2025 Junior / Youth & Snr Football Grades

JUNIOR FOOTBALL

FIRST KICKS

4 to 6 years                      4 aside teams, no GK’s, discourage goal hanging

*Non-competitive grade – no scores/tables recorded

*First Kicks for 4 to 6 year olds (5th & 6th Grade) born January-May 2021, 2020 and 2019

FUN FOOTBALL

7 to 8 years                        5 aside teams, no GK’s, discourage goal hanging

*Non-competitive grade – no scores/tables recorded  

THESE ARE SEPARATE GRADES - 7^th Grade stands alone and 8^th Grade stands alone                                              

*1 league of 7^th grade teams born 2018 and 8^th grade teams born 2017

MINI FOOTBALL

                
9^th Grade for 9 year olds born 2016.       7 aside, (with Goal Keepers from 9^th Grade up)

*Non-competitive grade – no scores/tables recorded

10^th Grade for 10 year olds born 2015       7 aside

*Non-competitive grade – no scores/tables recorded   

11^th Grade for 11 year olds born 2014       9 aside                

*Non-competitive grade – no scores/tables recorded

12^th Grade for 12 year olds born 2013          9 aside

13^th & 14^th Grade (mixed age Grade)                      11 aside – Senior Pitches – 9am & 10.30am start

For players born 2012 & 2011

Youth League Football

15^th, 16^th, 17^th Grade                                                      11 aside – Senior Pitches – 9am & 10.30am start

For players born 2010, 2009, 2008

*There will be no dispensations given to an 18^th Grader (except females) wanting to play in the Youth league, these 18 year old male players must go to Senior Football.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

SENIOR FOOTBALL  

For all players 16 years of age and over (must be 16 at the start of the playing season - players born on or after 13/4/2009)

Senior Men's Division 1, Division 2 and Division 3 leagues 1pm and 3pm starts

Women’s Local Social league 1pm & 3pm starts

Age dispensations & Rules regarding number of rep players per team

Marlborough Football will not accept any age dispensation requests below 10^th grade.

• A team may apply to have a maximum of two dispensations granted for a player coming one year below or one year above their normal age grade, but a dispensation form must be completed and approved by our FDO and grading coaches before the player is eligible. 
• The maximum number for dispensations per team is two.
• A team can only have a maximum of five* academy/rep players. *Unless players were already registered to that team year prior.  There will be no new transfers accepted for any academy/rep players if the team they are transferring to already has 5 academy players. This is the clubs responsibility to make sure this rule is adhered to, and where reps has not been played year prior - it is up to the club to make sure even ability is spread accross the club teams in one grade.

Senior Football Age Allowance*: A player has the ability to play Senior Football at the age of 16 without dispensation. 

*At the age of 15 a player cannot be playing Senior Football unless dispensation has been granted by the Marlborough Football GM, FDO, and Rep/Academy Coaching team.

*Maximum of two dispensations granted per team.

A consent form will also be required to be signed by the player’s parents.

Playing in both Youth & Senior Grades: A player who is 16 years of age or older (must be 16 at the start of the playing season) has the opportunity to play in both Youth & Senior Competitions for their registered Club without dispensation. Must not play 2 full games in one day. Must be the same Club for both teams – You can NOT dual Club register. 

*It is the Clubs responsibility to manage the wellbeing of that player and ensure they are not playing 2 full 90 minute games in one day. The purpose of this rule is to prosper young players in to senior football, eg registered to a youth team that plays in the morning and get called up for half a game for seniors in the afternoon. It is not for players who are registered to Senior teams and play full games in senior football to drop down to Youth Grade.

Girls/Women: The standard dispensation for girls to play one year below their age Grade still stands if they feel more comfortable in a lower grade.

We provide girls the opportunity to play alongside their male counterparts up to the age of 18 in the Youth league.

Girls/Women can play in the social women’s league from the age of 14.

Women can apply for dispensation to play in the senior men's grade (Div 2 or 3 only and max 3 women in a team). The dispensation request must come through your club, and female players must be 19 years of age or older. We will not grant any dispensations for women under the age of 19 as they can play with their male counterparts in the Youth League. We will also not grant any dispensations for women to play in senior mens Division 1.

Abiding by the Rules

If a team does not abide by the above rules - week 1 a $50 fine will be charged to the team/club.

If the same team break the rules again - week 2 the team will be suspended from the league for a 1 week stand down with a further $300 fine.

PLEASE NOTE: Winter Club football is community ‘Club’ football, not Rep football, so for the good of junior club football in Marlborough please DO NOT build ‘super’ teams.  If your club has 2 teams in one grade, do the right thing and try to split them by even ability to make the playing experience a good competitve one for all kids. We provide the Marlborough Football Academy for those wanting to play with the best in their age group and these Academy teams train from May through to September/October and we send these teams away for competitive games and tournaments, so there is no excuse for you to build a ‘super’ team with Saturday morning winter club football.  We are a small town and don’t have enough player power in each age group for you to do that.