KNVB wins FIFA Forward Award for innovative youth competition forms

KNVB president Frank Paauw receives the FIFA Forward Award from FIFA president Gianni Infantino. - Foto: Harald Cunningham/FIFA

The KNVB has proudly won the first prize at the prestigious FIFA Forward Awards. This recognition was awarded for the new competition formats the KNVB has introduced for youth players aged 6 to 12. This award highlights the KNVB's commitment and innovative vision in developing youth football in the Netherlands.

KNVB president Frank Paauw was present in Paris to receive the award: ‘We are incredibly honoured by this recognition from FIFA. It confirms what we already know: The Netherlands may be small in area, but we are leaders in football. We compete for the highest prizes, produce extraordinary talents, and enjoy worldwide respect. Joint efforts, that's our strength - from professionals to volunteers, from top clubs to amateur clubs. Together, we continue to work on the future of Dutch football. This FIFA recognition is a wonderful culmination of everyone's dedication and passion who has worked on the project.’

Keep on Building

This recognition fits perfectly with FIFA's global efforts to develop football through the Forward Programme. Our project embodies the KNVB's core principle of putting football development and enjoyment first.

By introducing child-friendly league formats, we have focused on enhancing the football experience for our youngest players, carefully tailoring our approach based on extensive research and feedback from players.

This award motivates us to continue to innovate in youth football

This award motivates us to continue to innovate in youth football and create an environment where players naturally improve and stay involved in the sport for longer. By giving children more footballing enjoyment and increasing their involvement in the game, we contribute to FIFA's mission to develop football worldwide.

We are grateful for this recognition and see it as an encouragement to continue building the future of football, both in the Netherlands and worldwide.

Unique and innovative

The KNVB's new league formats are specially designed to promote the development of young footballers. Instead of traditional matches, children play in smaller teams on smaller pitches. This ensures that each player gets more on the ball, is more involved in the game and therefore develops faster and better.

The football clubs were key to the success of this initiative for the children

These new formats are crucial for the development of young players, according to the KNVB. By adapting these game forms to the rapidly changing perception and skills of children, we create a more child-friendly learning environment. By tailoring the game formats to children's growth phases, we make football more fun and effective for young players and encourage better skill development and long-term commitment to the sport.

Impact on youth footballers in the Netherlands

The new league formats have already had a significant positive impact on youth football players in the Netherlands. Research has shown that reducing the number of players and pitch size in youth football significantly improves players' actions, engagement, and enjoyment for both participants and spectators. Based on these findings, the KNVB introduced new match formats for the Under 6 to Under 12 age categories to optimize football experience and development.

Children have gained more self-confidence and improved their technical skills

This fits perfectly with the KNVB's strategy, including the strategic pillars ‘More footballers’ and ‘Taking football to a higher level.’ Important here is also the social impact. Parents and coaches have anecdotally reported that children have gained more self-confidence and that their technical skills have noticeably improved. The improved playing experience ensures that children stay involved in the sport for longer, which is crucial for their physical and mental development.

By spreading the implementation over two seasons, we took the time to ensure that the implementation went well and was manageable for our clubs (2500). In doing so, we worked closely with our football clubs. They were key to the success of this initiative for the children.

This transformation has had a major impact on the football landscape in the Netherlands, leading to a focus on this innovative project in the FIFA Forward Awards 2024. The initiative highlights the importance of young players, involving volunteers and clubs to ensure a sustainable and future-proof approach to youth football.

Future

This innovative project came about through the combined efforts of a dedicated team within the KNVB, supported by a group of youth trainers, pedagogues, and sports scientists. The driving force behind the project was the belief that youth football should be fun, educational, and accessible to every child. Our motivation was to create an environment where every player, regardless of his or her skill level, can enjoy football and develop to his or her full potential.

Joint efforts, that's our strength - from professionals to volunteers, from top clubs to amateur clubs

Key initiatives include optimizing match formats for juniors under 13 and 14 by exploring alternatives to the current 11-on-11 format, conducting pilot studies on ‘future rules’ to make the game fairer and more attractive, and integrating futsal into the youth match calendar. These efforts aim to create an optimal environment for current and potential players and contribute to our strategic goal of increasing football participation.

To ensure the success of these initiatives, we emphasize collaboration with the football community, with focus groups, qualitative research and phased implementation. Through this approach, we continue to respond to the changing needs of footballers and make the sport more enjoyable and accessible to all.