Age Groups at a Glance
Germany categorizes youth football into alphabetical age groups. The cutoff date is January 1st — the calendar year of birth is what counts:
| Age Group Class | Designation | Age | Playing Format (Standard) |
|---|---|---|---|
| G-Juniors | Bambini (U6/U7) | 5–6 | 2 vs 2 / 3 vs 3 |
| F-Juniors | F-Youth (U8/U9) | 7–8 | 3 vs 3 to 5 vs 5 |
| E-Juniors | E-Youth (U10/U11) | 9–10 | 5 vs 5 / 7 vs 7 |
| D-Juniors | D-Youth (U12/U13) | 11–12 | 7 vs 7 / 9 vs 9 |
| C-Juniors | C-Youth (U14/U15) | 13–14 | 9 vs 9 / 11 vs 11 |
| B-Juniors | B-Youth (U16/U17) | 15–16 | 11 vs 11 |
| A-Juniors | A-Youth (U18/U19) | 17–18 | 11 vs 11 |
Each age group encompasses two birth years. Players are generally allowed to play in the next higher age group — moving down requires special permission.
The exact playing formats below C-Youth are regulated slightly differently by the 21 regional associations. However, the framework comes from the DFB — and it underwent fundamental changes in 2024/25.
Children's Football (U6–U11): The New Playing Formats
Since the 2024/25 season, new playing formats have been mandatory in children's football. Associations no longer schedule compulsory matches in the classic format for U6 to U11 age groups. This marks the biggest structural reform in German youth football in decades.
Why the Reform Came About
DFB studies showed that six-year-olds in the classic 7-v-7 format averaged only 12 to 14 ball contacts per game. In the small-sided game formats, this number jumps to 60 to 80. Fewer children per field means more actions, more dribbles, more shots on goal, more moments of success — for every child, not just the two best.
Formats by Age Group
G-Youth (U6/U7): 2 vs 2 or 3 vs 3 on four mini goals. Without a goalkeeper, without a referee, without offside. Games are played in a festival format: multiple small fields in parallel, teams rotate after short playing periods.
F-Youth (U8/U9): 3 vs 3 or 4 vs 4, with the option for 5 vs 5 on two small-sided goals — then also with a goalkeeper.
E-Youth (U10/U11): 5 vs 5, or alternatively 7 vs 7. This is where the transition towards classic league play begins.
Important to understand: "Funino" is just one component of the concept. The overall system clearly differentiates by age group and gradually increases complexity — from four-mini-goal games to 7 vs 7.
No Tables, No Champions
In children's football, there are no championships and no published league tables. Games are played in festivals and match days, often using a promotion and relegation principle between fields within a festival: winners move up a field, losers move down. This automatically creates balanced games — the best learning context for children.
What this means pedagogically and how training should look: Children's Football vs. Performance Training and Motivation in Children's Football.
D-Youth to A-Youth: The Path to the Full Field
D-Youth (U12/U13): The transition phase. Depending on the regional association, games are played 7 vs 7 or 9 vs 9 on a reduced field, with offside in a simplified form. From this point, there is regular league play with tables. Training content: fully utilize the "golden learning age" — technique, game intelligence, coordination. More: The Golden Learning Age.
C-Youth (U14/U15): The step onto the full field. In most leagues, 11 vs 11 is played, in lower leagues sometimes still 9 vs 9. Now the tactical full-field themes emerge: basic formations, shifting, build-up play involving third players. Fundamentals: Formations and Game Systems.
B-Youth (U16/U17) and A-Youth (U18/U19): Full-field play with almost the complete adult rulebook. Here, paths diverge: grassroots sport in Kreis- and Bezirksligen, and performance football in Regionalligen and the DFB Youth League.
The League Pyramid in Youth Football
Below the national level, the regional associations organize league play. The typical pyramid — named slightly differently regionally:
| Level | League |
|---|---|
| District | Kreisklasse / Kreisliga / Kreisleistungsklasse |
| Regional | Bezirksliga / Bezirksoberliga |
| State | Landesliga / Verbandsliga / Oberliga |
| Regional (Higher) | Regionalliga (B- and A-Juniors), C-Juniors Regionalliga |
| National | DFB Youth League (U17 / U19) |
Promotion and relegation function like in adult football — with one crucial exception at the top, which we will get to shortly.
