10 – 13 April 2025
U8: 5-a-side
U9, U10, U11: 7-a-side
U12: 9-a-side
1 – 4 May 2025
U8: 5-a-side
U9, U10, U11: 7-a-side
U12: 9-a-side
5-a-side: Max squad size = 10 players
7-a-side: Max squad size = 14 players
9-a-side: Max squad size = 16 players
PLEASE NOTE: In accordance with SYFA rules, the U8 – U12 age sections at ESF26 in Ayr will be non-competitive and results will not be recorded. Players and coaches will receive a custom ESF26 medal and each team will receive a high quality team trophy from a football celebrity at the presentation ceremony, to celebrate the achievements of all the children and every team.
£129 per 5-a-side team
£159 per 7-a-side team
£189 per 9-a-side team
OR Club Registration Fee (unlimited teams) = £399
Register before 31 August 2025 and save 50% on the Registration Fees above.
Friday: No football is played on the day of arrival, so teams can relax and get settled into accommodation and enjoy the evening’s entertainment. Check in for accommodation is from 4pm, but you can arrive on resort from 1pm. A briefing meeting for Group Leaders & Coaches will take place on Friday evening.
Saturday & Sunday: There’s an electric atmosphere around the pitches as the action starts and ESF kicks off. All teams will play group stage matches on both days. Where required, knock out matches will take place following the group stages. Teams should expect to play 5 – 8 games over the weekend, depending on the festival format and how for the team progress in the festival. The ESF celebrity presentation ceremonies will take place on the Sunday afternoon/evening.
Monday: No football is played on the Monday. Teams therefore have the option of travelling home on the Sunday evening or Monday. Check Out is 10am on Monday and guests must depart the Holiday Centre by Midday.
Each guest who has booked accommodation through ESF Events will receive an ESF26 wristband when they check in at Butlin’s and Haven. Please be aware that the ESF Events wristband is required to attend the playing venues as a player, club official or spectator, attend the presentation ceremony at Butlin’s and Haven, and enter evening entertainment venues at the Holiday Centres.
ESF26 wristbands are not available to purchase separately. If you are not booked through ESF Events, you are not part of the event and do not have permission to attend the playing venues as a player, official or spectator, or to attend the ESF presentation ceremonies.
A full final briefing email will be sent to the Group Leaders of all participating teams 7-10 days before the festival takes place. The final briefing will include fixtures, schedules and the festival rules, which have been sanctioned by the appropriate National Football Association. At this stage, the ESF App will also go live displaying all festival fixtures and schedules.
ESF is a festival for grassroots teams of all abilities. All teams must be affiliated to a County, Area, National or School Football Association and must be playing together as a team on a regular basis throughout the season, such as in a league.
Centre of Excellence and Academy teams affiliated to professional clubs and ‘representative’ sides are not permitted to enter ESF26.
Boys who are signed with an FA Premier League or Football League Academy at the time of the festival are not permitted to participate in ESF26.
Girls who are registered/signed with a Emerging Talent Centres (ETCs) are permitted to participate in ESF26, providing they are currently a registered player for the team participating, and they have approval from the ETC to participate in grassroots football. Please note, girls registered with an ETC cannot participate in ESF26 as a ‘Guest Player’. Girls who are signed to a Professional Game Academy team (for example, Arsenal, Manchester Utd) at the time of the festival are not permitted to participate in ESF26.
If you have any questions regarding the eligibility of your team or individual players, please contact ESF Events for clarification prior to registering your team.
| Age Group | Born on or after |
|---|---|
| U12 | 1 Jan. 2014 |
| U11 | 1 Jan. 2015 |
| U10 | 1 Jan. 2016 |
| U9 | 1 Jan. 2017 |
| U8 | 1 Jan. 2018 |
SPECIAL DISPENSATION: At the ESF festivals in Ayr, where National Associations employ different age group qualification dates (i.e. 1st September as per the English FA), their domestic age levels will be accepted. Therefore an English U12 team would play in the U12 section at the ESF festivals in Ayr.
Teams are permitted to register a maximum of two ‘guest players’ for the festival. ‘Guest players’ are players who are not currently registered with your club. They must produce documentary evidence to your club secretary to prove that they are the correct age and they must bring these documents with them to the festival.
All players will receive a high quality ESF26 medal as a memento of ESF26. The ESF Fair Play Awards, Magic Moment Awards and Player of the Tournament Award are also presented in each age group.
PLEASE NOTE: In accordance with the Scottish Youth Football Association rules, the U8 – U12 age sections at the ESF26 festivals in Ayr will be played on a friendly, round robin basis, and results will not be recorded. All players will receive a quality medal from a football celebrity to celebrate the achievements of all the children. In addition, ESF26 Fair Play awards and Magic Moment awards will be presented in each age group.
Teams from the local area where the festivals are staged are permitted to apply for entry by returning the Team Registration Form. However, we cannot guarantee a place in the festival until the numbers of touring teams are finalised in each age group. At this stage, if additional teams are required in a given age group for the good of the festival, applications from local teams may be accepted by ESF Events.
PLEASE NOTE: If you have any queries or any other information regarding any of the tournament information detailed above, please call 01664 566360 or click here to email ESF Events.
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