Youth system

<h2 id="youth-academies">Youth academies</h2>
Youth systems attached exclusively to one club are often called youth academies. In a youth academy, a club will sign multiple players at a very young age and teach them football skills required to play at that club's level and style of football.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5">5</a> Clubs are often restricted to recruiting locally based youngsters, but some larger clubs such as <a href="/facts/Arsenal_F.C./pubabvB0">Arsenal</a>, <a href="/facts/Real_Madrid_C.F./1xVKbM0V">Real Madrid</a>, <a href="/facts/Manchester_United/wmNVnVtQ">Manchester United</a>, and <a href="/facts/Chelsea_F.C./A3uY71YN">Chelsea</a> have recruited foreign talent, leading to the formation of specialist recruiters such as the <a href="/facts/La_Liga/IGK1ayKP">La Liga</a> Youth Brokerage, which started in 2016.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6">6</a>
Many of the larger <a href="/facts/Football_club_(association_football)/9BW2g84E">football clubs</a> in <a href="/facts/Europe/DTAtrKfh">Europe</a> such as <a href="/facts/AFC_Ajax/e3hAEP77">Ajax</a> and <a href="/facts/Feyenoord/SCT533j1">Feyenoord</a> in the <a href="/facts/Netherlands/y8xn5stT">Netherlands</a>, <a href="/facts/FC_Barcelona/x2H1EFug">FC Barcelona</a>, <a href="/facts/Atl%25C3%25A9tico_Madrid/uk1G1RW1">Atlético Madrid</a>, and <a href="/facts/Real_Madrid_C.F./1xVKbM0V">Real Madrid</a> in <a href="/facts/Spain/bIyrB8EY">Spain</a>, <a href="/facts/S.L._Benfica/3fgpTLzP">Benfica</a>, <a href="/facts/Sporting_Clube_de_Portugal/vbgkjVcB">Sporting CP</a>, and <a href="/facts/FC_Porto/hdY0yRjK">Porto</a> in <a href="/facts/Portugal/lYzwDQ63">Portugal</a>, <a href="/facts/Olympique_Lyonnais/XUnrogxz">Olympique Lyonnais</a> and <a href="/facts/Paris_Saint-Germain_F.C./pyF66zLV">Paris Saint-Germain</a> in <a href="/facts/France/CxIeIKM3">France</a>, <a href="/facts/Manchester_United_F.C./wmNVnVtQ">Manchester United</a>, <a href="/facts/Liverpool_F.C./uzPanAVJ">Liverpool</a>, <a href="/facts/Arsenal_F.C./pubabvB0">Arsenal</a>, and <a href="/facts/Chelsea_F.C./A3uY71YN">Chelsea</a> in <a href="/facts/England/U9mE5bGL">England</a>, <a href="/facts/FC_Bayern_Munich/99e1qqlf">FC Bayern Munich</a>, <a href="/facts/Borussia_Dortmund/kVGq7nE3">Borussia Dortmund</a>, and <a href="/facts/FC_Schalke_04/pLcS3gPJ">Schalke 04</a> in <a href="/facts/Germany/paluuWBX">Germany</a>, among many others, are regarded as having some of the finest youth academies and have produced many players regarded as some of the best in world football. Other clubs, such as the <a href="/facts/Brazil/QHkG46GL">Brazilian</a> teams <a href="/facts/Gr%25C3%25AAmio/BsWf00m7">Grêmio</a> and <a href="/facts/S%25C3%25A3o_Paulo_FC/SJK4tvr7">São Paulo</a>, <a href="/facts/RCD_Espanyol/dUQPMmyN">Espanyol</a> in Spain, <a href="/facts/Atalanta_B.C./GF5BtQlh">Atalanta</a>, <a href="/facts/Inter_Milan/IpxpcC5I">Inter Milan</a>, and <a href="/facts/AC_Milan/yDRPqvJI">AC Milan</a> of <a href="/facts/Italy/tUf0PDYF">Italy</a>, and English clubs <a href="/facts/Leeds_United_A.F.C./NEBBYkBD">Leeds United</a>, <a href="/facts/Middlesbrough_F.C./Ag02bWX6">Middlesbrough</a>, <a href="/facts/Watford_F.C/IkUydn8X">Watford</a>, <a href="/facts/Aston_Villa_F.C./4Vk15gbp">Aston Villa</a>, and <a href="/facts/West_Ham_United_F.C./hwNojQTF">West Ham United</a>, while not as financially successful as others, have a world class academy. West Ham's youth academy is known as <a href="/facts/West_Ham_United_F.C._Under-21s_and_Academy/bAK28REX">The Academy of Football</a>, and has produced <a href="/facts/West_Ham_United_F.C._Under-21s_and_Academy/bAK28REX">many English talents</a> that have gone on to play with larger clubs in the <a href="/facts/Premier_League/nfXVuAYa">Premier League</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7">7</a>
Another example is lower league clubs who have produced high quality players through the academy and sold them to keep the club running. A prime example of this is <a href="/facts/Crewe_Alexandra_F.C./hjtJ16Ve">Crewe Alexandra</a> who have, under <a href="/facts/Dario_Gradi/JDqQbfdh">Dario Gradi</a> and his staff, nurtured players into high quality players such as <a href="/facts/Danny_Murphy_(footballer%2c_born_1977)/zGVX5xzI">Danny Murphy</a> and <a href="/facts/Dean_Ashton/WoeLbsLp">Dean Ashton</a> and sold them.
