A CLOSER LOOK AT

3 v 3

3v3 gives young players the best introduction to football.

It creates more chances to learn, play, make decisions, score and stop goals.

It’s a fun, fast, forward-thinking game where every child plays.

Over half of the European nations we’ve surveyed already use formats smaller than 5v5 for U7s, and 3v3 is already being used across our male and female talent pathways.

It has been proven to be a fantastic format for developing young players and their skills.

Extensive research has shown 3v3 encourages more physical activity and increases technical actions, meaning more touches on the ball and more play on the pitch for your young players.

Setting up the game

3v3 pitches made simple.

This short animation shows you how to set up and play 3v3 with the space, resources and players you already have.

Setting up 3v3

The pitch size, number of adults and average number of players currently needed for 5v5 can be adapted to deliver 3v3.

You can create up to four 3v3 pitches on a 5v5 pitch, giving everyone the chance to play more, for longer!

There’s no goalkeepers, giving players a faster-paced game with more chances to develop ball manipulation skills.

There’s no officials, just one adult facilitator per pitch to help children make their own decisions safely. This gives young players the freedom to lead their own game.

There’s no subs, meaning every child can play as much as they want.

The ball size for 3v3 is size 3 (psi. 5). The recommended goal size is 120x75cm (4x2.5ft).

Multiple fixtures

This set up of 3v3 creates opportunity for you to have multiple fixtures.

Each 3v3 match should last between 6-10 minutes. After each match, you could move players around the pitches using a simple carousel approach.

This creates the recommended 30-40 minutes of playing time for each player, and the chance to play with and against different players.

Flexible pitches

3v3 doesn’t have to be set up on a 5v5 pitch if it’s not the easiest way for you.

3v3 can be set up in different locations week to week, using cones or flat disks. You can use bigger or smaller sized pitches, or unmarked spaces. You can even create more than 4 pitches at a time!

You can also vary the pitch size between 10x15m to 15x20m to make 3v3 fit better for you, and to give players different challenges.

Flexible teams

If not enough players from your squads turn up on match day, you could have smaller teams playing, like 2v2, or even have some 3v2 matches to create an exciting challenge for your players.

You can also mix your squads up to create enough 3v3 teams. The U7’s game is non-competitive, and kids just want the chance to play, even if it’s on a different squad!

How to play

Getting started

Football is inherently competitive, and 3v3 is all about showing young players what good sportsmanship looks like.

To show we respect the standard, 3v3 games start with a high five.

Rock, paper, scissors is a fun and quick way for players to decide who starts.

How to play

A lot of the game rules are going to stay the same for U7s, with a stronger emphasis on more action and sharper reaction, better precision and faster decisions.

There’s no heading or penalty kicks in 3v3. Any free kick must be at least 3m from the goal.

Players have the option to either dribble or pass in at all restarts (goal line, corners, sidelines and free kicks). Opposition players should be a minimum of 3m away.

For goal line restarts, opposition players retreat to their own half of the pitch.

A player must be in their opponent’s half for a goal to count when shooting.

After a goal, the game restarts with a goal line restart for the team who’s just conceded.

After a goal is scored, all players (from the team that scored) return to their goal line.

Keeping you updated

Ahead of the changes becoming mandatory for the 2026/27 season, we will be making further information about engaging with 3v3 over the course of the 2025/26 season.

FAQs:

(See All FAQs here)

Will we have to affiliate more teams for 3v3?

The idea isn't to have smaller squads playing a single 3v3 fixture – it's to have multiple games taking place at once.

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What was wrong with 5v5 for U7s?

It is not that there is anything wrong with 5v5. But 3v3 encourages more touches on the ball, more playing time for young players and more opportunity to develop their skills.

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