boys v girls etc youth football

[Kent Ref]

I thought up to under 16s girls and boys can play together or against each other but NOT above u16s.

This rule was changed by the FA in 2020 so that at youth level all boys/girls can play against or with each other up to and including under 18s.

I think this is a problem waiting to happen or it may have happened already.

I haven't done under 18s for a while and wondered if this is an issue or not?

 

[RustyRef]

It actually changed in 2015. Don't really see why it might be a problem, there are lots of other sports where mixed sexes are allowed even into adult age.

 

[Kent Ref]

It actually changed in 2015. Don't really see why it might be a problem, there are lots of other sports where mixed sexes are allowed even into adult age.

Ok. My County said it was 2020 and the ages were lifted one year at a time over 5 years.

I'm thinking about physicality and a stronger player injuring a weaker, less well built player. Maybe it's a non-issue.

 

[RustyRef]

Ok. My County said it was 2020 and the ages were lifted one year at a time over 5 years.

I'm thinking about physicality and a stronger player injuring a weaker, less well built player. Maybe it's a non-issue.

It was just falling in line with other countries that already allowed it up to U18 and in some cases even higher.

https://www.sussexfa.com/news/2015/jun/25/mixed-football-age-limit-raised

 

[socal lurker]

Ok. My County said it was 2020 and the ages were lifted one year at a time over 5 years.

I'm thinking about physicality and a stronger player injuring a weaker, less well built player. Maybe it's a non-issue.

There are stronger and weaker players in every game at every level

 

[one]

About 10 years ago I coached an U15 side. We had all boys but one girl in the team who held her own both skill wise and physically. This is an age when you get some 6+ foot or 80kg+ players and some under 5 foot or 40kg. I think difference in size can be an issue in some youth sports but not in football. The only possible exception can be much younger ages like the U6.

 

[SpecsSaver66]

Ok. My County said it was 2020 and the ages were lifted one year at a time over 5 years.

I'm thinking about physicality and a stronger player injuring a weaker, less well built player. Maybe it's a non-issue.

I agree with you regarding physicality. I have reffed professional female players and they are very skilful,well a good few are at least,but they are well behind physically at that age. Local boys teams most often beat even professional Ladies teams because of sheer strength and power. Again I don't say this lightly but I have worked as a coach in professional ladies and girl's football and a close friend was the manager of a professional ladies team about a decade ago. I genuinely believed it was around 12 or 13 where the genders separated and I thought this was a fair age given puberty tends to come a little bit earlier to girls than to boys on average. As a caveat,if we are talking about very average local Male and Female football then some girls can very much handle this level, but when we are getting towards an elite level the difference is very noticeable.