An alternative name for a youth academy is "Centre of Excellence". In English football, these terms have distinct meanings and are licensed and regulated by <a href="/facts/The_Football_Association/9xGCEg03">The Football Association</a> and <a href="/facts/The_Football_League/aN1vmvoF">The Football League</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8">8</a>
In 2020, <a href="/facts/Major_League_Rugby/6cEXpjAm">Major League Rugby</a> teams started forming youth academies.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9">9</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10">10</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11">11</a>
In the <a href="/facts/Soviet_Union/m7wWsPto">Soviet Union</a>, children-youth <a href="/facts/Sports_school/x74GzxMX">sports schools</a> were used as youth systems. Financing of the Soviet youth system was conducted by clubs such as <a href="/facts/FC_Dynamo_Kyiv/SI44J0yP">Dynamo Kyiv</a>, <a href="/facts/FC_Spartak_Moscow/607VLaLS">Spartak Moscow</a>, <a href="/facts/CSKA_Moscow/BdjDyy6l">CSKA Moscow</a>, and other clubs, and also through major industrial Soviet state enterprises such as <a href="/facts/Yuzhmash/lXU5z0xQ">PA Yuzhmash</a>, <a href="/facts/Black_Sea_Shipping_Company/XuGdnobB">Black Sea Shipping Company</a>, <a href="/facts/Izhevsk_Mechanical_Plant/BoQT7gFg">Izhevsk Mechanical Plant</a>, and other enterprises.

<h2 id="youth-leagues">Youth leagues</h2>
While similar to youth academies, youth leagues are built into a club competition rather than an individual club. However, the teams that play in these youth leagues (called <a href="/facts/Farm_team/P0f6p6sM">farm teams</a>) are generally attached to a larger senior club. The purpose of these leagues is to give young players experience in proper competition against other players that they will most likely end up playing with or against. The <a href="/facts/Premier_League/nfXVuAYa">Premier League</a> in England is known for having a large <a href="/facts/Premier_Academy_League/ECyKBG0s">youth league</a> attached to its senior clubs. In the forthcoming season the <a href="/facts/A-League/nEHAnjek">A-League</a> in Australia will begin its own youth league.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12">12</a>
Youth leagues are not just exclusive to football (soccer). The <a href="/facts/Australian_Football_League/Pg8x0JDW">Australian Football League</a> (AFL) has a youth league established underneath its senior league with no attachment to any senior club. The players that play in this competition are then chosen to play for senior clubs through the <a href="/facts/AFL_draft/zgX4VRYJ">AFL draft</a>. <a href="/facts/Basketball/M5pl4Pzo">Basketball</a> clubs in Europe follow the same format as their respective football (soccer) clubs, with youth tournaments in each country, as well as the <a href="/facts/Euroleague_Basketball_Next_Generation_Tournament/meybFTHM">Euroleague Basketball Next Generation Tournament</a>, where the top 32 under-18 sides compete for the championship. <a href="/facts/Minor_ice_hockey/nlKxB68r">Minor ice hockey</a> and <a href="/facts/Junior_ice_hockey/MW9yKun4">junior ice hockey</a> serve an identical purpose for ice hockey and the <a href="/facts/National_Hockey_League/sLo4QAS8">National Hockey League</a> (NHL). Historically, hockey followed a similar model to association football in that professional teams owned junior teams to develop youth talent (examples including the <a href="/facts/Montreal_Junior_Canadiens/zmt2tBH9">Montreal Junior Canadiens</a> and <a href="/facts/Toronto_Marlboros/6USfGtwP">Toronto Marlboros</a>) to which they would retain territorial rights; this system was phased out in 1967 in favor of a <a href="/facts/Draft_(sports)/IfL28Hxb">draft</a> system.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13">13</a> To a certain extent, <a href="/facts/Little_League_Baseball/md6WqfFg">Little League Baseball</a> serves a similar purpose for professional baseball, although the vast majority of development and recruitment comes at the high school level.
