Changes to the Structure of Youth football in Saudi Arabia for the 2024/2025 season
A Game-Changing Update for Youth football in Saudi Arabia
Get ready to witness a monumental shift in the landscape of youth football in Saudi Arabia and its development. As we eagerly anticipate the kick-off of the 2024/2025 season and the exciting moments it will bring, we can now discuss a revolutionary restructuring that promises to ignite passion and talent across Saudi Arabian youth football divisions which has been delivered by Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF).
There is no doubt these are positive changes within Saudi Youth Football and the changes have synergies with the top Leagues in Europe and how they structure their youth pyramids. Here are the key points to note:
🏆 Dedicated Age Categories: Starting this season, each age group, from 2013 (U11) to 2006 (U18), will have its own dedicated category. Officially there will now not be a U19 or a U21 category. The exception is five player from the 2005 age group will be allowed to participate with the U18 squad. This strategic move ensures that players compete against peers of similar ages, optimising skill development and fostering healthy competition within their age brackets.
Specialised Age Group: Introducing a brand-new age group spanning from 2014 to 2018 (U7-U10). This specialised category is designed to nurture the youngest football enthusiasts, laying a strong foundation for their future setting positive attributes both on and off the pitch at this young age.
Grassroots Engagement: To foster and maximise inclusivity and grassroots participation, the Saudi Under-13 Youth League will be transformed into regional tournaments, catering to ages 11 to 14 years. Additionally, football festival tournaments will be created across the Kingdom aimed at engaging aspiring footballers aged 7 to 10 years
Enhanced Competition: All these changes will heighten competition and raise the level of player in Saudi Arabia! The Premier League and First Division for the Under-16 age group, will provide players more opportunities to showcase their skills and passion for the game and in addition The Premier League for Under-15s is expanding the number of teams with 18 teams in each.
These changes signify a monumental step forward in the evolution of youth football in Saudi Arabia. By optimising talent identification, nurturing grassroots participation, recruiting qualified coaches, educating domestic coaches and enhancing competition at every level, they are certainly paving the way for a brighter future for Saudi Arabian football.
The strategic restructuring of youth football in Saudi Arabia is poised to have a profound impact on staff recruitment drives across various leagues.
By aligning age categories, introducing specialized training for younger players, and expanding grassroots engagement, we’re not only nurturing local talent but also creating a pipeline for staff recruitment for Jobs4football. This evolution opens doors for clubs across leagues to tap into a driving demand for head coaches, analysts, physios, and goalkeeper coaches to name only a few.
This transformation underscores the crucial role of recruiting quality qualified foreign coaching staff but also the need to upskill and educate Saudi Nationals in shaping the future of Saudi Arabian football, ensuring a seamless transition from grassroots to professional levels.
As Saudi Arabia embarks on this journey of transformation, we must not forget the luminaries who’ve paved the way for Saudi football excellence: legends like Sami Al-Jaber, Yasser Al-Qahtani, and Nawaf Al-Abed. With this new structure, could the next generation of stars emerge, shaping the future of Saudi football?
For further details and updates, please refer to the official communication from the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) available via this link : الاتحاد السعودي يعتمد مشروع تطوير مسابقات الفئات السنية 2024-2025 – الاتحاد السعودي لكرة القدم (saff.com.sa)