For C-Juniors, the Regionalliga is the highest level; there is no nationwide C-Youth league. For B- and A-Juniors, the path leads via the Regionalligen or the qualification rounds of the regional associations into the DFB Youth League.
The DFB Youth League (U17 and U19) in Detail
For the 2024/25 season, the U19 and U17 DFB Youth Leagues have replaced the previous A- and B-Junioren Bundesligas. The 2023/24 season was the last in the old format and served as a transition and qualification season.
The Format: Preliminary Round plus Main Round
The Youth League is played in two phases:
Preliminary Round (First Half of Season): Teams are divided into regional groups with a maximum of eight teams and play home and away matches — 14 match days.
Main Round (Second Half of Season): After the preliminary round, the field is split based on sporting success:
- League A: The group winners, runners-up, and best third-placed teams from the preliminary round. Four divisions of six teams each, ten match days. This is where the path to the German championship is played out.
- League B: The remaining teams, also in divisions, with 14 match days — more games, more development time.
The German championship is then decided in a final round among the best teams from League A.
What Has Changed Compared to the Bundesliga
No classic relegation for performance centers. The youth performance centers (NLZs) are set for the Youth League. The idea: development instead of relegation battles — coaches should be able to choose courageous lineups and playing styles without every defeat being existential.
More amateur clubs. Up to eleven amateur clubs annually enter the competition via the regional association qualifications — in the old system, it was only about five to six on average.
More equally matched games. The division into League A and League B after the preliminary round ensures that teams more frequently play against opponents of similar strength — the same idea as the festival principle in children's football, but at a performance level.
The reform is part of a larger DFB philosophy: development over results. From the 2-v-2 of the Bambini to the Youth League, the principle of creating learning environments instead of managing tables permeates the system. Classification of trends: Modern Youth Football.
Cup, Championship, and the Road to Europe
German Championship: For U17 and U19, this is decided via the final round of League A. For C-Juniors and below, there is no German championship.
DFB-Juniors-Pokal: A national knockout competition for U19 (and at regional association level, cups for all age groups). Participants qualify through regional cups.
UEFA Youth League: The German U19 champion qualifies for the domestic champions path in the UEFA Youth League. The youth teams of German Champions League participants also compete in the Champions League path. How the competition works: The UEFA Youth League Explained.
What the System Means for Coaches
In the children's area: Take formats seriously. The small-sided games are not just mandatory fun, but the most learning-intensive format available. Training should use the same logic: small fields, many actions, everyone involved. Relevant content: Playing Formats and Small-Sided Games.
In the transition area: Prepare for format changes. The leap from 7 vs 7 to 9 vs 9 and later to the full field is a significant change for players — new spaces, new distances, new positioning. Good coaches integrate format changes into training over months, rather than letting them happen on the first matchday.
In the performance area: Document development. The Youth League and Regionalliga are scouting grounds — scouts, support centers, and NLZs are watching. Clubs that systematically record player development have stronger arguments in transition and development discussions. Tools: Tracking Player Development.
Across all levels: Plan age-appropriately. Each age group has its own focus areas — from ball familiarity for Bambini to competition management for A-Youth. The overall framework is provided by: Age-Appropriate Football Training and Football Drills by Age Group.
Five Takeaways on the German Youth League System
1. Two birth years per age group, cutoff date January 1st — from G (U7) to A (U19).
2. Children's football is reformed — 2 vs 2 to 7 vs 7, festivals instead of tables, mandatory since 2024/25.
3. The full field comes gradually — via 9 vs 9 in D-/C-Youth to 11 vs 11.
4. The DFB Youth League replaces the Junior Bundesligas — preliminary round regional, then League A and League B, no relegation for NLZs.
5. The U19 champion plays in the Youth League — the German system flows directly into European competition.
All Articles in the Youth Leagues Series
Coach OS: Training for Every Age Group
From 3-v-3 festivals to the Youth League — each level requires different training.
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