Is 13 Too Late for a Football Academy? Routes at 12, 13 and 14

No. Professional football academies keep recruiting after the age of 12. Every May they release some players, which frees up places, and from under-14 the Premier League's rules let a club offer a trial without the travel-time limit that applies to younger children. Places do get scarcer with age, so weekly match football, good coaching and patience through growth spurts matter more than an early start.

We coach Juniors (8–12) and Teens (13–17) at Konevych FDC in Tolworth. We are not a club academy and we don't promise academy places. This guide uses the Premier League's Youth Development Rules for 2025/26 to show where the later doors are and what you can do if your child is 12, 13 or 14 and still hoping.

If you want the basics first (scouting, the academy categories and which clubs are near Tolworth), start with our guide to how to get into a football academy in south-west London.

Can you join a football academy at 12, 13 or 14?

Yes. Ages 12 to 16 are the Youth Development Phase, and academies sign new players throughout it. Registration doesn't close at under-9. What changes is how far a club can look and how many places it has.

Football age groups run from 1 September, so a child who is 11 on 31 August plays under-12 that season (school Year 7), and a child who is 13 on 31 August plays under-14 (Year 9). Our football age groups guide works it out from a birth date.

Here is what the rules say for each age group:

• Under-12 and under-13: a club can only offer a trial to a child who lives within 90 minutes' travel of its academy (Rule 269.2). Squads can hold up to 30 players per age group (Rule 289).
• Under-14: the travel limit on trials no longer applies (Rule 269.3), so a club can invite a player from further away. Squads can still hold up to 30.
• Under-15 and under-16: squads are capped at 20 per age group (Rule 289). Places are fewer and the competition for them is stronger.

So a 12-year-old in Tolworth is still well within reach of the Category One academies at Chelsea, Fulham, Brentford and Crystal Palace, and the window stays open through under-14. It narrows after that.

Why academy places open up every summer

Academies review their squads every spring, and every player they release leaves a place for someone new. By the third Saturday in May each year, a club must tell its under-12 and under-14 players whether it will keep them for the next two seasons or end their registration (Rule 294.2). Releases take effect on the first Saturday in June, and a released player is free to look for another academy (Rule 295).

That cycle is why the end of a season matters for families outside the system too. Clubs are looking for players to fill gaps from the end of the spring onwards, and the players they notice are the ones playing regular competitive football in front of scouts.

It also cuts the other way. A child who joins an academy at 9 isn't safe there: every review is a chance to be released, and many are. Joining later is not a lesser route. It's just a shorter one.

Late developers: the small 12-year-old isn't finished

Academies have a well-known bias towards children who are older and bigger for their age group. In England, the CIES Football Observatory found that 39.9% of professional footballers were born between September and December, and only 24.4% between May and August. Those autumn-born players were the oldest in their school year, and often the biggest, when academies first chose between them.

The game knows this. The Premier League has run bio-banded tournaments, where academy players are grouped by physical maturity instead of birthday. In a University of Bath study of one tournament for players aged 11 to 14 from Reading, Southampton, Stoke City and Norwich City, late-maturing players said they had a greater chance to show their skills and take on leadership roles.

If your child is summer-born, small or not yet growing, judge them over seasons, not weeks. Late developers often have to rely on touch, timing and decisions to keep up, and they keep those skills once they grow. A growth spurt can also make a skilful 13-year-old look clumsy for a few months. Our article on football training for teenagers explains what growth does to a young player and when knee or heel pain needs a GP.

What stands out in a 12–14-year-old player

Every scout and academy coach has their own eye, and nobody can tell you exactly what a particular club wants. From a coach's side of the pitch, these are the things that make a player in this age group stand out:

• A first touch that sets up the next action, especially with an opponent close.
• Looking before the ball arrives. A player who checks over their shoulder already knows where the space is.
• Good decisions at speed: when to pass, when to carry the ball, when to keep it simple.
• Both feet. It doesn't have to be even, but a weaker foot that works under pressure opens the whole pitch.
• The next action after a mistake. Coaches notice a player who wins the ball back straight away.
• Listening and trying it. A player who takes a piece of advice and uses it in the next game is easy to coach.

Size and pace get noticed too, but they are the parts a late developer will gain anyway. For more, read five signs your child has real football potential.

How can a 12–14-year-old get noticed?

