Availability of Opportunity Category

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

The category availability of opportunity is for those who have no available opportunity within their permitted age group and chosen pathway (male, female, mixed, disability). An “available opportunity” is defined as a football offer that is accessible to the individual in a reasonable travel time. When determining a reasonable travel time consideration will be given to the modes of transport available to the player and how this may impact their opportunity to play – so this should be clearly detailed within the application.

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

Eligible examples – please also refer to eligible age groups here.

No Teams Locally

Those who have no available opportunity within their permitted age group and chosen pathway (male, female, mixed, disability). An “available opportunity” is defined as a football offer that is accessible to the individual in a reasonable travel time. 

Parents / guardians should provide up to date address for the player within the application and evidence that other local opportunities have been explored. To aid this, use  of Find Football or local County FA support is strongly suggested. 

When determining a reasonable travel time consideration can be given to the modes of transport available to the player and how this may impact their opportunity to play. Parents / guardians should therefore clearly detail this within their application.

This category may include applications from players currently playing mixed football who wish to play specifically within their chosen pathway e.g. female

Local Teams at Capacity

This is where there may be opportunities locally but they are at capacity and therefore there is a need to play out of their prescribed age group in order to participate in their chosen pathway. Parents / guardians should evidence that other local opportunities have been explored within their application. To aid this, use of Find Football or contacting the local County FA is suggested.

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.

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. However please see below for personal circumstances that would be deemed ineligible or should be considered against an alternative dispensation category e.g. mental health or chronic illness.

Non Eligible examples

To stay with existing team 

If a player is already playing up a year and then the team is entered into a competition that is one age category above, the player already playing up can now no longer play within this team. The player would need to move teams to continue to play within a 2 year band - they would not be eligible for dispensation on the grounds of wanting to stay with a previous team.

Friendship

A player wishing to play out of their prescribed age group in order to play with their friends – they would not eligible for dispensation.

Mental Health

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

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). – they would not eligible for dispensation.

Open Age

Dispensation for a child aged 15 or below to play in open age (or equivalent e.g. U19, U21, U23) football. Open age football is for players aged 16 and above. This is youth football policy only, so they would not eligible for dispensation.

Insufficient Research

Following support of the County FA a reasonable opportunity to play is found.