The last meeting of the association’s board of directors brought an end to the late-born rule.
Photo:
Wolfgang Wallner
JIt’s now official: the late-born rule in youth football will be abolished. After resistance from the clubs, the phase-out is now taking place gradually.
As the NÖN reported, the NÖFV has been planning to end the late-born rule for months at the start of the 2026/27 season. This makes it possible to use up to three players who were born on September 1st of the previous year at the earliest in the U13 to U15 competitions. From the U16 level onwards, five players who are one year older can be fielded. In May, the association’s board announced that it would discontinue this option. The result: great resistance from the clubs, who fear that this will make it even more difficult to field youth teams in the older age groups.
