Age Chart for season 2007/08                                               ______________________________________________________________                                  Until recently, this was a minefield of inconsistency and varied according to region and league rules. Now the Football Association have issued a ruling to ensure consistency of application across the whole country. Essentially the age group that a player joins is determined by his/her date of birth, this also mirrors the school year. The key date is 31st August and the chart below shows which age group applies for next season.

      FA rules do permit a child to “Play Up” a year (an under 9 can play for under 10’s) but under no circumstances can a child play for the age group below.  As a club, Chelmsford City Youth require that, for any player wishing to play up a year, a consensus of agreement is reached between both age group managers, the child's parents and, of course the child themselves. We always try to consider what is best for the child, taking into account factors such as ability and physical development.