5-a-Side vs 11-a-Side Football - Which Do You Play?

Here at Just Football we regularly discuss the travails of those who play the game of football at a professional level. Now though I'd like to turn the focus onto you the reader for a moment. It figures that, if you enjoy watching football and you like reading about football, chances are you also enjoy playing the game, or at least have done at some point in your life. So what I'd like to know is do you still play at all, either for fun or to a high level, and what type of game?

I've recently been in touch with representatives on behalf of the English Football Association (FA) and over the course of our correspondence they explained to me the massive decline in numbers of those playing 11-a-side football around the country.

One of the FA's main objectives this season is to get people back playing 11-a-side. Here is some of what they had to say:

"The [eleven-a-side] game has been in decline for the last few seasons and we’ve lost 1200 teams over the last two seasons. The issue with teams dropping out is that it can cause a negative effect for other teams – eg one league recently folded because they had only nine teams register – that means the other teams have to register with other leagues further away geographically, so players have to travel further, more expense, drop down a level etc. Other teams and players suffer and increased expense/different standard of play can lead to more teams dropping out.

The FA supports all levels of the game and in 2007 we conducted a huge survey with 37,000 respondents from grassroots football. This helped us to devise our FA National Game Strategy 2008-12, through which we’re investing £200m into the grassroots game.

Feedback from 11-a-side clubs, leagues, volunteers, players etc was that they wanted us to stop the drop-out, ensure a referee for every game, improve facilities etc. All of which we’re working on and this is our Get into Football campaign to try to retain players – for the enjoyment of everyone involved in the game. Football will still keep going if we lose teams, but we’re committed to ensuring everyone can play & enjoy the game whether they are an adult or child, male of female, and whatever their ability."

I found it really interesting (and quite disheartening) to learn that so many people are dropping out of the 11-a-side game in England. If 1200 teams have disassembled that amounts to at least 13,200 players falling through the cracks of the amateur game should they be unable to find another team elsewhere, quite a staggering figure when you think about it.

Without having researched reasons for the decline myself too much, one reason that did pop into my head was the rise of 5-a-side football in England. Could this offer an explanation as to why more and more people are turning their backs on 11-a-side, which requires more time, effort and organisation?

The recent growth of Powerleague, who offer more than 40 5-a-side centres across the UK including the world's biggest 5-a-side centre the Old Trafford Soccerdome, may also have something to do with 11-a-side's recent decline. Powerleague is quicker and sleeker, a more rapid, saccharine version of the real thing, offering football on the go in a world that wants things yesterday. The Starbucks of amateur football if you will. Have Powerleague's growth and the rise in popularity of 5-a-side football contributed directly to a downturn in the 11-a-side game?

What do you think? Which game do you prefer to play, 11-a-side or 5-a-side?

Personally I haven't played 11-a-side since my school days, but have played for various Powerleague teams with friends over the years. To my mind 5-a-side games like Powerleague are easier to set up and if you get a group of friends together can be done quite regularly with little commitment, whereas the 11-a-side game appears a more a long-winded process and less simple to organise.

I'd be interested to hear the views of anyone who still plays football on this, and arguments for and against. In the meantime, a simple poll:



Photo courtesy of danielbrezina.com on Flickr