Kick back and remember when you were a kid playing football. All you really wanted to do was get your feet on the ball.
That’s why — with the help of three years of international studies and their own research — New Zealand Football are radically changing the rules for younger players over the next two seasons.
Their plan is called Whole of Football 2.0.
The science says playing smaller-format games for longer significantly increases both players’ involvement and their touches on the ball.
That leads to more enjoyment, accelerates the development of skills, and better prepares youngsters for the transition to 11 v 11 football.
Here’s the key data:
International studies show players have 200% more touches on the ball in a 7 v 7 match than in an 11 v 11 game. That increases to 500% in a 4 v 4 game.
The ball is in play 92% of the time in a 4 v 4 game and 86% in a 7 v 7 game, compared to just 66% in 11 v 11.
74% of young footballers in Aotearoa New Zealand play the game because it’s fun. They say having more touches on the ball and scoring more goals are the most enjoyable things about it.
Young players want more touches of the ball. Photo credit: Rachel Lilburn.
New Zealand Football’s research suggests that players going through their new Whole of Football 2.0 programme will, on average, accumulate more than 3,800 additional touches on the ball. Goalkeepers will also be more involved, accumulating more than 1,300 additional actions.
The new programme is an update of the award-winning Whole of Football plan launched in 2011.
That aimed to establish a nationwide framework for how the game was delivered and create consistent, high-quality experiences for players, coaches and referees across the country.
The revised scheme is intended to evolve how football and futsal are delivered to more than 176,000 players who take part in Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest team participation sport.
New Zealand Football’s analysis included reviewing more than 250 junior and youth games, surveying hundreds of players and benchmarking against systems in 20 other countries, to come up with Whole of Football 2.0.
Among the changes are updated game formats designed to foster a lifelong love of football and prioritise fun and skill development from an early age. So the following formats will be introduced for female and mixed teams:
U6/U7: Station rotation + 3 v 3 (no goalkeeper)
U8/U9: 5 v 5
U10/U11: 7 v 7
U12/U13: 9 v 9
U14/U15: 11 v 11 or 9 v 9 depending on competition needs
U16+: 11 v 11
Coaching and refereeing pathways have also been updated.
The Whole of Football 2.0 changes follow successful pilots across the country in early 2025 and will be phased in over the next two years.
Different clubs and federations will introduce the changes next year, ahead of full adoption in the 2027 season.
McDonald’s will help fund the purchase of new goals to help more players enjoy football. Photo credit: Shane Wenzlick / Phototek.
Supporting the initiative, McDonald’s — community football’s biggest supporter in Aotearoa New Zealand — will contribute close to $500,000 worth of new goals to clubs across the country, enabling more players to take part in the game.
New Zealand Football technical director Andy Boyens said: “This has been a major and incredibly valuable piece of work, so it is exciting to finally announce it.
“As the biggest team participation sport in the country, it’s vital that we don’t stand still and must continue evolving how we deliver the game to provide the best possible experiences for our players, coaches, referees and volunteers.
“The pilot programmes that are running for the new formats have been really well received. Alongside the research we have undertaken, we are confident the changes put us in the best position to grow the game, develop talent and inspire a lifelong love of football.
“There has been a significant amount of work from federations and clubs in shaping the changes, as well as fantastic support from McDonald’s, and I want to thank them all for their mahi over the last three years and the work still to come to bring it all to life.”
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This story was first published on August 2, 2025.