New Zealand Football youth soccer rules: formats, match length and playing time (2026)

New Zealand Football publishes Whole of Football 2.0 game-format sheets for junior and youth soccer. These records cite the sheets linked from its resources site, hosted on Sporty. The notes describe a 2026–2027 phase-in; several durations are ranges, and the cited sheets do not specify minimum playing time.

How to read this page

These pages use a sourced dataset snapshot. Check document dates for your season; official documents and applicable local competition rules take precedence. “Not specified” means the dataset has no value for that field, so check your local rules.

What are the rules for each age band?

First Kicks (4-7 years) ^[1]

First Kicks (4-7 years) soccer rules
Age group	First Kicks (4-7 years)
Format	3v3
Players on field	3
Match length	Not specified
Match length basis	range
Periods	Not specified × Not specified minutes
Period guidance	2-3 x 8-12 minute games
Ball size	3
Goalkeeper	No
Heading rule	Not specified
Substitutions	0-1 rolling sub.
Minimum playing time policy	Not specified
Build-out or retreat line	Retreating line: halfway. No offsides, no penalties, no free kicks, no corners; goal kick to defending team; scoring zone 'must be over half way'.

Source and verbatim quotation for First Kicks (4-7 years)

Fun Football (U8-U9 years) ^[2]

Fun Football (U8-U9 years) soccer rules
Age group	Fun Football (U8-U9 years)
Format	5v5
Players on field	5
Match length	45 minutes (fixed)
Match length basis	fixed
Periods	3 × 15 minutes
Period guidance	3 x 15 minute games
Ball size	3
Goalkeeper	Yes
Heading rule	Not specified
Substitutions	2-3 rolling subs.
Minimum playing time policy	Not specified
Build-out or retreat line	Retreating line: halfway. No offsides, no penalties; indirect free kicks; pass-in from sideline; goal kicks pass or roll with retreating line in action.

Source and verbatim quotation for Fun Football (U8-U9 years)

Mini Football (U10-U11 years) ^[3]

Mini Football (U10-U11 years) soccer rules
Age group	Mini Football (U10-U11 years)
Format	7v7
Players on field	7
Match length	Not specified
Match length basis	range
Periods	2 × Not specified minutes
Period guidance	2 x 20-25 minute halves or games
Ball size	4
Goalkeeper	Yes
Heading rule	Not specified
Substitutions	2-3 rolling subs.
Minimum playing time policy	Not specified
Build-out or retreat line	Retreating line: yes, 30% of the field from the goal line. Offsides: yes, judged from the retreating line. No penalties; indirect free kicks; throw-ins; corners yes.

Source and verbatim quotation for Mini Football (U10-U11 years)

Mini Football (12-13 years) ^[4]

Mini Football (12-13 years) soccer rules
Age group	Mini Football (12-13 years)
Format	9v9
Players on field	9
Match length	Not specified
Match length basis	range
Periods	2 × Not specified minutes
Period guidance	2 x 25-30 minute halves or games
Ball size	4
Goalkeeper	Yes
Heading rule	Not specified
Substitutions	2-3 rolling subs.
Minimum playing time policy	Not specified
Build-out or retreat line	Retreating line: yes, 30% of the field from the goal line. Offsides: yes (halfway). Penalties yes (8m). Direct or indirect free kicks; corners yes.

Source and verbatim quotation for Mini Football (12-13 years)

Youth Football (14-15 years) ^[5]

Youth Football (14-15 years) soccer rules
Age group	Youth Football (14-15 years)
Format	11v11 or 9v9
Players on field	11
Match length	Not specified
Match length basis	range
Periods	2 × Not specified minutes
Period guidance	2 x 30-40 minute halves
Ball size	5
Goalkeeper	Yes
Heading rule	Not specified
Substitutions	3-5 rolling subs.
Minimum playing time policy	Not specified
Build-out or retreat line	No retreating line. Offsides: yes. Penalties: yes (9m). Yellow and red cards used.

Source and verbatim quotation for Youth Football (14-15 years)

Youth & Senior Football (16+ years) ^[6]

Youth & Senior Football (16+ years) soccer rules
Age group	Youth & Senior Football (16+ years)
Format	11v11
Players on field	11
Match length	Not specified
Match length basis	range
Periods	2 × Not specified minutes
Period guidance	2 x 35-45 minute halves
Ball size	5
Goalkeeper	Yes
Heading rule	Not specified
Substitutions	As per competition rules.
Minimum playing time policy	Not specified
Build-out or retreat line	No retreating line. Offsides yes; penalties yes (11m).

Source and verbatim quotation for Youth & Senior Football (16+ years)

Notes and qualifications

First Kicks (4-7 years): One-page format sheet hosted on NZF's Sporty platform, linked from https://www.nzfootball.co.nz/community/whole-of-football-2.0/resources. WOF 2.0 is being phased in during 2026-2027 (NZF news, 31 July 2025). No heading or playing-time rule on the sheet (null). Pitch 20m x 15m; goal 1.5m x 0.9m to 2m x 1m; no recorded results. The news article labels this 'U6/U7: Station Rotation + 3 vs 3'. Back to age band
Fun Football (U8-U9 years): Pitch optimal 35m x 25m (range 30x20 to 40x30); goal 3-4m x 2m; results recorded for grading only, no table. The sheet's 'BALL SIZE' graphic reads 3 for U8 and U9. Back to age band
Mini Football (U10-U11 years): Pitch optimal 50m x 30m (range 45x30 to 55x35); goal 4m x 2m; penalty area 20m x 8m. Back to age band
Mini Football (12-13 years): Pitch optimal 70m x 50m (range 60x45 to 75x50); goal 5m x 2m to 6.4m x 2.2m; penalty area 26m x 10m. Back to age band
Youth Football (14-15 years): players_on_field = 11 for the 11v11 option (9 if 9v9 'depending on competition needs'). 11v11 pitch optimal 85m x 55m; 9v9 pitch 70m x 50m. Back to age band
Youth & Senior Football (16+ years): Pitch 100m x 60m; goal 7.3m x 2.4m. Back to age band

What this means for your lineup

These equal-share examples use the recorded on-field count and match length, with 2, 3, 4 or 5 substitutes. For formats with options or a maximum, they use the dataset’s numeric count. Maximum durations remain maxima. Check roster limits in the rules and footnotes; example rosters may exceed them. Alongside the mathematical 50% result, check substitution windows, goalkeeper duties, eligibility conditions and any higher local minimum. Times are rounded to the nearest second.