. | England Football; a county FA checklist for the 2023/24 season. |
| Coaching qualifications | Each coach can say which coaching qualification they hold. | England Football says accredited clubs' coaches complete coaching courses, and says to check qualifications at a club that is not accredited (England Football). |
| Coaches for the number of children | You can see how many coaches there are for the group and it feels enough. | England Football says to check the ratio of coaches to children (England Football). No source I read gives a ratio for this age, so the number you are comfortable with is my judgement. |
| Policy and code of conduct | A safeguarding policy you can read and a written code of behaviour. | The NSPCC's parent leaflet. |
| Consent and emergency form | You are asked for emergency contacts and medical details when you join. | The NSPCC's parent leaflet. |
| Accreditation | England Football Accredited this season, or at least affiliated to the County FA with a team in an FA sanctioned league. | Accreditation lasts one season (a County FA). Ask to see it, because no source I read says how a parent can look it up. |
| Small-sided and fun | ||
| Format | The youngest group plays 3v3 and the next two play 5v5. | England Football, from the 2026/27 season (3v3, 5v5, Future Fit). |
| Everyone plays | No substitutes in 3v3, so everyone plays all the time. In 5v5, at least half of the game for each player. | England Football's coaching guidance (3v3, 5v5). |
| No published tables | Results and league tables are not published for Under 7s to Under 11s. Trophy events are allowed. | The FA's Standard Code of Rules, 2025-26 edition. |
| Session shape | Short games, lots of touches, no long queues or lines. | My judgement. |
| Kind and practical | ||
| Coach's tone | Positive, lets the players try things, speaks to every child. | England Football's guidance says "Be positive" (5v5). The rest is my judgement. |
| Parents on the touchline | Parents encourage and leave the coaching to the coach. | England Football asks parents to have minimal input during 3v3 (3v3). See parent shouting from the touchline. |
| Friends, distance and cost | Somewhere you can reach every week, at a price you can keep paying, ideally with a friend. | My judgement. |
Do not expect a perfect score. A club that is missing one of the "my judgement" rows is a different matter from a club that cannot name its welfare officer. The first group is taste, the second is the thing to settle before anything else.
The formats and rules above are for the 2026/27 and 2025-26 seasons, so ask the club, because some may still be in transition. If your child is a girl, see getting my daughter into football, which covers girls-only sessions.
Say it or send it
Questions to Ask the Coach Before You Sign Up
A well-run club welcomes questions (the NSPCC's parent charter for choosing a sports club). The same five questions work in an email, which also makes clubs easy to compare.
- "Who is your welfare officer, and how can I reach them?" (England Football, NSPCC)
- "Are all your coaches DBS checked, safeguarding trained and qualified, and how many coaches are there for how many children?" (England Football, the FA)
- "Is the club England Football Accredited this season?" (England Football, a County FA)
- "Which format do the youngest groups play, and does everyone get a go?" (3v3, 5v5)
- "Do you publish results or tables for this age group?" (the FA's Standard Code of Rules)
"Shall we come and watch a session first, and then we'll decide?"
What a good answer sounds like: a name and a number for the first question. For the second, "yes, and we can show you" for the checks, training and qualifications, plus a plain number of coaches for the size of the group. For the third, a straight yes or no with a time frame. For the fourth, 3v3 or 5v5 and "everyone plays". For the fifth, "no, we don't publish them at this age".
A coach who gets cross at the first or second question has told you something. That is my judgement, not a rule.
The FA's own "Questions You Should Ask" guidance (Guidance Notes 8.1) was not available to read, so these five are drawn from the FA's safeguarding page for parents and carers and the NSPCC's parent charter for choosing a sports club. Once you have joined, see what happens at a first club session.
Watch first, then decide
What to See at a Trial Session at a Youth Football Club for Beginners
Stand or sit where you can see all of it, and keep your child beside you rather than joining in, because a taster session comes after this visit. Your job is to watch the adults and the games, not the football.
- 1
The welcome. Does a named coach say hello to your child and to you, and is there a second adult? That is my judgement. The NSPCC says no adult should be left "alone and isolated" with the children (NSPCC).
- 2
The games. Short small-sided games, not a long line waiting for a turn. In 3v3 there are no substitutes, so everyone should be playing all the time (3v3).
- 3
The touches. Count how many times a quiet child gets the ball in five minutes. Plenty of touches matters more than the score. That is my judgement.
- 4
The coach's voice. Encouragement and short instructions, not shouting. England Football's guidance for coaches is "Be positive" (5v5).
- 5
The touchline. Parents applaud and keep their calls short. England Football asks parents to have minimal input while the games are on (3v3). For what to say instead, see parent shouting from the touchline.
- 6
The ground. Any goals are anchored or weighted down, the surface is clear and a first aid kit is in view. That is my judgement, and the NSPCC lists first aid and an accident procedure as things to check (NSPCC).
Then ask your child one thing on the way home: "Shall we go again?"
A first visit shows you one session on one day, so treat it as a sample and not a verdict.
Two kinds of red flag
Red Flags: When to Walk Away and When to Tell Someone
The first kind needs action now. The second is a judgement call.
