Schools' football in Northern Ireland

EVERY SCHOOL. EVERY PUPIL. ONE GAME.

NISFA provide cup football for primary and post-primary schools across Northern Ireland, for pupils aged 8 to 18. Boys, girls and mixed teams, from first-round ties on a Tuesday afternoon to national finals played at stadiums.

Post-primary competitions Primary competitions

News

Calling all primary schools in Northern Ireland: register your school in 60 seconds

2026/27 season

Calling ALL Primary Schools – Register with the NI Schools' FA in 60 seconds!

2026/27 season

SPiM Project

NISFA presented to 2nd year Sports Studies students at Ulster University about SPIM (Specialist Provision in Mainstream).

Wellington College 2-2 Ballyclare High School, Ballyclare win 5-4 on penalties

7 October 2026

Danske Bank U18 R1 Feature Match

Today, Ballyclare High School defeated Wellington College in a thrilling, end-to-end fixture at Ulidia Playing Fields.

Pupils with the Danske Bank Schools' Cup trophies at the 2026/27 launch

2026/27 season

Danske Bank Schools' Cup Launch

The 2026/27 Danske Bank Schools' Cup competition launch took place at Dominican College, Fortwilliam, the reigning Danske Bank U16 Girls' Schools' Cup champions.

24 September 2026

AGM 2026

The 2026 Annual General Meeting was hosted by Portadown College. The board of directors and the 2026/27 primary and post-primary sub-committees were confirmed.

2026/27 season

NI U18 Schoolboys: Nominations Now Open

Could your pupil or son be playing at the 2027 Centenary Shield?

We're looking for the best U18 schoolboy footballers in Northern Ireland. Teachers and parents can nominate a player now.

Nominate a player

2026/27 season

Competition draws published

See the draws

Ages 8–18 From Primary 5v5 through to Post-Primary 11v11

Boys & girls Parallel pathways at every age group

Cup football Knockout ties, semi-finals and national finals

EVERY DISTRICT Schools from across the province compete

What we run

Three strands, one pathway

Post-primary

Senior and junior cups for boys and girls, Year 8 through to Year 14. Schools enter in September and ties run through the winter to finals in the spring.

See the competitions

Primary

Small-sided cup and festival football for Year 5 to Year 7. Short games, big squads, and a finals day where every pupil who travels gets a game.

See the competitions

A Northern Ireland schools' player reaches for a high ball under floodlights

International

Northern Ireland schools' participate in SAFIB competitions; U18 Boys Centenary Shield, U14 Girls' Rod Houston, U14 Boys' Allen McKinstry playing the other home nations.

How selection works

From the finals

Finals week, in pictures

Girls' cup winners celebrate with the trophy — Dominican College Fortwilliam celebrate winning the Danske Bank Girls' U16 Schools' Cup.

St Malachy's College players lift the trophy — St Malachy's continue their strong showing winning the U18 Danske Bank Boys' Schools' Cup.

School pupils cheering from the stand — Campbell College provide a show of strength on and off the pitch by capturing the Danske Bank U16 Boys' Schools' Cup.

Sponsors and partners

Put your name on schools' football

Over 300 schools across all sectors—Maintained, Controlled, Integrated, Grammar, and Irish Medium—compete in NISFA tournaments. Your support keeps Northern Ireland’s most popular school sport running without financial barriers. Together, we can elevate the pupil experience and ensure equal opportunity for every young person.

Talk to us about sponsorship