Whole of Football 2.0 (2026 Implementation)

Transforming how the game is delivered, from fun-first foundations to future-ready footballers

New Zealand Football has officially launched Whole of Football 2.0, a bold evolution in how football and futsal are delivered across the country. As Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest team sport with more than 176,000 participants, the new framework is designed to deliver more engaging, development-focused experiences for players of all ages.

After a comprehensive three-year review, Whole of Football 2.0 introduces updated game formats, coaching approaches, and development pathways all with the aim of building a lifelong love of football and prioritising skill development from an early age.

What’s Changing?

From 2026, North Wellington FC and other clubs across the Capital Football region will begin implementing the updated Whole of Football 2.0 structure.

For Junior Players:

The key change is that players will stay in smaller formats for longer, giving them more time to grow technically and enjoy the game.

  • 4 -7 Years old: Station Rotation + 3 vs 3 (no goalkeeper)
  • U8: 5 vs 5
  • U9: 5 vs 5
  • U10 / U11: 7 vs 7 
  • U12: 9 vs9
  • U13: 9 vs 9
  • U14 / U15: 11 vs 11 or 9 vs 9 depending on competition needs
  • U16+: 11 vs 11


Why Smaller Games Matter

The research is clear: smaller game formats lead to more touches on the ball, higher involvement, and faster development.

  • Players in a 4v4 match get up to 500% more touches than in 11v11.

  • The ball is in play 92% of the time in 4v4, compared to just 66% in 11v11.

  • NZF pilot data shows players in the new formats average 3,800 more touches, while goalkeepers see 1,300 more game actions.

These changes support the #1 reason kids in New Zealand say they play football — because it’s fun. More touches, more goals, and more involvement mean more smiles and more development.


How This Will Affect North Wellington FC

  • 2026 Rollout: Changes will take effect in our region from the 2026 season.

  • Smaller Teams = More Coaches Needed: With more games being played in smaller-sided formats, we’ll need more coaches and volunteers to support each team something we’ll be planning for over the next few months.

  • Equipment-Ready: North Wellington FC will have the appropriate goals and resources in place ahead of the transition.

  • More Support Coming: We’ll be sharing more information with our community, including format breakdowns, coaching resources, and opportunities to get involved as it’s rolled out by New Zealand Football and Capital Football.

What’s Next?

We’ll be posting updates and information as we get closer to the 2026 season. In the meantime, if you’re a parent, coach, or club member interested in supporting this transition, we’d love to hear from you.

This is a big moment for junior football in New Zealand and we’re excited to lead the way in helping kids enjoy the game and grow their skills in a positive, fun-first environment.

FAQ:

With smaller team numbers, we’re going to need more pitches to accommodate the increased number of teams but we don’t have the space for more pitches. 

While there are an increased number of teams and therefore pitches, the actual green space needed to accommodate the pitch sizes has reduced with the new guidance. E.g. With U13 now being 9v9, you could play 2 games across half a full sized field with 36 players playing whereas under the previous guidance of 11v11, the same field would only accommodate 22 players. Federations and Clubs are encouraged to examine their current pitch set up to best utilise the field space they have. ​​​​​​​

What happens to dual age bands (e.g. U11/U12 that currently plays 9v9 but now plays 7v7 and 9v9 respectively) with the updated guidance? 

Federations are encouraged to review the age groups that they currently dual age band to either change to single age band where appropriate or alter dual age banding to align with the new format progression, i.e.U10/U11 would be 7v7 and U12/U13 would be 9v9.

Will the retreating line be a part of the regs for U13’s? 

Yes, the retreating line will now extend to include the U13 age group to prepare players for the current goal kick rules in the 11v11 game. 

What does this mean for the Talent Development Programme (TDP) and Skills Centre (SKC) programmes? 

NZF will undertake a project of work during 2025 to evolve the TDP and SKC programmes in line with the updated WOF 2.0 guidance as well as NZF’s High Performance and Talent Plan.

New Game Day rules for Whole of Football 2.0 (2026):

Further detailed resources: