To celebrate the new season The FA has teamed up with the country’s leading small-sided providers to offer a free hour of football to anyone, anywhere.
Over the next month anyone can claim their free hour of football, whether it is a grassroots team in final preparations for the season ahead, or a group of mates simply wanting to have a kickabout.
The FA’s senior national game development manager Pete Ackerley said: “Previous generations fitted their lives around football far more than they are able to nowadays. Last month we launched a new four-year strategy which focuses on addressing this as one of its key objectives.
The number of people playing regular 11-a-side grassroots football has fallen in recent years
"We are keen to boost participation in across all groups and manner most suitable to their lifestyle.”
There are currently over 11 million adults and children who say they play some form of the game and of those, two million of whom lace up their boots at least once a week.
But the manner in which people play football has changed, with more and more participants breaking with convention and enjoying football on their own terms with less structured forms of the game such as five-a-side proving a big hit.
The number of teams playing traditional 11-a-side football has declined in recent years as less players are able to make themselves available for selection on a regular basis.
The offer includes small sided or 11-a-side grassroots football
But this has resulted in the average number of players in squads increasing from 18 to 24 players over the past five years to allow teams to rotate their squads.
In addition to the free football incentive, following on from the launch of a new four-year strategy for Participation and Development, the FA will also launch a major survey to canvass a cross-section of views from across the grassroots football family.
And Ackerley added: “Whether you are a player, a coach, a referee or among the hundreds of thousands of volunteers that keep the wheels of grassroots football turning, we want to hear from you.
"After sharing our vision for the next four years, it is vital that we ensure that we are hearing from those it impacts upon.
"The strategy is designed to be adaptable to ensure that we are able to meet the key objectives we have set and the needs of the football family.”