The <a href="/facts/National_Football_League/cBH0hxRV">National Football League</a> operates two youth academies, one at <a href="/facts/Loughborough_University/e0ufYKzr">Loughborough University</a> in England and the other at <a href="/facts/A._B._Paterson_College/6IyuExV2">A. B. Paterson College</a> in Australia, with those academies designed mainly for international talent.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14">14</a> The majority of the NFL's players, along with those of the neighboring <a href="/facts/Canadian_Football_League/hx7zXKAb">Canadian Football League</a>, are developed predominantly through the educational system, first with <a href="/facts/High_school_football/YTNBIqhn">high school football</a> and then <a href="/facts/College_football/sQHYX0Ct">college football</a> (university football in Canada). Canada also has <a href="/facts/Canadian_Junior_Football_League/xEqrDpn0">its own junior football system</a> similar to hockey's. Neither <a href="/facts/Major_League_Baseball/4WW9yef3">Major League Baseball</a> nor the <a href="/facts/National_Basketball_Association/Vd3EUFfa">National Basketball Association</a> have a youth system. Basketball players are typically developed and recruited straight out of high school, although the <a href="/facts/National_Basketball_Association/Vd3EUFfa">National Basketball Association</a> requires at least one year out of high school to be eligible to play. <a href="/facts/College_basketball/RKfLFya3">College basketball</a> is also a source of players for the NBA and other professional leagues.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:15" href="#fn:15">15</a>
<a href="/facts/MLS_Next/rJVv551L">MLS Next</a> (stylized in all caps) is a system of youth <a href="/facts/Association_football/yttjeD0D">soccer</a> leagues that are managed, organized and controlled by Major League Soccer. It was introduced by the league in 2020. The system was introduced in mid 2020 and will be active[needs update] for the first time during the 2020–21 season. It is a successor to the <a href="/facts/U.S._Soccer_Development_Academy/S0T186HA">U.S. Soccer Development Academy</a>. The system covers the under-13, under-14, under-15, under-16, under-17, and under-19 age groups.

