Eighth and ninth-grade players play five-a-side on a 35m by 25m field. A goalkeeper and a retreat line is introduced.
Tenth and 11th-grade players aged 10 and 11 will transition into seven-a-side on a 50m by 30m field.
Twelfth and 13th-grade players grow to nine-a-side on a 70m by 50m field as they approach a senior game structure.
To support the rollout of the new formats, Central Football has invested $40,000 in new goals for Hawke’s Bay, primarily for the eighth- and ninth-grade formats.
Central Football Federation community engagement manager Shane McKenzie, who also doubles as a coach for his daughter’s ninth-grade girls team, said the changes had been well received.
“Personally, I’ve been able to see it from every angle,” McKenzie said.
“They are having a great time, they are loving it every week.
“You are spending more time with the ball at your feet rather than chasing up and down a bit of grass.”
McKenzie said new game formats accelerated skill development and better prepared participants for the transition to 11-a-side football at the Under-14 age group.
“Being smaller for longer gives players an opportunity to get on the ball a lot more, get into those fun areas of the field where they are closer to the goal more often.
“The ball is in play all the time and you are always attacking or defending close to your goal, it makes it exciting for the spectators.”
McKenzie said the organisation wanted to see the region’s young players thrive on the smaller field and go on to eventually play for local clubs as adults.
“When young players spend more time in formats that suit their age, they develop faster, enjoy the game more and stay in football longer.”
In 2025, Central Football ran a WOF 2.0 pilot for fifth- to seventh-grade players at Frimley Park in Hastings and Park Island in Napier, trialling the three-a-side format on 20m by 15m fields.
The pilot generated first-hand feedback that was shared directly with New Zealand Football and influenced the final framework, including the rule requiring players to be over halfway before they can score.
This encourages young players to carry the ball forward, take on defenders and find teammates in advanced positions.
“It was good the way it was, but eventually you have got to look at everything and eventually change with the times and see what can work going forward,” McKenzie said.
Pitch layouts have also been updated at Park Island, Napier, Tareha Reserve, Marewa Park, Frimley Park, Hastings and Windsor Park.
Michaela Gower joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2023 and is based out of the Hastings newsroom. She covers Dannevirke and Hawke’s Bay news and loves sharing stories about farming and rural communities.