Register Your Grassroots Team and Players
In order to play matches against other clubs, you’ll need to register your grassroots team and players with an affiliated grassroots football league.
Club membership and fees
For most grassroots clubs, every player on your team needs to be a member of the club to be allowed to take part in training sessions and matches. A membership fee covers all training costs and match fees during the season (September – May), a kit for each child and league registration fees.
Playing in a League
From U7s upwards, to play matches against teams from other clubs, your team (and players) need to be registered with one of the local leagues. They will organise matches for you, which will be published in advance on the league website.
Before U12, matches are non-competitive (U11s have short competitive trophy events), which means there are no published results.
Depending on where you are based in the UK, from U10s upwards there are opportunities for stronger teams to play in various other leagues, where there is a bit more travel but a higher general standard of opposition, culminating in our very strongest teams from U13 upwards playing in the Kent Youth League – the highest standard of football in the county outside of the pro academies. At the same time, we continue to offer football to all abilities in all age groups, regardless of the level our best players are competing at. The club ethos is very much about football for all.
League Registration
So, in order to play matches against other clubs, you’ll need to register your grassroots team and players with an affiliated grassroots football league. The registration is handled in two parts:
Team Registration: the club secretary will usually handle all the team’s registrations together online.
Player Registration: this is done via the FA Whole Game System. Older age groups require photos.
If you need to sign other players throughout the season, this can be done, but you need confirmation the registration has been processed before you can play them in matches or you risk fines and losing any points you may have got for winning or drawing the game.
Thanks to Langton Green Coaches for this article
