NISFA crest NISFA Northern Ireland Schools' Football Association
Primary

Primary cups and festivals

Football for Year 5 to Year 7. Short games, small pitches, big squads. Most pupils play four or five matches in an afternoon.

Format

Built so everyone plays

Primary competitions are played as festivals with multiple matches played in one day against schools from across the country. Games are seven-a-side or five-a-side, 7-10 minutes each way. Squads of up to 11 mean substitutions are constant and no pupil sits out a full match.

  • The primary pathway is expanding, if you are interesting in joining the Primary Committee, sign up here: https://forms.gle/oo9jXkx3GpdF1HBk8
  • Boys', girls' and mixed sections, depending on entries in your area.
  • Medals for every pupil in the finals of the cup.
  • Qualified referees on every pitch, appointed by NISFA.
Primary pupils lifting a cup on the pitch
Competitions

Eight primary competitions

Schools are placed in a small, medium or large section by enrolment, so a two-teacher school is never drawn against a school ten times its size. Girls' sections are run separately at both formats.

7-a-side
  • 7-a-Side Girls NI Schools' Cup
  • 7-a-Side Small NI Schools' Cup
  • 7-a-Side Medium NI Schools' Cup
  • 7-a-Side Large NI Schools' Cup
5-a-side
  • 5-a-Side Girls NI Schools' Cup
  • 5-a-Side Small NI Schools' Cup
  • 5-a-Side Medium NI Schools' Cup
  • 5-a-Side Large NI Schools' Cup
Finals day

What a day looks like

Two primary teams shaking hands after a match
Handshakes after every game. Teams line up and thank the referee.
A primary girls' team celebrating with a trophy
Girls' cup winners. Trophies are presented on the pitch at the end of play.
Primary pupils celebrating around the cup
Parents and teachers on the touchline, pupils on the pitch all day.
For parents

What to bring

Kit

Boots and shin pads

Moulded studs or astro trainers for 3G. Shin pads are required to play.

Weather

A coat, whatever the forecast

Festivals go ahead in the rain. Pitches are only called off for frost or lightning.

Food

Water and lunch

Bring a filled bottle. Venues have taps but not always a shop.

Photos

Ask before you film

Photography is fine for your own child. Check with the school before posting anything with other pupils in it.

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