Tell someone now
No named welfare officer, a coach who will not discuss DBS checks or safeguarding, or an adult who wants private lifts, private messages or one to one time with your child. Walk away, and tell the County FA or call the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000, or tell the Club Welfare Officer if the club has one and you have already joined (FA DBS, FA parents, FA welfare officers, NSPCC).
Weigh it up: format
Published tables or rankings for the youngest groups, long waits for a turn, or a promise to "select" beginners for a top team. The first is against the Standard Code of Rules for competitions it covers (the FA). The rest is my judgement.
Weigh it up: culture
Shouting from coach or parents, no code of conduct, or pressure to commit to a long contract or a big payment before a taster. The NSPCC says to avoid organisations with no commitment to address bullying or shouting (NSPCC). The contract point is my judgement.
If something already worries you, you can go straight to the County FA or the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000. The Club Welfare Officer is the first point of contact where the club has one (the FA, the FA's page on welfare officers). If your child is unhappy after joining, see when your child wants to quit football.
A red flag is a reason to ask and look harder, not proof of harm.
What is known and what is not
What the Sources Say About Choosing a Club
Accredited clubs meet FA criteria and renew every year, including an in-date DBS certificate for all youth officials and coaches, a trained Club Welfare Officer and coaches who complete coaching, first aid and safeguarding courses. For a provider that is not accredited, check qualifications, ratio, DBS checks and safeguarding training. That comes from England Football's guide to finding football for your child, with a County FA's page and a county checklist as support. It describes what accredited clubs must meet, not whether a given club does. It names no public way to check and gives no ratio number.
The FA's guidance on DBS checks (May 2024) says coaches, managers, welfare officers and regular club drivers need an enhanced DBS check with a Children's Barred List check, valid for three years. It also says "DBS Checks are only one part of a broader, safer recruitment process". It is guidance for clubs, not a parent's tool, and a check does not guarantee a person is safe.
The NSPCC's parent charter (2017) and the FA's page for parents and carers point to a named welfare officer, a policy you can see, a code of conduct, a consent form and a coach with a recognised qualification. The charter was written in 2017 for any sport, and I read it through a re-hosted copy because the live pages were not available. The FA's page on welfare officers makes the welfare officer the first point of contact for a concern.
The FA's Standard Code of Rules for 2025-26 says results and tables may be collected but not published for Under 7s to Under 11s, with trophy events allowed. The FA's explanation of why youth results are not published (2015) says children are competitive by nature and do not need a table to show it. The rule governs sanctioned competitions and does not stop a private provider keeping its own ranking.
England Football's 3v3 guidance and 5v5 guidance (December 2025) set out the formats for 2026/27 and a message of positivity and minimal parental input, and the Future Fit changes confirm the ages. They are coaching guidance, and some leagues may be in transition.
No source says which type of club is best for a beginner. None compares academies with grassroots clubs and none tests whether a checklist makes a child safer. I would rather give you the questions the governing bodies themselves ask than pretend I can rank your local clubs.
Quick answers
Common Questions About Choosing a Football Club
How do I choose a youth football club for a beginner?
Shortlist two or three clubs through Find Football and your County FA (England Football). Ask each for the welfare officer's name and whether coaches are DBS checked and safeguarding trained (England Football, the FA), then watch one session before you sign.
What does England Football Accredited mean?
It replaced the FA Charter Standard, lasts one season and is renewed each year (a County FA). England Football says accredited clubs must have in-date DBS checks, a trained Club Welfare Officer and coaches who complete coaching, first aid and safeguarding courses (England Football). It is not a guarantee.
Do football coaches for children need a DBS check?
The FA says anyone who works unsupervised with under 18s in a coaching, managing or welfare role needs an enhanced DBS check, renewed every three years (the FA).
What format do the youngest children play?
In 2026/27 the Under 7s play 3v3 and the Under 8s and 9s play 5v5 (3v3, 5v5, Future Fit). Ask the club which format it is using, because some leagues may still be in transition.
Are there league tables for young children?
Results and tables may not be published for Under 7s to Under 11s, though trophy events are allowed (the FA). A private provider may still keep its own ranking.
Is an academy better than a local club for a beginner?
No source I read compares them. Ask an academy the same questions and, if it is not England Football Accredited, check its coaches' qualifications, ratio, DBS checks and safeguarding training (England Football).
Who do I tell if something worries me?
The County FA, or call the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000, or the Club Welfare Officer where the club has one (the FA, the FA's page on welfare officers).
Keep going
Where to Go From Here
Three places to go next, depending on where you are. When a club asks for a trial, getting a child ready for a football trial helps. And if your child has diabetes, football and type 1 diabetes covers what to tell a club. If your child has a sore knee, knee pain and football is worth reading before you choose a club.
Not sure your child still wants to go?
A wobble or a pattern, and what to ask without making it worse.
See when a child wants to quitWant more on getting started?
Plain, calm help for a first go at football.
See Confident BeginnersTonight's five minutes
Find the right football club for your child, two at a time.
Write down two clubs near you. Send each the same two questions: who is your welfare officer, and can we watch a session before we sign up? Compare the replies, and the quicker, clearer one is usually your starting point.