Age group (soccer)
In football there are different age groups to ensure a balanced competition .
Germany
In Germany, the age group classification of the German Football Association applies .
The key date for the age group is January 1st of each year. The game year (season) begins on July 1st and ends on June 30th of the following year.
The youth football team plays in the following age groups:
- G-Juniors ( Bambini / U7 ): G-Juniors of a season are players who have not or have not yet reached the age of 7 in the calendar year in which the game year begins. In the 2019/20 season / game year these are those born in 2013 and younger.
- F-Juniors ( U8 / U9 ): F-Juniors of a season are players who are or have reached the age of 7 or 8 in the calendar year in which the game year begins. In the 2019/20 season / game year these are those born in 2011 or 2012.
- E-Juniors ( U10 / U11 ): E-Juniors of a season are players who are or have reached the age of 9 or 10 in the calendar year in which the game year begins. In the 2019/20 season / game year these are those born in 2009 and 2010.
- D-Juniors ( U12 / U13 ): D-Juniors of a season are players who are or have reached the age of 11 or 12 in the calendar year in which the game year begins. In the 2019/20 season / game year, these are those born in 2007 or 2008.
- C-Juniors ( U14 / U15 ): C-Juniors of a season are players who are or have reached the age of 13 or 14 in the calendar year in which the game year begins. In the 2019/20 season / game year these are those born in 2005 or 2006.
- B-Juniors ( U16 / U17 ): B-Juniors of a season are players who are or have reached the age of 15 or 16 in the calendar year in which the game year begins. In the 2019/20 season / game year these are those born in 2003 or 2004.
- A-Juniors ( U18 / U19 ): A-Juniors of a season are players who are or have reached the age of 17 or 18 in the calendar year in which the game year begins. In the 2019/20 season these are those born in 2001 or 2002.
Mixed relays (boys and girls teams) are permitted in the B-Juniors and younger division. Where the local conditions make it appear necessary, the responsible youth committee can allow game rounds with teams in which players of different age groups play.
Austria
In Austria, football players are divided into age groups, with 1 January being the reference date for age, as in Germany and Switzerland, and the maximum age being shown with a "U" in front of it. To be eligible to play in a U19 youth team, for example, you must have been born after December 31, 1989 (reference date: January 1, 1990) in the 2008/09 season. B. the cut-off date January 1, 2001. Girls play in the junior classes up to U14 together with the boys, but they can play one year longer. A girl who was only intended for the U 11 after the deadline is eligible to play in the U 10. Depending on the regional association (per federal state), however, a certain number of players no more than one year older may be used.
The reserve teams are generally considered to be the U23 (sometimes also U24) teams, although there are regionally different provisions regarding the participation of older players.
There are still regionally different regulations for league operations, as each national association issues its own guidelines. At the Vienna Football Association , for example, game results are only evaluated from the U11 championship onwards, but only from the U14 onwards are the results included in an overall table that decides on promotion and relegation for all of the club's junior teams.
There is no uniform league structure, although the youth centers or football academies of the Bundesliga clubs (with the exception of Kapfenberger SV ) play in an Austrian youth championship (TOTO youth league) in the age groups U18, U16 and U15. In addition to the Bundesliga clubs LASK , FK Austria Wien , SK Rapid Wien , FC Red Bull Salzburg , SV Ried , SK Sturm Graz , SV Mattersburg , SCR Altach and SK Austria Kärnten , the second division clubs Wacker Innsbruck , Admira Wacker and SKN St. Pölten also have their own Youth teams for this league.
Switzerland
In Switzerland, football players are divided into the following age groups, with 1 January being the reference date for age:
Age groups
- Top football
- 1st team (from 17 years)
- U21 / 2. Team (from 17 years)
- U18 (16 and 17 years)
- U16 (14 and 15 years)
- U15 (13 and 14 years)
- Grassroots football
- Seniors (new from 2014) 30+, 40+ or 50+
- 1st team (from 17 years)
- 2nd team (from 17 years)
- Juniors A (17, 18 and 19 years)
- Juniors B (15 and 16 years)
- Juniors C (13 and 14 years)
- Juniors D (11 and 12 years)
- Juniors E (9 and 10 years)
- Juniors F (7 and 8 years)
- Juniors G (5 and 6 years)
Regulations
- B-Juniors are allowed to play in A-teams
- C-Juniors may play in B-teams
- D Juniors are allowed to play in C teams
- E-Juniors are allowed to play in D teams
- The use of juniors in a younger category is not permitted.
- Juniors of the younger age group in junior categories C, D and E can be placed in the next lower category.
- Mixed teams girls / boys are allowed in children's football (juniors D, E, F) and juniors C.
- Juniors B, C, D, E and F are not allowed to play more than one competition on the same day.
criticism
Due to the division into calendar years, children born late in the year play on average with older children than those born early in the year. This can lead to a disadvantage especially in the youngest leagues, for example when it comes to promoting talent.
If, as was previously the case, the children are divided up with the reference date July 1, the spring children would be disadvantaged. On the other hand, there is also the objection that an exemplary training should not endanger the promotion of talent. In any case, the children would always have to be encouraged individually according to their respective ability during training. The problem in Germany could be more in the qualification of the children and youth trainers and in the still very widespread "performance record table status". In the youngest leagues in particular, it should rather be the case that at the end of the game, the coach checks for each individual player whether he has achieved the goal of the season with regard to the player's training and development. With this individualization, the alleged disadvantage in games against older and perhaps “superior” play partners would not play a role.
Individual evidence
- ↑ §5 of the DFB youth regulations
- ↑ Volker Mrasek : Young footballers , Why the DFB discriminates against autumn children , Der Spiegel, June 29, 2008.