<h2 id="age-groups">Age groups</h2>
Many competitions are arranged according to maximum age

<h2 id="see-also">See also</h2>
<ul><li><a href="/facts/Minor_league/6UDB7Sar">Minor league</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Reserve_team/FMRsJ7WY">Reserve team</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Draft_(sport)/IfL28Hxb">Draft (sport)</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Cantera/xffh4Bvq">Cantera</a></li></ul>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1">Damon Threadgold (2016-06-30). "Team England, The Fa And The Great Eppp Gamble — Ibwm". Inbedwithmaradona.com. Retrieved 2017-04-09. <a href="http://inbedwithmaradona.com/journal/2016/6/30/team-england-the-fa-and-the-great-eppp-gamble" target="_blank">http://inbedwithmaradona.com/journal/2016/6/30/team-england-the-fa-and-the-great-eppp-gamble</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:2">"When Saturday Comes – Stunted growth". wsc.co.uk. 2016-07-27. Retrieved 2017-04-09. <a href="http://www.wsc.co.uk/the-archive/911-Youth-football/5203-stunted-growth" target="_blank">http://www.wsc.co.uk/the-archive/911-Youth-football/5203-stunted-growth</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:3">"Life at a football academy". BBC News. 2005-09-30. <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/get_involved/4207962.stm" target="_blank">http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/get_involved/4207962.stm</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:4">Park, Juyong; Newman, M E J. (2005). "A network-based ranking system for US college football". Journal of Statistical Mechanics: Theory and Experiment. 2005 (10). IOP Publishing: P10014. arXiv:physics/0505169. Bibcode:2005JSMTE..10..014P. doi:10.1088/1742-5468/2005/10/P10014. <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1742-5468/2005/10/P10014/meta" target="_blank">https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1742-5468/2005/10/P10014/meta</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:5">"Does United's future still lie in youth?". BBC News. 2004-09-02. <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/sportacademy/hi/sa/football/features/newsid_3619000/3619144.stm" target="_blank">http://news.bbc.co.uk/sportacademy/hi/sa/football/features/newsid_3619000/3619144.stm</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:6">La Liga Youth Brokerage Archived 2016-12-26 at the Wayback Machine <a href="http://www.laligayouthbroker.strikingly.com" target="_blank">http://www.laligayouthbroker.strikingly.com</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:7">Philip, Robert (2004-06-14). "West Ham in the nation's debt for grooming England talent". The Daily Telegraph. London.[dead link] <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2004/06/14/sfnrp14.xml" target="_blank">https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2004/06/14/sfnrp14.xml</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:8">"Programme for Excellence". The FA. 2003-11-06. Retrieved 2008-06-20. <a href="http://www.thefa.com/TheFA/RulesAndRegulations/Regulations/Postings/2003/11/Regs_ProgforExcellence.htm" target="_blank">http://www.thefa.com/TheFA/RulesAndRegulations/Regulations/Postings/2003/11/Regs_ProgforExcellence.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:9">"Utah Warriors Co-Founder to build Liberty Boys Academy - djcoilrugby". 2 December 2020. <a href="https://djcoilrugby.com/2020/12/01/utah-warriors-co-founder-to-build-liberty-boys-academy/" target="_blank">https://djcoilrugby.com/2020/12/01/utah-warriors-co-founder-to-build-liberty-boys-academy/</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:10">"Toronto Arrows Announce 2020 Academy Athletes, Additional Program Details". Major League Rugby. <a href="https://www.majorleague.rugby/news/toronto-arrows-announce-2020-academy-athletes-additional-program-details/" target="_blank">https://www.majorleague.rugby/news/toronto-arrows-announce-2020-academy-athletes-additional-program-details/</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:11">"MLR Academies Can Be Anything, Which Is OK". Goff Rugby Report. 27 October 2020. <a href="https://www.goffrugbyreport.com/news/mlr-academies-can-be-anything-which-ok" target="_blank">https://www.goffrugbyreport.com/news/mlr-academies-can-be-anything-which-ok</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:12">Davutovic, David (2007-10-30). "Football Federation looks at national youth league". The Daily Telegraph. <a href="http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22668500-5001023,00.html" target="_blank">http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22668500-5001023,00.html</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:13">"Sweeping Changes In Pro-Am Hockey Pact". Winnipeg Free Press. Winnipeg, Manitoba. August 19, 1966. p. 22. <a href="https://newspaperarchive.com/sports-clipping-aug-19-1966-1087023/" target="_blank">https://newspaperarchive.com/sports-clipping-aug-19-1966-1087023/</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:14">"Home". NFL Academy. Retrieved 2024-11-09. <a href="https://www.nflacademy.com/" target="_blank">https://www.nflacademy.com/</a> <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
<li id="fn:15">"Home". NFL Academy. Retrieved 2024-11-09. <a href="https://www.nflacademy.com/" target="_blank">https://www.nflacademy.com/</a> <a href="#fnref:15" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></li>
</ol>

Youth system open-in-new

Youth system