As part of the development of the Dispensation process, the FA are piloting two new categories to support children to play football.

The category Individual Needs is for those who have individual and specific needs,  to play outside of their permitted age group provides them with either a) the opportunity to participate in affiliated football or b) the best opportunity to develop as a player that is within the talent system (girls) or has been recently released (boys).

Please note to apply under the individual needs category there is a series of evidence required to apply. You can find the template files within the What Supporting Evidence do I Require for Player Dispensation? article.

Eligible examples

Religious Reasons

A player has religious commitments on a particular day of the week which excludes them from playing. There is a lack of opportunity to play within their permitted age group and chosen pathway through the rest of the week so dispensation would be needed to allow them to participate.

Talent Development (ETC or PL/EFL Academy release)

Talented players within an ETC or recently released from a PL/EFL Academy may be granted dispensation to support their development as a player.

Personal Circumstance

Where personal circumstances stop an individual from being able to participate in the game and that by being permitted to play outside of their prescribed age groups they would be able to play football.

Non Eligible examples

Friendship

A player wishes to play out of their prescribed age group in order to play with their friends.

Physical Stature

A player wishes to play in an older age group because they are more physically matured than their peers. (This is in non-eligible because what classifies someone as more physically mature is not feasible to deduce within grassroots football).  

Talent Development (but non-ETC / PL or EFL Academy release)

A player is perceived to be talented and wishes to further their development by playing out of their prescribed age group, but they are not currently (in the case of the female pathway) or recently (in the case of the male pathway) part of a recognised talent pathway.

Close in Age

A player is close in age to being eligible to play in another age group (i.e. player is born in August

Mental Health

Applications related to considerations around mental health should be attributed to the Mental Health & Chronic Illness category.

To stay with existing team 

A player is already playing up a year and the whole team which have been together for a number of seasons have decided that the team should play-up as they have won the league in the past 2 seasons without losing a game. The team manager has not realised that the unintended consequence is that the player already playing up can now no longer play within this team and the player and parents would like them to do so.