Academies don't take applications. Scouts find players where they play regularly, so the plan is to be good, be seen and keep enjoying it.

1. Play competitive matches every week. Scouts watch weekend league football. A child who plays most Saturdays or Sundays for a well-run grassroots club is far easier to spot than one who only trains.
2. Train well, not endlessly. Two good sessions a week plus a match is plenty for most 12–14-year-olds. More is rarely better during a growth spurt; rest and sleep are when growing bodies recover.
3. Say yes to school and district football. Representative teams put the best players from many schools in front of one scout.
4. Look at club-run development centres. Academy clubs can run development centres for under-12s to under-16s who live within 90 minutes of the club (Rule 136). A child there isn't registered with the club and stays free to play for their own team (Rule 137).
5. Check anyone who approaches you. Ask which club a scout works for, then contact that club directly before you agree to anything. Be wary of paid events that promise academy trials.

If your child is invited to trial, a club can have them for up to eight weeks, extendable by four with your consent. Our guide to football trials for kids covers how to prepare and what to do if it doesn't work out.

Other routes into the game

A professional academy is one road. It's not the only one, and it's not the end of the road if your child never gets there or is released.

Scholarships at 16

Clubs can offer a scholarship agreement to their academy players from 1 July before the under-14 season up to 31 December of the under-16 year (Rule 305). An under-16 who is told they won't get a scholarship can trial at other clubs, for up to eight weeks in total (Rule 269.4). League Football Education, set up by the EFL and the PFA, runs the two-year apprenticeship for 16–18-year-olds at EFL clubs, which combines full-time football with a qualification.

College football from 16

Many colleges and community club trusts run full-time football programmes for 16–18-year-olds alongside A levels or vocational courses. They suit a player who wants serious training and a qualification at the same time. Entry is usually by trial, so check each programme's own website.

Non-league football

Senior football below the professional leagues is a real pathway, not a consolation prize. Jamie Vardy was released by Sheffield Wednesday at 16, played for Stocksbridge Park Steels while working in a factory, and joined Leicester City from non-league Fleetwood Town in 2012. Four years later he won the Premier League.

Football for life

Most children who play football never turn professional, and most of them are better off for having played. A teenager who still loves the game at 18 has a sport, a fitness habit and a group of friends for life. That is a result worth protecting. If pressure is starting to show, read why children lose confidence in football.

The rules in this guide are the Premier League's Youth Development Rules for boys' academies. Girls' talent pathways are run separately by the FA.

How we help 12–14-year-olds at Konevych FDC

Our Juniors (8–12) and Teens (13–17) train on Tuesday and Thursday evenings on floodlit outdoor 3G pitches at Goals Tolworth, where you can see current session times. Sessions are built around games that look like real football: first touch under pressure, scanning, decisions and both feet, coached by UEFA-licensed coaches.

We are an independent football development centre, not a club academy, so we don't run academy trials. What we can do is help your child improve, keep enjoying the game and play with confidence wherever they go next. Ask the coach after a session what your child should work on; you'll get a straight answer.

Training starts from £64 a month for one session a week, and the first session is free. Book your child's free football trial.

Common questions

Is 14 too late to get scouted for an academy?

No. Under-14 is the age group where Premier League rules remove the travel limit on trials, so clubs can look further for players. Places do get scarcer from under-15, when the squad limit drops to 20 per age group, so regular match football in front of scouts matters most at 13 and 14.

Can my child apply to a football academy?

Not usually. Academies recruit by scouting, and some clubs run development centres that work as a first look. If a club advertises trial days, check the details on the club's own website and never pay anyone who promises a place.

Do academies take summer-born or small players?

Yes, but the system has historically favoured older, bigger children, and clubs know it. Bio-banding and growth monitoring exist to give late developers a fairer chance. Keep your child playing and improving; their size will change, their skills will stay.

My child was released at 12 or 13. What now?

A released player can look for another academy straight away (Rule 295). Give them time to recover, get them playing weekly matches again and remind them that releases are common. Many players find a new club, or a different route, after a release.

Should my child train every day to catch up?

No. Two good sessions and a match each week is enough for most 12–14-year-olds, and more can raise the risk of growth-related injury. Quality, rest and enjoyment beat volume.

Related reading

• How to get into a football academy in south-west London
• Academy vs club football: which is right for your child?
• Is my child too late to start football?
• Football trials for kids: how to prepare